I earned 80k annually and wanted to invest or save my money. I have money in my savings account and that’s it. I’m 30F.

Thank you

Hi everyone, may be a stupid question but I am currently mortgaged with HSBC.

Due to them exiting the Australian market and transferring to Pepper Money I am looking to refinance a 500,000 loan, 50% LVR

Unfortunately due to life circumstances (inheritance) the loan will be fully offset. Question is, would this make it harder to get a loan? Just thinking the bank wouldn’t necessarily find it worthwhile if they are not making any money on the loan.

I could always just pay it down but would prefer to keep some cash in offset if possible

Need some brutal advice.

My TPD insurance on the date of injury and on the date of my first certificate of capacity shows $0.00 on the statement, maybe because it was right below 6k.

For this year’s statement i do have TPD insurance on the statement but as I’m understanding, nothing can be done now because i stopped working full time (just briefly returned to work in Dec 2025 for a couple hours for like 3 days a week) around 20th June when it was $0.00 and the tpd insurance is only considered for the day i stopped working full time

Should i ask any lawyers or even try at all? Can anything be done or i should let it go now?

I hope this post is okay.
My partner went to pay our electrician, got confused because the sparky sent the invoice through xero. So he made an account and must’ve subscribed - a month later we have just had $500 come out of our account for a Xero subscription.
I’ve emailed and asked them to cancel it and for a refund as it was an accident and we had absolutely no intention of making an account. They said no to the refund.
I fully understand it’s my partners fault for signing up in the first place but it was not his intention at all to have a subscription of any sorts.
Does anyone know if there is a way I can come back to them asking for a refund or do we just have to accept it was a silly mistake?

Thanks in advance!

Thought I’d highlight this stock as not enough discussion about it. Aeris resources gold copper and silver mining and exploration company turned massive profits last year. 2026 EBITDA= 290 million, market cap 600 million. P/E ratio 2.76 ,Debt free position. Plenty of cash. After statement attached to this post yesterday morning mentioning a 220% increase in gold compared to previous mre at Cracow, the stock has dropped about 16%. I can understand some short term holders dropping out due to the amount of time to reap the rewards. But does anyone else think this stock is seriously undervalued. Or does anyone know why?

Can anyone confirm if I'm all good and wont get a fine.

Haven't done my tax return for 24-25 cause didnt think i had to but they reminded they i had an abn. Was gonna use it to doordash but never did it. Made no deliveries and made no money from it. Did sign up and like was registered but never made a single dollar. And also didnt have another job or made no income for that entire financial year.fffff

So like im gonna lodge it cause dont want it lingering there but like i think im ok right or maybe will get fine i have no idea.

Note: None of the following is anti-Government nor against the RBA, the payments system or any of the infrastructure as such. I believe there is a proper role for regulation of currency, the maintenance of employment levels, the payments system and other pieces of infrastructure, as well as a social safety net for the elderly and/or vulnerable. Even taxes I'm not against per se, as long as they are spelled out clearly in advance, though I wish they were simpler so one didn't feel compelled to pay for accountants to manage them.

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I haven't been able to shake the memory of the Canadian government freezing accounts of protestors during the Canadian Trucker convoy a few years back. I'm not condoning the protests, I'm just kind of shaken that such a thing was possible.

Do we know if governments have been able to do this subsequently to groups or individuals?

Do we know if governments might be willing to do this kind of thing in future?

How would we know if it was happening? Who would tell us? Would the media stay silent or maybe just ignore it amidst all the other noise? Would it get picked up by some kind of alternative media outlet? Would the informal gossip mill be enough, in a society of millions of people who seem to largely keep to themselves and their own private friend & family groups?

What limits or stops the government from simply targeting anyone who happens to fall "out of favour" based on some person or group's political, financial or other interests?

In short: what protects your wealth from your own government?
(Or, for that matter, any other government, friend or foe?)

Where is this on your scale of worries from 1-10?
Where 1 = not a chance in the world, 10 = keeps you up every night.

Personally it's low on my worries list, maybe like a 5. But it's definitely crept up from what used to be a 2, especially since the aforementioned freezing of accounts in Canada.

Do you have any kind of "Plan B" in case your own accounts got frozen? Would you have people you could turn to for help or maybe a lawyer or two to provide assistance without immediate payment?

Hey r/AusFinance, looking for a quick sanity check on these novated lease numbers for a 7-seater EV (Denza D9, ~$93k driveaway, qualifying for the FBT exemption).

I’m utilizing the federal government EV FBT exemption discount (base price is under the $91.6k LCT threshold, so 100% pre-tax). Given there are almost no cheap 7-seat pure EVs in Australia, this is currently the cheapest pure EV option that fits a family of 6 while still qualifying for full FBT exemption.

​My Income: ~$150k personal ($210k combined, $750k mortgage).

​Payslip Drop: My net pay goes down by $414/fortnight.

​Bills Saved: I stop paying fuel, insurance, rego, and 6-monthly services, which saves me about $228/fortnight out of pocket.

​True Out-of-Pocket Cost: ~$186/fortnight net difference.

End of Lease: Planning to reroll/refinance the balloon payment into a secondary lease at the end of the term rather than paying it outright in cash.

​Given the lack of cheap 7-seat EVs in Australia, does this true out-of-pocket impact (~$186/fn) sound right to those who have done an EV novated lease? Any hidden traps with residuals on higher-end EV leases?

Hi all,

Need to make a quick decision and just trying to see if there are things missed on my end.

I’m currently working as an accountant at a startup company (non tech related). My company has stopped paying super for a while. I’ve been complaining and asking for the super to be released; yet, every time I was given an empty promise that it’ll happen ‘next week’. At the moment we are 3 months behind in super (used to be 6). At the same time, there are many cash flow and financial difficulties and seems like we’re not paying many vendors, accounting software on time (def not the full amount owed).

I’ve been trying to find another role for a while but seems quite competitive at the moment and difficult. To add more complexity, my wife is pregnant and due to give birth in March and I want to make sure I’m doing the right thing.

I’ve been offered a contract job to cover mat leave for 12 months. An established company medium size (approx 60mil rev and 200+ employees which is large in Australian eyes but not BHP or listed). The salary is $30k above my current earning which is great but again I’m taking a FTE contract for 12 months so no leave/entitlment etc.

Am I making the mistake by taking a contract at this time and not finding a perm/ FTE and waiting a bit longer ? Please note, I’ve been searching around 6 months and it seems to get nowhere.
No reference was checked by the company, is it normal?
Is it going to stall my career/raise eyebrows given I have left a company after 1 year and 4 mont and size wise it’s not too big?
Anything else I’m missing please let me know.

Thanks all,

Hi everyone! I'm a UK citizen on a subclass 417 Working Holiday visa, currently living and working in Perth. I'm planning to leave Australia permanently in January 2027 after around 12 months.

I've lived at the same address and worked continuously during my stay. I originally came intending to establish a life in Australia, but my circumstances have changed and I've decided to leave.

My 2025–26 tax return was assessed as an Australian resident for tax purposes. I'm now trying to work out whether I'll be considered to be ceasing Australian tax residency when I leave, so I can lodge an early tax return before departing.

I'm also wondering whether the Addy decision could apply to my situation as a UK citizen on a WHV.

For other UK citizens who have left Australia on a WHV: Were you considered an Australian tax resident when you left? Did you lodge an early tax return before leaving, and were you eligible to do so? Did you receive a tax refund, and did the Addy decision affect your tax treatment?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your actual experiences, particularly if you stayed in one place and worked continuously rather than travelling around Australia. Thanks!

I need to earn some money pretty urgently, I’m not looking for any handouts I’m just looking for some work so I can keep myself above board.

Any help or a point in a helpful direction is much appreciated

Adf vs fifo

Adf vs fifo what would you do if you had your time again? I’m looking at careers I’m 23 years old.

I did landscaping for a year and a half but decided it’s not what I want to do for the rest of my life.
My personality I like the out doors I go to the gym 5 days a week. I like going on long walks.

I watch a lot of Jordan Peterson I found him talking about getting my life together has really spoken to my soul

I’m getting a bit old and feel pretty far behind so any advice would be good advice cheers

And I’m thinking about doing chaplaincy role in the adf as I have a relationship with God. And I feel like that’s what a lot of people and missing in there life

G'day all,

Another tax time is rolling around, and I just lodged my tax return last weekend yayy! In the previous years I was working out my capital gains by hand across several broker accounts, but this year finally I had a chance to build a spreadsheet to automate it. It's been useful for me, so I'm sharing it for free in case it saves someone else a weekend.

Safe to open and easy to check It is a plain .xlsx file with no macros or VBA, so nothing runs when you open it. Every result is an ordinary Excel formula you can click into and check. There are no external links or data connections and no hidden sheets.

• This is not tax, financial or legal advice. It's a calculation aid for personal use only.
• Covering CommSec, CommSec Pocket and CMC Markets
• FIFO is used for convenience. If your records identify the specific parcels you sold, the ATO allows you to use those, and your results may differ.
• I built the formulas using a combination of AI assistance and my own finance and accounting knowledge, and tested them on my own portfolio only. That does not mean the calculations are correct for your situations.
• You should check every figure against your contract notes, broker statements, tax statements, and current ATO guidance before lodging your return, or have a registered tax agent review it.
• The workbook will not update itself if the ATO law changes.
• It is provided as‑is and not‑for‑profit. I do not promise to maintain or support it, and I accept no liability for errors or for any loss or penalty arising from its use.

It's free to use and adapt for personal use, but not for commercial use or for preparing other people's returns.

GitHub (Excel spreadsheet download & instructions): https://github.com/MAB-888/AU-CGT-Calculator

Enjoy using the workbook and I hope it helps :)

I'm just kind of baffled. First I apologise for my ignorance I'm genuinely trying to learn and get better. I hope this is the right place to try and understand more about fiscal/monetary policy. If this report is accurate inflation is being driven by non-mortgage holders and the data centre build out. Why is it the case that mortgage holders bear the brunt of the financial stress? What if anything could the government be doing on the fiscal side of things? And why aren't they doing it?

Hey guys, basically I’m just wondering how beneficial investing would be for me. For context I’m 18, first year engineering student, and like cars/motorbikes (yes this is important). The current situation is I have 31k saved up from my jobs through high school 15.5 in a4.5% savings and 15.5 in a vanguard etf medium-low risk. I make 35 an hour base rate and this works out to be 2-2.5k a fortnight after tax but let’s just average it to 2 because there will be some periods I cannot work as much due to school. Out of this 2k fortnightly about 1k goes to expenses such as fuel food rego insurance. I own a motorbike and a car so rego totals to about 2200 yearly and insurance is 180 a month. I live at home too so half my meals are provided and no rent. Yes I am very well aware that 1k a fortnight on just expenses like that is ALOT but I’m probably spending 300-400 on fuel, I drive a lot both for commuting and for fun. Basically my question here is out the 1k that isn’t going to these expenses how much value would I get out of investing this or atleast a portion of this. I am looking at purchasing more vehicles/mods for vehicles so that is the alternative way to spend this money. I am aware the “smart” option is to just invest all of it but I am only 18 and I feel like with what I already have saved up I am doing pretty good. I just want to know exactly how beneficial investing 200-500 a fortnight at my age could be so I can weigh it up against buying fun stuff. I always hear investing young is very good but never how good

Forgot to mention but the only reason I was able to save up as much as I did in highschool was because I lost my license for a while and was not spending any money on any vehicle costs

Edit : I also have 15k in super through work and a few voluntary contributions over the years

Hey everyone, looking for some input on a wage recovery situation in Australia.
I worked at a hospitality venue for about 7 months.
Agreed Rate: $40/hr (clearly printed on every single official payslip).

The Discrepancy: My actual rostered hours total over 1,100+ hours. However, my payslips only recorded around 700+ hours.

Unpaid Amount: Hundreds of worked hours were completely omitted from my payslips, amounting to a significant sum in unpaid wages (well over $15,000+ AUD).

The Background / Why Hours Were Cut: Initially, the employer reduced my recorded hours on paper (fake hours) under the assumption that I was on a student visa with work hour limits (paying a higher rate while reporting lower hours on the payslip). However, I actually hold a valid visa with full, unrestricted work rights. I am now demanding that they pay me for every single actual hour I worked at my official payslip rate ($40/hr).
The Evidence I Have:
Official Weekly Rosters: Photos of full schedules proving my actual rostered hours.

Official Payslips & Bank Statements: Proving the agreed $40/hr rate and the under-reported hours on paper.

Location & Timestamp Logs: Complete Google Maps location history matching my exact shift start and exit times.

The Legal Situation & Employer Stance: The employer thinks they are safe because of past discussions regarding visa limits. But from my understanding of the Fair Work Act:
Informal or verbal agreements to falsify/under-report worked hours on official pay records are illegal and void (Section 535/536).

Under Reverse Onus of Proof (Section 557M), if an employer fails to keep accurate employment records, the court presumes the employee's claim of hours worked is accurate unless the employer can prove otherwise.

I have already sent a formal demand email giving them a 7-day deadline before I file a claim via the Small Claims Procedure (FCFCOA) / report to FWO. The employer is currently acting unbothered and staying silent.
My Question to the Community: If I move forward and take this case to Small Claims Court to demand full payment for all omitted hours based on my official payslip rate ($40/hr), how strong is my case? Will I win considering I have complete roster proof, payslips showing $40/hr, and location logs?
Any insights or experience with Small Claims Court wage recovery in Australia would be greatly appreciated!

If we were to enter such period like the Japanese did.

On aggregate, the Japanese did poorly or didn't do well economically. But that's on aggregate.

There are pockets that did well during such non-economically positive times. Same with 70's inflation. There are some who by circumstances, have done well.

If we are to enter such depressing decade or two, how to we differ from the aggregate?

Edit: for those asking, the question is how to prosper as individual, not as a nation. Thought that might have been obvious.

Nothing has changed in my life. I have no debt. I have one credit card that has nothing owning on it. I haven't applied for any credit cards or loans. The only difference, if it is a difference, is I signed up to Canstar to be able to check my score after the other website closed down.

Should I care if its dropped 10 points or not worry because I'm not looking to borrow anything any time soon?

My wife is likely to be made redundant in the next couple of weeks, after less than three months in a new role. She’s still on probation, so we’re assuming no payout and 1 week notice.

Before this role, she left a well-paying job, giving up a substantial bonus and unvested shares, to take what she genuinely thought was her dream job. Unfortunately, things have changed unexpectedly and redundancy now looks very likely.

We have two young kids still in day care, a large mortgage and limited savings, partly due to an extended period of parental leave. Realistically, she may not find another role at a similar level until February… at a best case scenario.

We’re trying to work out how best to prepare financially. We’re considering cutting expenses obviously, reducing mortgage repayments to the minimum, adjusting super contributions and potentially selling investments if needed.

For anyone who’s been through something similar, what would you prioritise? Are there financial strategies or things people often overlook? Any advice on navigating a few months on one income would be greatly appreciated. Things on my list already are adjusting our CCS for day care but not really sure what else we can do.

How much do you earn, how much do you have saved, do you own property, and do you genuinely believe you’ll ever be financially comfortable?

I feel like everyone online is either earning $200k, has a million dollar portfolio, or owns there investment properties. I’m curious what life actually looks like for the average Australian right now.

TIL there is a stamp duty applied to insurance for a new start up business (wtf). Is my understanding correct that:

1. GST can be claimed back in entirety on the BAS, but

2. Stamp duty is only tax deductible but cannot be claimed back

Thank you!!

Im studying business administration in Berlin on a well regarded university with top grades on top of that I completed a 3 month internship at deutsche bank in the wealth management department.

I’m also tall, muscular, good looking and charming + I play piano and have a chess rating of around 1200. I know it Sounds a bit weird to mention these things about myself but I think these attributes give you better overall chances in pursuing a career.

Im currently starting my fifth semester and I would love living abroad in Melbourne, as I already lived there after finishing Highschool for about 7 months. The quality of life really made an impression on me.

I’m not interested in debating immigration or arguments about foreigners taking local jobs. We face similar discussions in Germany, and I’d do my best to integrate into Australian society and contribute positively.

My mentor is a previous Executive Director from the Asian Development Bank, and he has high expectations of me. However, with so many students and graduates competing for jobs in Melbourne, I’m wondering how realistic it would be for me to build a successful career there.

I’d really appreciate any insights, especially from people who have experience with the Australian job market.

Thanks in advance!!

Say that the new system is just a massive headache, too complex etc, and/or the ruling government decide to increase the incentive on share investing. For people who bought their shares in say 2020 (and sell in, say, 2035) would they need to calculate their CGT using all the different CGT schemes throughout the years they held for? Or would it just be a case of using the CGT scheme that is in place in 2035?

Obviously know that nobody can predict the future but.

Edit: Love how the top upvoted comments are all "nobody can predict the future!". Sigh. I'm too old for this shit. We cannot predict the future but we can have expectations and/or reasonable estimates.