Div 296 passed, CGT discount cut & why Australia's pension system is falling
Australian Retirement PodcastShow Notes
In this Australian Retirement Podcast episode, your hosts Drew Meredith from Wattle Partners and James O'Reilly from Northeast Wealth open with breaking news: The Greens have rubber-stamped Div 296 - and they're demanding MORE tax reform. James breaks down what just passed, while Drew exposes the terrifying CGT and trust changes on the horizon.
Major tax changes being floated:
- New $135K income threshold with stacking provisions
- Cap gains tax capped at 30% maximum
- CGT discount slashed from 50% to 33%
The Boomer Briefing tackles why Australia's pension system ranking has fallen again in the global Mercer CFA Index. We're still top 10, but Netherlands, Denmark, and Iceland are crushing us. Why?
The Mercer Index scores three dimensions: Adequacy (benefits/replacement rates), Sustainability (long-term funding), and Integrity (governance/regulation). Australia excels at capital accumulation with our $3.5 trillion super pool and APRA/ASIC regulation - but we're getting destroyed on retirement income design.
The brutal truth: Australia built a world-class savings system. Northern Europe built world-class retirement income systems. The Mercer Index rewards the latter.
Plus, we say goodbye to Monique Pizzica, producer of The Australian Retirement Podcast.
Topics covered today:
- Greens rubber-stamp Div 296 - It's official, plus they want MORE tax reform
- CGT discount slashed to 33% - Down from 50%, massive tax impact
- New $135K income threshold - Stacking provisions and 30% cap gains cap
- Trust changes coming - What Drew's worried about
- Australia's pension ranking falls - Why Netherlands, Denmark, Iceland beat us
Resources for this episode
Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index 2025
Australia slips in global pension ranking
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