Budget got you riled up? Take a deep breath, and consider this

May 19, 2026 — 2:49pm

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In case you aren’t quite yet over hearing about the budget, today I’m sharing my thoughts in response to questions I’ve been asked over the last week.

How my views on wealth strategy changes – or doesn’t

The approach I usually talk about doesn’t change: optimise your super and contribute extra where appropriate, build a core portfolio of low-cost ETFs/index-funds, aim to have a fully paid-off home by retirement, and increase your income where you can.

The fundamentals don’t change. What might change is how much people allocate to each of these components. You might see people putting more into superannuation or their home than investments outside superannuation – for the tax benefits.

However, tax minimisation should never be the main thing you are optimising – because taxes will constantly change. At best, it’s a bonus. Factor it in as and when you can, but don’t build your entire wealth strategy around it.

This is also why I talk a lot about understanding the core investing principles, because they don’t change. When you design a long-term investment strategy based on the core principles of investing, your strategy is more resilient to market movements and economic changes.

It is tempting for the “haves” to believe that they just worked harder than the others. In some........

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