Jim Chalmers

The idea that superannuation tax concessions are costing the government more than the Age Pension is based on bad analysis, according to Mercer, which found that concessions will actually save taxpayers in the long run.

The Treasurer’s plan to limit concessional tax treatment within super at $3M comes without a lot of the details required for effective retirement planning. Making bold changes now could be costly, says Wattle Partners principal Drew Meredith.

While avoiding recession is possible, the continuation of restrictive macroeconomic policies for the near term is needed to fight inflation, according to the IMF’s annual economic report card for Australia – and tax reform and stronger housing policies would also help.

Inflationary pressures are expected to ease over the next six months according to federal budget forecasts, while consumer-focused and housing stocks could benefit from government policies aimed at boosting consumer spending and the availability of affordable housing.