Inflation’s up, drinking habits are changing, and Australia isn’t getting any younger. So, who picks up the tab? (And who is making the decisions for future gen's?)

🎙️ This week on Talking Returns…

📈 We unpack the latest inflation figures (yep, they're up, again)- we ask what they could mean for your interest rates, and tackle the question everyone wants answered: when will the pressure ease?

🍷 Diaries from the Bottom Line: When customers stop raising a glass.

What happens when the next generation doesn’t drink like the last? We explore the pressures facing the alcohol industry, from wineries and breweries to bottle shops, and the bigger business question: how do you adapt when your customers’ habits change? (and of course they will, so how do you prepare?)

📊 Griffinomics: Older, wiser… but who’s paying?

Ray’s charts are back as we dive into Australia’s Intergenerational Report. We explore what an ageing population will mean for the tax base, government spending and the generations footing the bill. Is the outlook really as glum as it sounds?

🌏 What in the World?

Plus, a look at the global headlines:

- Trump and Netanyahu threatening a large military action in Iran after the midterms.

- Anthropic (Claude AI) announcing it's going to list (estimates of circa US$1.75 trillion)

With all the world stuff continuing to unfold (unrest and war), we ponder when does World War Three enter the chat?

💰 Money, markets and a few uncomfortable questions, without the jargon.

Feedback time!

💬 We'd love your feedback! What do you look forward to in each ep of Talking Returns? What do you enjoy? What would you change, if anything? Let us know!

📣 Get in touch, Returners!

Got a question, a topic suggestion or something to get off your chest? We’d love to hear from you.

✉️ Email: hello@talkingreturns.com

📸 Instagram: @talkingreturnspod

Remember: This podcast is (great) general information only, not (at all) personal financial or investment advice (nope, nada). Everyone’s circumstances are different, so speak with your own qualified professional adviser before making (any) financial decisions.

Welcome back to Talking Returns!

After a week of birdwatching and time by the water (Anna) and a soul time with friends (Ray), we're back to make sense of a busy fortnight here at home and overseas in money matters.

Oil prices are climbing again. Fresh attacks on Saudi Arabia have put supply under pressure, and fuel prices could soon hit their highest level in six months - that's the prediction anyway.

In this episode:

🌍 What in the World

• France and Global Bonds: The latest on French government bonds since we last checked in, who's watching and what to look out for. It sounds dry, but this beautiful country could be in financial trouble! (And how it could affect us here in Australia?)
• Share markets: Are share markets in correction territory? And is a correction a good thing, or a polite way of saying things are about to get real (bad)?
• News from Mexico: We finish on a high with the "dry canal", Mexico's Interoceanic Corridor across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. We look at what it is, the ingenuity and its' impact on supply chains in the area.

🤓 Griffinomics is back! Ray brings back Griffinomics, and this week he's talking about one of the most-watched signals in finance: the yield curve. It sounds like something from a Pilates class, but this one line on a chart can say a lot about where the economy is heading. We cover:

• Ray's love of graphs - he's pulled numbers from one of the big four banks this morning, fresh off the press and straight into a chart!*
• What the yield curve is and what's actually on the chart.
• The three shapes (normal, flat and inverted) and what each one says about the economy.
• Why an inverted curve is spicy.
• What it means for mortgages, term deposits and business lending in Australia.
• *We'll chuck Ray's graphs on the socials for your enjoyment.

Get in touch We'd love to hear from you. Find us on our website, Instagram and Facebook, or email hello@talkingreturns.com

Disclaimer: Remember Returners - this podcast is general information only. It is not financial advice. For advice tailored to your needs, and the consumer protections that come with it, speak to a qualified financial professional.

Welcome back, Returners!

We've been busy - riding motorcycles (Ray), hosting events (Anna), drinking coffee (everyone)... lots to look forward to on today's ep of Talking Returns.

This week's Dear Raymond comes from Natalie in Melbourne, a recent Returner who has been happily binge-listening her way through the show. (Thanks Nat!) She's asking something plenty of us have wondered but maybe never said out loud: How do you find the right financial adviser for you? Chatter including:

• Speed dating qualified fin advisors.
• What should you look for?
• What should you ask?
• What to know about fees and reporting?
• How do you know you've picked the right person (or not)?

It's about trust, it's about money, and Ray has some thoughts.

Then, pull out your globe... it's What in the World. Since we last caught up:

• America has put its interest rates up, the first rise there since 2023.
• Oil is stuck above US$100 a barrel as the Iran war drags on.
• Our own Reserve Bank (at time of recording) was about to decide on rates, and its recent comments had been preparing us for another rise (Anna will eat her hat* if they don't! *maybe)

Ray and Anna chat on:

• Why the RBA has been unusually vocal lately, including Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser's 7.30 interview after his return from the US.
• Latest action from the US bond market (and why it matters far beyond 'Merica).
• Oil supply issues continue, fuel costs keep heading north (and not for the holidays).
• What a global slowdown could mean for our exports: resources, agriculture, education and tourism etc etc etc etc etc (all the etc's)
• The R-word. Is a recession coming, and can we talk about it without it becoming a self-fullfilling prophecy?

Get in touch!

We'd love to hear from you, our Returners.

Send us your thoughts, musings, feedback, or your own Dear Raymond dilemma. 📧 hello@talkingreturns.com 🌐 talkingreturns.com 📸 Instagram: @talkingreturnspod 👍 Facebook: Talking Returns The Podcast

Resources:

ASIC's Financial Advisor's Register: https://www.asic.gov.au/regulatory-resources/financial-services/financial-advice/financial-advisers-register

The fine print: Everything in this episode is general information, NOT financial or investment advice for you (nor for your brother, your mother and your dog groomer too). Everyone's situation is different, so please talk to a qualified professional adviser before you act on anything you hear.