Our Team

James KirbyAssociate Editor – Wealth

James Kirby, Associate Editor-Wealth, is one of Australia’s most experienced financial journalists. James hosts The Australian’s twice-weekly Money Puzzle podcast.He is a regular commentator on radio and television, the author of several business biographies and has served on the Walkley Awards Advisory BoardHe was a co-founder and managing editor at Business Spectator and Eureka Report and has previously worked at the Australian Financial Review and the South China Morning Post. Since January 2025 James is a director of Ecstra, the financial literacy foundation.

@kirby_journo

Latest

WealthWealth

Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the Alliance of Responsible Citizens conference. Jane Dempster/The Australian.

The deeming rate is a joke

Investors want incentives in next week’s federal budget, but the first big move from the government will look a lot like a pay-off.

James Kirby

WealthWealth

The Royal Australian Air Force has flown a Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II strike fighter jet to Cairns, the first time one of the air force's fifth generation fighter jets has visited Far North Queensland. Picture: Brendan Radke

Alarmed Australians putting their faith in military investments

Investors are rushing to buy ‘defence investments’ as surging military spending globally takes attention away from gold bullion.

James Kirby

WealthWealth

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - March 14th 2025: Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, in Perth today with Minister Ed Husic (at rear) and the Member for Swan, Zaneta Mascarenhas visiting Curtin University. Picture: NewsWire/Philip Gostelow

Super-worried grey army looms as key vote

Retirement issues like super taxes and a reset of the deeming rate could make or break the next election, as more people over 55 than ever before get ready to vote.

James Kirby

WealthWealth

A businessman in panic watching world share markets crash

Super scare: As markets tumble, is your super setting OK?

Sharemarket turmoil and a grim outlook for investment returns is prompting many to question what effect all this will have on their superannuation.

James Kirby

WealthWealth

Modern server room, corridor in data centre with Supercomputer racks, neon lights and conditioners. 3D rendering illustration

AI crowd battered and bruised by the sharemarket sell-off

AI-linked stocks promised the best of both worlds in terms of growth and security but when it comes to the current sharemarket sell-off there is nowhere to hide.

James Kirby

WealthWealth

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, NewsWire Photos. MARCH 1, 2025: Australia's housing market has almost instantly reacted to interest rate cuts, rising to a new record high in the month of February as buyers come back to the market., Data released by PropTrack shows national home prices lifted 0.40 per cent in February to hit a new record high., National house prices are now on average up 3.94 per cent above their levels a year ago. House market real estate for sale property, Picture: NewsWire/ Nadir Kinani

Super opening door into home ownership a political split decision

Do younger people want to tap into their super savings for a home deposit? The impending federal election will test the assumption that the Coalition policy is popular.

James Kirby

WealthWealth

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 03: Stacks of U.S. lumber are stamped 'Made In USA' and available for sale at Home Depot on March 3, 2025 in Pasadena, California. President Donald Trump announced that 25 percent tariffs on both Canada and Mexico will begin tomorrow. Some 50 percent of imported lumber comes to the U.S. from Canada and lumber futures hit a two and a half year high today. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by MARIO TAMA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Tariffs and trade war spur a fresh hunt for income

Sharemarkets have gone backwards since the election of Donald Trump as President and your dividend income is sliding too. So what can you do to arrest this?

James Kirby

WealthWealth

Workers in the tunnels at BHP's Olympic Dam mine. Picture: BHP

Drop in franked dividends comes at the worst possible time

Franked dividends, which are the key income stream for many investors, have declined and the outlook is far from encouraging.

James Kirby

WealthWealth

p19wgmar. Saturday October 27 has the highest number of auctions scheduled for Melbourne in past two years. 21 Terrara Road, Vermont, goes under the hammer. Around 100 people attended the auction. There was only 1 bidder on the day. The property was passed in at 2 million dollars. Generic auctioneer shoot.

Melbourne’s property market has a pulse but is this a revival?

Weighed down by a high-taxing state government, Melbourne has been a basket case for property investors so a one-month upswing has set the industry buzzing.

James Kirby

WealthWealth

Solving the super riddle of how much you really need

Widely varying calculations on how much you should have in super do little but confuse most investors – you need to do something different.

James Kirby

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/james-kirby/page/6