Wattle Partners

22/05/2026

US$600 billion. One year. Four companies.

Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon and Meta will spend more on AI infrastructure in 2026 than the entire GDP of Sweden.

If you hold a global equity ETF, you already own all four, around 15% of your global shares exposure.

That's not a reason to panic. It's a reason to know what you own.

Drew Meredith breaks it down in his latest article in The Golden Times: https://www.thegoldentimes.com.au/meta-tanked-google-rallied-picking-winners-gets-harder/

20/05/2026

Two of the biggest retirement regrets we see are sitting at the opposite ends of the same problem.

The first is panic-selling. Markets fall in year one or two of retirement, headlines get scary, and people move to cash. The solution isn't courage. It's structure. Enough cash to not need to sell. Enough diversification to not be wiped out.

The second is the opposite. Clients who saved their whole life and can't switch the instinct off. Terrified to waste their savings, they miss the travel, the experiences, the time with grandchildren.

watch the full video: https://youtu.be/bnT8n1ZQSQ8?si=eW0XHQ2P9_wdpyUV

19/05/2026

Three changes in the recent Budget barely made the front page, and all three reshape how Australians retire.

The 50% CGT discount? Gone from 1 July 2027.
The 40-year exemption on pre-1985 assets? Ending.
Family trust distributions? Hit with a new 30% minimum tax.

There are 14 months to act. Drew Meredith, explained in The Golden Times on what is exposed, what is protected and the one conversation every business owner need to have now:

15/05/2026

"If you're Gen X and above, this is not a budget for you. If you're a millennial or below, call your parents, they're not okay today."

That's how this week's special episode of The Australian Retirement Podcast opens. Drew Meredith and James O'Reilly sat down the morning after the Federal Budget, barely on any sleep, to unpack what it actually means for retirees.

In the episode:
- The new 30% CGT floor, designed in Treasury's own words to stop retirees waiting until they stop earning to sell. Drew's quick math: $9,000 more tax per person, $18,000 if jointly owned.
- Pre-1985 assets dragged into the CGT net for the first time in 40 years. "I thought accountants would hate this budget. I think they're going to love it."
- The 30% minimum tax on family trust distributions. Drew's one-word verdict: "shocking."
- Why the holiday home market in places like Mornington and Bright is in real trouble.
- The $250 "Working Australian Tax Offset" and why retirees don't qualify.

Super is the one thing left untouched.
The case for it has never been stronger.
Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/live/vIszGfiORVE?si=whixBWYU03Is1a-4

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In this emergency Australian Retirement Podcast episode, Drew and James unpack last night's Federal Budget - including the abolition of negative gearing on e...

06/05/2026

30 June is one of the most important dates on the financial calendar, especially if you’re approaching or already in retirement.

At Wattle, we see the same issue every year: missed deadlines, forgotten paperwork, and strategies that disappear once EOFY passes.

Drew Meredith talks through most common end-of-financial-year mistakes retirees make, and what to do instead.

If you are approaching or already in retirement, this is worth understanding, watch video below:

29/04/2026

The war is no longer just dominating headlines. It is now flowing directly into company earnings.

In the The Golden Times, Jamie Nemtsas spoke on how this is now showing up in earnings calls, as CEOs flag rising costs, disrupted supply chains and growing uncertainty.

For those in or near retirement, theses shifts matter. Risk in retirement isn't just about market drops, its about how global events flow through to your income, portfolio and ultimately your lifestyle.

Retirement planning isn’t static. It needs to adapt as the world changes. At Wattle, that’s exactly why we build strategies designed to evolve with you, and not just short-term movements.

Read full article:

16/04/2026

Happy Birthday to our director Jamie Nemtsas🎉

Your passion for lifting financial literacy and your clear, no-nonsense approach to retirement advice sets the tone for everything we do.

Here’s to another year of raising the bar, backing your views, and calling the markets exactly as you see them.

15/04/2026

If you’re self-funded or managing your own super, this is one benefit you cannot overlook!

The Commonwealth Seniors Health Card can significantly reduce your everyday cost for medicine and medical services.

Noah Langerak writes in The Golden Times benefits include:
- Cheaper prescription medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
- Bulk-billing incentives (depending on your doctor)
- Higher Medicare refunds for out-of-hospital costs
- Discounts offered by states and territories, such as electricity rebates, travel concessions and driver’s licence discounts (where available)

In a retirement that can span 20–30 years, it’s often the small, consistent savings that make the biggest difference.

If you think you may qualify, it’s well worth understanding how it works. Read full article:

10/04/2026

The demand surrounding electricity is accelerating, driven by AI data centres that run 24/7.

In the The Golden Times, Noah Langerak spoke on markets chasing the next big technology winner, stating that the real beneficiaries may be the "pick and shovel".

Assets like energy networks, utilities, and essential infrastructure are the kind of investments that don't rely on hype and are driven by necessity.

This is where smart retirement investing can shift in focus. It’s no longer about chasing growth, it’s about building income designed to last.
At Wattle, this is exactly how we think about portfolio construction. By focusing on resilient, income-generating assets that can support you through decades of retirement, not just the next market cycle.

Read the full article here:

09/04/2026

Retirement isn’t a finish line. It’s one of the most critical transitions you’ll face.

In our experience working with hundreds of retirees, the first 12 months stands out as the most challenging. Spending patterns shifts, routines disappear overnight, and the transition from earning an income to drawing one creates pressure that many simply aren’t prepared for.

In the video below, Drew Meredith talks through what no one tells you about that first year of retirement, and the practical steps you can take to avoid the common traps.

29/03/2026

A “comfortable” retirement today typically requires around $630,000 for a single, and $730,000 for a couple. Yet most Australians fall well short, and even then “comfortable” often doesn’t reflect what people truly want from retirement.

Benchmarks like Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) provide a useful starting point, but they can understate how each individual actually wants to live.

Retirement isn’t just a number, it’s a transition, and this is where the biggest mistakes tend to happen.

At Wattle, we focus on turning that complexity into clarity, helping you retire with confidence, structure, and income designed for life.

In the video below, Drew Meredith talks through a fundamental question: Do you actually have the capital required to fund the retirement you want?