Here’s what you need to know today

• Office buildings continue to struggle in a work from home world. The latest data from the Australian Property Council shows that in the six months to January, Australia’s office vacancy rate was 14.7%, up from 14.6% in the previous six months. (Sydney Morning Herald)
  

• News Corp reported revenue up 5% for the quarter, primarily driven by REA Group. This will be the final quarter that includes Foxtel as the news giant prepares to sell it to British sports streaming platform DAZN. (AFR)
  
  

• Australia’s largest super fund, AustralianSuper, is under investigation for taking too long to pay out death benefits to beneficiaries of deceased members. ASIC claim the governance failures at the $355 billion super fund are similar to those found at Cbus last year. (Sydney Morning Herald)
  
  

• The Wall Street Journal has reported on Twitter or X’s latest financials. For 2024, the social platform earned $2.7 billion in revenue and $1.25 billion in EBITDA. In 2021, its last full year before getting taken over by Elon Musk, the company did $5 billion in revenue and $687 million in EBITDA. Meaning in 3 years, Elon has halved revenue and doubled profit. Wild. (WSJ)
  
  

• In an ominous move, Google has scrapped its ban on AI for surveillance and weapons as it reverses some of its previously committed AI Principles. This signals a shift towards new AI applications. (Quartz)
  
  

• Google was also in the news for introducing a cheaper AI model to counter the Chinese AI company DeepSeek as well as predicting commercial quantum computing applications within 5 years, a far shorter timeline than Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s prediction of 20 years. (Reuters)
  
  

• Disney beat expectations for its first-quarter earnings, largely on the back of the success of Moana 2. Revenue was up 5% to $24.7 billion with Moana 2 grossing more than $1 billion globally. The streaming business was profitable, turning around a loss from a year ago, even as Disney+ subscribers fell 1%. (Capital Brief)
  
  

• AMD, the chip maker that is seen as a lesser version of Nvidia, saw shares fall 11% despite reporting revenue up 24% and data centre revenue up 69%. Investors were unimpressed with its forecast for 2025. (Saxo Bank)
  
  

• After announcing an antitrust investigation into Google, reports are that China is now considering an investigation into Apple’s App Store. These investigations are seen as a way to disrupt America’s largest companies in response to President Trump’s 10% tariffs. (Quartz)

What the…?

As both sides of Australian politics start gearing up for the 2025 election, we didn’t expect work lunches to be front-and-centre. But they have become a hot button issue after Labor released costings that showed the Coalition’s policy of offering a tax credit for business lunches would cost $1.6 billion a year.

The Coalition has pushed back on the figure and argued that the Parliamentary Budget Office costed the policy at less than $250 million.

Labor’s Jim Chalmers has said it would “smash the budget”. The Coalition’s Angus Taylor has called it “egregious politicisation”. It is starting to feel like an election year. (ABC News)

Who should we interview in 2025?

“Get Elon Musk on”

“Convince Owen Rask to buy BTC”

“Jamie Dimon as a special guest!”

“Bryce bulks up and fights Jake Paul”

The Equity Mates Community Survey is your opportunity to tell us who we should interview (or fight) in the coming year. If you have an expert investor or business leader you’d love to hear on the podcast now is the time to let us know!

Help us make Equity Mates even better in 2025 by completing the Community Survey. (Survey Link)

Survey closes Sunday 9 February - so now is the time to have your say!

Investing is a lifelong journey

Here’s what you can learn today.

How couples can set up their finances

Community Question: What’s your philosophy when it comes to couples and setting up their finances? Everything shared/ joint accounts? Some money on the side?

We put this question to Glen Hare, financial adviser and co-founder of Fox & Hare.

Glen: When it comes to couples and their finances, I generally advocate for joint goals and shared finances, especially as the relationship progresses and shared goals become larger and more involved e.g. buying a home, starting a family, etc.

What I usually see at Fox & Hare Financial Advice is that one partner is a lot more engaged with the numbers and places a larger emphasis on personal finance. They’re sometimes surprised when I push for the less engaged partner to start paying more attention but it's essential that both are aligned on financial goals and strategies. If one person takes on all the financial planning while the other remains disengaged or overspends, it can create significant problems down the line.

Sharing finances also offers practical advantages. For instance, structuring investments in the lower-income earner's name can potentially reduce the overall tax burden for the couple.

Of course, every relationship is different, and some couples prefer to maintain separate finances, which is perfectly understandable. The key, regardless of the approach, is open and honest communication about money, goals and what the future looks like. I don’t think we are talking about the fact that choosing a partner is a major financial decision enough. It’s true, even though we rarely think of it that way.

When we share our lives with others our shared expenses, joint goals, and even debt become intertwined. I f we select a partner with mismatched financial values and habits that can breed conflict while, in my experience, a shared approach to finance can strengthen the relationship's foundation.

Combining finances offers several benefits, including:

• Transparency: Joint accounts provide a clear picture of income and expenses, promoting trust and understanding.

• Simplified Budgeting: Managing finances from a shared pool streamlines budgeting and bill payments.

• Shared Goals: Pooling resources makes it easier to save for common objectives like a house or extended holiday..

• Tax Advantages: As mentioned earlier, there can be tax benefits to structuring investments strategically.

For me, the ideal approach to managing finances in a relationship depends on the couple's unique situation and preferences. However, the cornerstones of financial success in any partnership remain the same: open communication, shared goals, and a willingness to work together.

Interested in speaking to a financial adviser? Fill out the form on our website and we’ll match you with one of our hand-picked financial advisers.

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