It's been a big couple of months in Australian money news.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) lifted interest rates again (with more on the horizon), inflation remains front and centre, and it's been Federal Budget season in Canberra. But what does all of that actually mean for everyday Australians, business owners and households trying to make sense of the headlines?

In this episode of Talking Returns, Anna and Ray unpack the latest rate rise, explore what inflation really is (and ponder are we part of the problem). They discuss the sometimes/often-complicated relationship between government spending, tax cuts and the Reserve Bank's efforts to keep inflation under control.

They take a closer look at federal budgets - how do they work, who creates it, when do governments deliver them, and the politics that often sit behind the numbers.

Plus, our fabbo business segment: Diaries from the Bottom Line - where we talk about the real issues affecting small and medium-sized businesses across Australia. In this week's edition, a message from the ATO sparks a discussion about business survival, responsibilities, and one big question: is there really such a thing as a silver bullet for business success?

In this episode:

With the RBA increasing interest rates again - who is impacted? Spoiler = everyone! We discuss why/how.

Inflation - are we becoming overly too friendly?

The push and pull between rate rises and government tax cuts. Sheesh, overwhelm anyone?

AND

The Federal Budget 101: who creates it, how it works and how fickle can they be?

Capital Gains Tax - lots of folks are worried for the changes... what's the go here?

In our small biz segment Diaries from the Bottom Line, we check in on:

• The realities of running a business when conditions are tough (like they are now for so many)
• Business "responsibilities" that every owner should understand - the ATO sent us a friendly message! We'll share it with you.
• Everyone in business should do a SWOT Analysis - what is it? We start one together!

In hot goss - Ray blushes off the back of some feedback around his ability to remember intricate details from long, long, long ago. Ray reveals why he's kept track of major financial events and economic moments without notes (and it's not what you expect).

We love hearing from you!

The feedback so far has been fantastic, and we genuinely appreciate the ideas, suggestions and encouragement you've shared.

You can reach us at:

hello@talkingreturns.com

Thanks for listening, and thanks for being part of Talking Returns.

Resource: Shocking (and might appear a bit boring, but no! Check out the Australian Taxation Office website, it's handy if you're looking for practical information about tax, super or running a business. It's packed with free resources and guidance. ato.gov.au

DISCLAMER: Talking Returns is a podcast centring around financial and economic topics. We’re not giving you financial advice, only a licensed professional can do this, after you tell them about your situation. A licensed professional adviser ensures you have a range of protections including access to a complaints service, as well as mandatory indemnity insurance.

It's important for everyone here in the Talking Returns community to know this little pod isn't a place for personalised financial advice - in fact, it's not advice at all, simply a place for conversations around topics and issues impacting life day to day, with common themes of money, investing, finance and business.

You can refer to this Talking Returns Disclaimer Explainer (see what we did there?) anytime, without listening to the whole first episode. We'll refer to it every now and then... so here she is, evergreen, as the first in what we hope will be many explainer eps to come.

And before we forget...

This information is general in nature and does not constitute financial advice. It does not - and cannot - consider your individual objectives, financial circumstances or needs, and you should not rely on it to make financial decisions. By consulting with a qualified professional adviser, you'll be able to obtain advice that’s been prepared for your specific needs and circumstances and in doing so, will have a range of consumer protections available to you (such as access to a complaints service and mandatory indemnity insurance).

This week, we tackle some pretty interesting stuff - including handy resources spoken about in the episode.

Finfluencers are under the microscope. ASIC are cracking down on influencers who produce and publish finance and investment style content. They are called 'Finfluencers'. We talk about the red flags to look out for when it comes to content in the finance world, and what you should be aware of when consuming this content.

Handy Resources:

ASIC Financial Advisor Register (Australian Securities and Investments Commission) - Find an authorised, registered and relevant financial advisor on ASIC's register, check they have qualifications and appropriate employment history to service you.

https://www.asic.gov.au/regulatory-resources/financial-services/financial-advice/financial-advisers-register/

ASIC Banned and Disqualified Register: Make sure your advisor is not banned or disqualified: https://www.asic.gov.au/online-services/search-asic-registers/banned-and-disqualified-registers/

FAAA Find a Planner (Financial Advice Association Australia): Find a Certified Financial Planner who is qualified to service you and can support your needs. https://faaa.au/find-a-planner

Our brand new segment 'Diaries from the Bottom Line' tackles the issue of confidence and how it can be shaken by the instability happening in the world.

'Dear Raymond' returns - this week Rob is keen to have those first important conversations about money with their partner, ahead of moving in together. Ray encourages a sit down at the kitchen bench, to get on the same page. What to do if you feel you need extra support in facilitating those conversations.

Money Smart Resources:

How to do a budget: https://moneysmart.gov.au/budgeting/how-to-do-a-budget

Budget planner tool: https://moneysmart.gov.au/budgeting/budget-planner

Simple Money Manager tool: https://moneysmart.gov.au/budgeting/simple-money-manager

The Important Disclaimer: Talking Returns is a podcast and is general information only. It does not constitute professional advice, and you should not make any financial decisions based on our conversations here. The important thing to remember is your financial journey is personal, and it’s essential you seek professional guidance from your own licensed advisor before taking any action. A licensed advisor will be able to provide you with specific guidance and by doing so, you will have access to a range of consumer protections including advice from someone who has the proper educational qualifications, someone who is operating with ethical standards, as well as formal complaints resolution benefits.

Today, we bring you our first segment of ‘Dear Raymond’ (a chance to hear from you around what you’re pondering in the realm of money matters). Excitingly, we hear from real life human Sophie - Sophie is keen to start investing but wants to understand where to start - from ETF's to apps... we talk about what to consider before you begin your investing journey. Topics covered:

• What is an ETF (not to be mistaken for EFTpos)
• Why have a contingency fund?
• Why do whitegoods seem to die all at the same time?
• Investment markets - a bit about how they work.
• The questions to ask yourself or be asked by your licensed/qualified advisor before you make decisions.
• Scam risks.
• When to get professional advice, what a positive professional advisor/client relationship feels like, and how to find a qualified advisor.

'What in the World' - the current geo-political climate has brought plenty of uncertainty, we talk about the impacts that uncertainty brings the world financially. And we acknowledge how thankful we are to be safe and able to have these conversations, given there are people, communities, countries at war and living in conflict.

EVs - the economics of the electric vehicle movement. Fuel prices spiked due to the Iran war, government's are considering whether or not to continue to incentivising people to get into electric vehicles... we uncover how supply and demand will impact the future of EVs.

Get in touch - we would love to hear from you, to hear what you're pondering, experiencing - we'd love to hear from you! hello@talkingreturns.com

Many Happy Returns!

The Disclaimer: this podcast is information only. It does not constitute professional advice, and you should not make any financial decisions based on our conversations here. The important thing to remember is your financial journey is personal, and it’s essential you seek professional guidance from your own licensed advisor before taking any action. A licensed advisor will be able to provide you with specific guidance and by doing so, you will have access to a range of consumer protections including advice from someone who has the proper educational qualifications, someone who is operating with ethical standards, as well as formal complaints resolution benefits.

On this ep:

Meet Anna and Ray.

What's this podcast about? You'll get to know more about the podcast itself - it's a place to come and chat about what’s happening in the world around us, and how it impacts our financial existence. Somewhere to learn more about topics that could ordinarily feel daunting or dull - economics, finance etc.

Why the disclaimers? You'll hear them commonly on this podcast, and no doubt in other pods playing in the finance space - but why are they important? We bring you the non-boring break down!

Some cracking segments to look forward to, including:

'What in the world?' where we take the temp on the world climate and how it impacts life, and how we live it. ‘Dear Raymond’ is a chance to hear from you around what you’re pondering in the realm of money matters. 'Points of Interest' tackles interest rates and others points of interest - ha! 'Griffinomics' is economics under the lens of daily life... and 'Diaries from the Bottom Line' where we talk about issues impacting small to medium business (large biz also welcome, you big show off!).

Get in touch - We'd love to hear from you, around what you’re pondering, particularly when it comes to money, your experiences in business, how you're tracking along right now when it comes to your finances or investments… The world is in a pretty wild state, so it can be good to connect at times of uncertainty. Whilst we don't give advice (and legally we're not allowed to) we can certainly talk on topics you want to hear more about. Get in touch! hello@talkingreturns.com

We'd also love your feedback on the podcast. What works, what could we do differently. All constructive feedback welcome. hello@talkingreturns.com

Catch you next time, on Talking Returns.

Our Disclaimer: this podcast is information only. It does not constitute professional advice, and you should not make any financial decisions based on our conversations here. The important thing to remember is your financial journey is personal, and it’s essential you seek professional guidance from your own licensed advisor before taking any action. A licensed advisor will be able to provide you with specific guidance and by doing so, you will have access to a range of consumer protections including advice from someone who has the proper educational qualifications, someone who is operating with ethical standards, as well as formal complaints resolution benefits.