Labor’s proposed change to franking credit refunds on dividends has provoked quite a debate in a short space of time. For a quick primer, under the imputation system, companies who pay franked dividends to shareholders can pass on a tax credit for company tax already paid. When shareholders receive the franking credits, they can be used to offset other income tax liabilities. When shareholders have low or no taxable income, such as those drawing a super pension, franking credits may be paid out as cash refunds. This doesn’t matter whether your pension income is $18,000 or $180,000. Where people stand…

Recently the New York Times profiled a man named Erik Hagerman. A former corporate executive, Mr Hagerman is an average man who lives alone in rural United States. So why was the New York Times so interested in him? Turns out he’s deliberately ignored the news since 8 November 2016 – the day Donald Trump was elected president. As you might imagine, Mr Hagerman is from the left or progressive side of politics and this is a personal response or silent protest against the election of Donald Trump. While Mr Hagerman’s story has attracted ridicule from Donald Trump supporters, it’s…

Back in the early 2000’s there was a rash of media coverage about safe rooms or panic rooms. It was an armoured room built inside a house where the occupant could ride out a bad situation while waiting for law enforcement to arrive. The rooms became prevalent among wealthy people who lived in urban areas and had fears of burglars busting inside and holding them hostage. The phenomenon even spawned its own movie in 2002 starring Jodie Foster. While there are no stats on how many lives the safe rooms saved, fears about personal safety clearly haven’t dissipated. The ultra-wealthy…