The Money Puzzle

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has revealed the incredible damage COVID-19 has wreaked on Australia's finances. But a closer reading of the budgetary assumptions reveals a mix of optimism and pessimism. James and Alan discuss what is and isn't meaningful in the news, and whether we are destined for a depression in this week's episode. Also covered: more MMT debate, the outlook for deferred loans and Tesla's unlikely win. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Treasurer's mini-budget update on July 23 will be one of the most keenly anticipated Zoom calls of the year. Alan and James discuss the budgetary and human considerations being weighed up in this week's Money Cafe, and compare communist financial management to the MMT trend. Also discussed: Afterpay's valuation, gold ETFs, the huge fund manager leaning into cash, and the long-term impact of early super withdrawals. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Alan off-duty, James invites Vanguard's Robin Bowerman on for a comprehensive explanation of how exchange traded funds work, and the ways that ETFs can help and hurt an investing strategy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alan has created quite the stir through his recent fascination with modern monetary theory, or MMT. So, this week he and James thrash out the logic and potential drawbacks of this radical shift in thinking, and explain how Money Cafe listeners should prepare for a potential change in policy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Introducing a brand new podcast from The Australian: 2020 has seen the world reshaped at an unprecedented pace. Eras that once spanned a decade fly past in the space of a month. Trends that lasted weeks are lucky to survive an entire day. Technology is accelerating a lot of these changes, but could it also steer us towards a safer, fairer future? Forward Slash is a podcast series about how massive change and technology are colliding in our present moment. New episodes will be released fortnightly. Search for Forward Slash in your podcast app to hear more. 
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This week on The Money Café, James Kirby and Alan Kohler look into the number of new investors coming into the market, Qantas’ latest job cuts, the risk-reward ratio of bonds, and answer a number of listener questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zombie companies loom on the horizon of this week's episode as James and Alan discuss the potential impacts of the US Fed buying up bonds from businesses wounded by the COVID-19 shutdown. In Australia, Job Keeper appears to be the only measure keeping the lights on for many smaller hospitality businesses. How can these measures be unwound? Also discussed: the RBA's property freeze suggestion, and the surprisingly positive year for your super balance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Alan Kohler and James Kirby make their long awaited return to the Money Cafe to mull over the stock market recovery following the best 50 days on the market… ever, the disparity between credit card interest rates and buy-now pay-later firms, and punch through a treasure trove of listener questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A week of mass protest in the streets of America hasn't subdued Wall Street. Is this rally too good to be true? James and Alan ponder how long stocks can soar in the face of civil unrest in this week's episode of The Money Cafe, and consider how the grim outlook for GDP should be read. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stephen Mayne joins James in the Money Cafe this week for an episode largely focused on a rash of capital raisings. Is the current system set up in a way that is unfair to retail investors? Why have some famous rich listers not opted into their own raisings? And which offerings were the real winners in this batch? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have we entered the Land of Oz? Where markets and the economy can persist in divergent realities? James and Alan space out on the big questions in this week's episode The Money Cafe, and attack a rising bag of listener questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the release of today’s confronting employment figures, Alan Kohler and James Kirby unpack the numbers and reveal the true damage to Australia’s labour force. The duo also discuss the Commonwealth Bank’s grim forecast for property prices in this week’s episode of The Money Café. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have markets found the floor, or are we looking at another dip coming down the tracks? James and Alan compare notes on recent history and consider the shaky case for optimism in the future in this week's episode of The Money Cafe. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alan Kohler and James Kirby get stuck into a big week in finance which has been dominated by the banks and more big movements in the oil price. They also look to the US and whether its largest GDP contraction since the GFC is just the beginning of a deep recession. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James is back in the Money Cafe for a meaty discussion of a dramatic week of business news. Crashing oil prices have left some traders scrambling for space in the garage for a few extra barrels, and the RBA has issued an economic update that may have under-stated the depths of Australia's economic dip. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As March 23 becomes further and further away, Alan Kohler is joined this week by Principal of Minack Advisors, Gerard Minack, to ponder whether we have in fact, seen the bottom. They also question the IMF’s bullish economic outlook and dissect how a potential second wave of COVID-19 might impact Australia socially and economically. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Analysts have started to try and call the bottom, but could we see a bear market rally or just a dead cat bounce? James and Alan discuss the latest market data in this week's episode, along with the true value of PE ratios in the absence of guidance, the dilemma residential landlords find themselves in, and the curious popularity of $100 notes in Australia's circulation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week’s isolation podcast, Alan Kohler and James Kirby unpack the government’s extraordinary JobKeeper package, the impact it will have on future budget deficits and marvel at technological developments being used while in isolation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's isolation podcast, James and Alan look at where the big money is hovering ahead of the recovery, wonder how fund managers can withstand the market crash, and answer a swag of listener questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Money Cafe has gone remote, so it's now a BYO coffee affair. In this week's episode James and Alan ponder the current state of affairs facing the markets with coronavirus front and centre for investors, look at whether to switch your superfund to cash, and contemplate when the market might begin to show signs of recovery. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Indiscriminate sell-offs have swept through the ASX, but what companies can be seen as reasonable prospects in a recovery? James and Alan pick through the latest market dramas, and answer a few listener questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emergency edition! James and Alan sit down for an extra coffee to discuss a dramatic few days on the market, and what could come next for the nation's toilet paper stockpiles. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alan Kohler and James Kirby catch up in the chaos of this week to make sense of the market correction and whether it is a buying opportunity. They also question the toilet paper hysteria and look at the appeal of buying gold ETFs, plus much more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a turbulent week in global markets, Alan and James discuss how deep and how long this coronavirus hit will last and question whether a global recession is now inevitable. They also discuss the feasibility of using the big three miners as income stocks, plus much more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a brief dip, the ASX has resumed its soar towards blue skies despite global fears over the impacts of coronavirus. Could the disease actually be a good thing for markets? Alan and James discuss this, along with a disappointing start to earnings season and the latest spate of wage scandals on The Money Cafe this week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a revealing week of reporting season, Alan Kohler and James Kirby catch up on The Money Café to discuss the fallout from AMP’s dividend cut, CSL’s continued dream run and CommBank’s surprising profit results. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it mean when markets are forging on while analysts predict a serious coronavirus shock? Alan thinks this is a sign of perverse markets, and James has an eye on the stocks that will determine the fate of many investors this earnings season. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James and Alan reconvene the Money Cafe for another year with coronavirus fears swirling in the air. Will an epidemic force a recession in China and a broader market plunge? Analyst models have painted a pessimistic picture of the year ahead for Australian investors, but Alan isn't sure how much that really matters. And, of course, listeners have their say with some loquacious submissions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Money Cafe wraps up a big year in business by reflecting on the wins and dramatic failures, and trying to get through as many listener questions as possible. Many thanks to all of you who listened and wrote in this year, and best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday period. We will resume transmission at the end of January. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a week where markets fell out of bed, what will a fresh decade bring? James and Alan discuss rates, houses, markets and more in this episode of The Money Cafe. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been a week of highlights for the ASX and lowlights for Westpac. James and Alan chew over the fallout from the major bank scandal in this week's Money Cafe, as well as Gerry Harvey's fierce performance at the Harvey Norman AGM, the impact of recent RBA speeches, and the outlook for gold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James and Alan have packed up the Money Cafe and taken it to Sydney for their first live podcast! In this episode they discuss the tug between stimulus and surplus, whether boomers will have to work forever, the long-term outlook for rates and the murky merits of a charismatic CEO. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With a new boss at the big Australian, James and Alan begin their conversation in the Money Cafe this week by weighing up the merits of internal promotion in large companies. They also ponder Afterpay's change in fortune, the latest in Chinese interest in Australian property, and the country's financial mansplainers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's drinks all round at the Money Cafe this week as James and Alan toast a million downloads, wonder about the long-term outlook for Australian banks, not the inconsistency between what the RBA and the government is saying about the economy, and stress the difference between a tax agent and a financial adviser. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian's John Stensholt joins Alan in The Money Cafe for a spring update on the list of the nation's wealthiest, as well as a look at the state of horse racing, and a grab bag of listener questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James and Alan begin this week's Money Cafe with a little remeniscing about the Black Thursday crash, before moving on to discuss the state AMP, shorters, and a local housing market in remarkably rude health. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian's economic editor Adam Creighton drops into The Money Cafe feed to introduce a new podcast about Australia's property obsession. To hear more, search for On the Fence in your podcast app.With prices in major capital cities racing away again, rentvesting is now returning as an alternative for those struggling to afford high prices.In this episode we look at the property market through the eyes of some very savvy investors, one a property mogul and the other a share market whiz.If you took the emotion out of property and looked at it from a rational financial perspective, would you buy or rent and invest?Host: Adam Creighton, Economics Editor of The AustralianGuests: Margaret Lomas, Destiny FinancialSteve Johnson: Forager Funds Management 
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The IMF's latest update casts a gloomy shadow over this week's Money Cafe, in which James and Alan also discuss the next steps for Brexit, and Trump's smokey China trade deal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where's the beef in this week's Money Cafe? Alan and James talk fake burgers, the market giving up on AMP, the factors that will govern the success of buy now/pay later companies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Kirby is joined by Evan Lucas in this week’s episode of The Money Café, where the duo discuss what the catalyst might be to bring rates back up, how to adjust for a low yielding environment, property trusts, and churn through a number of listener questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brexit strife and impeachment speculation abounds but markets don't seem particularly fussed. But what impact could a Trump departure have for American investors? Alan and James ponder this in this week's episode of The Money Cafe, along with how negative gearing has played a role in shoddy residential developments, and the troubled WeWork IPO. Also addressed: a swag of listener feedback about last week's CGT-gate controversy! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's Money Cafe, James and Alan dive into the heated debate of corporate leaders taking social stances, explain America's sudden rate spike, and lay out the potential capital gains tax implications of a takeover deal for shareholders. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Money Café, Alan Kohler and James Kirby look into why the ATO is meddling with SMSFs, debate whether an accountant or financial adviser is better equipped to manage your money, and dive into why apartment approvals are down 40 per cent. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With conflicting signals and tensions frayed, the first order of business for James and Alan this week is figuring out just what world we're living in. With that covered, they move onto auction clearance rates, Gerry Harvey, and some firm rebuttals from listeners. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does the endgame of a global trade war look like? James and Alan tackle the questions driving anxiety around the globe in this episode of The Money Cafe, along with the resilient Afterpay, and the latest outrageous play from Boris Johnson. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Negativity looms large once again in the Money Cafe, thanks to fresh news from the German bond market? Are we all totally rooted? Alan thinks so, James is more circumspect. Also discussed: the Donald's latest power play, discounted LICs and bear ETFs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James is back on deck in the Money Cafe in a week of global drama and market turbulence. So what's next? He and Alan discuss AMP, Magellan, hedging, negative rates and a swathe of listener questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robert Gottliebsen joins Alan Kohler this week in the Money Cafe for a lively chat about China, America, trade wobbles and property investment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today Alan Kohler is joined by Sue Dahn, who topped The Australian's list of Australia's top 50 financial advisers, to discuss how and why the financial industry is changing, why the Fed cut left some people disappointed, how long will the good times last, as well as answer a number of listener questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steve Sammartino, author and futurist, joins Alan Kohler in this week’s episode of The Money Café to discuss Facebook, Tesla, Apple, the ASX and its new high, as well as answer a number of listener questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.