Retiring comfortably in Australia just got a lot more expensive. New figures show couples now need about A$730,000 in super to fund a comfortable retirement — roughly A$40,000 more than six months ago — as living costs continue to climb. 

On this episode of the Bloomberg Australia Podcast, host Rebecca Jones speaks with pensions reporter Amy Bainbridge about what the new targets mean for workers decades away from retirement, how super funds are adapting to an ageing membership base, and whether new retirement products — from annuities to AI-powered advice — could reshape how Australians spend their golden years.

Retiring comfortably in Australia just got a lot more expensive. New figures show couples now need about A$730,000 in super to fund a comfortable retirement &mdash; roughly A$40,000 more than six months ago &mdash; as living costs continue to climb.&nbsp;
On this episode of the Bloomberg Australia Podcast, host Rebecca Jones speaks with pensions reporter Amy Bainbridge about what the new targets mean for workers decades away from retirement, how super funds are adapting to an ageing membership base, and whether new retirement products &mdash; from annuities to AI-powered advice &mdash; could reshape how Australians spend their golden years.

Each week, Rebecca Jones and Bloomberg's team of reporters lift the lid on the biggest stories shaping Australia's place in global business. 

Each week, Rebecca Jones and Bloomberg's team of reporters lift the lid on the biggest stories shaping Australia's place in global business.

Each week, Rebecca Jones and Bloomberg's team of reporters lift the lid on the biggest stories shaping Australia's place in global business.

The Bloomberg Australia Podcast

Each week, Rebecca Jones and Bloomberg's team of reporters lift the lid on the biggest stories shaping Australia's place in global business.

The Rising Cost of Retirement (And What Super Funds Are Doing About It)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/19b65222-9946-4c01-8ff8-b3fd000ab61a/transcript

Sydney is one of the least dense major cities in the developed world — but that may be about to change. In the affluent suburb of Woollahra, residents are pushing back against a plan to revive a long-abandoned incomplete train station and build 10,000 new homes nearby. It’s a local fight with national implications, as governments grapple with soaring rents, a deepening affordability crisis and pressure to force wealthier neighborhoods to take on more housing.

Bloomberg’s Swati Pandey and Aradhana Aravindan join the podcast to unpack what’s at stake — from property prices and lifestyle trade-offs to productivity, inflation and the Reserve Bank. Can Australia fix its housing crunch without reshaping its most exclusive suburbs?

Sydney is one of the least dense major cities in the developed world &mdash; but that may be about to change. In the affluent suburb of Woollahra, residents are pushing back against a plan to revive a long-abandoned incomplete train station and build 10,000 new homes nearby. It&rsquo;s a local fight with national implications, as governments grapple with soaring rents, a deepening affordability crisis and pressure to force wealthier neighborhoods to take on more housing.
Bloomberg&rsquo;s Swati Pandey and Aradhana Aravindan join the podcast to unpack what&rsquo;s at stake &mdash; from property prices and lifestyle trade-offs to productivity, inflation and the Reserve Bank. Can Australia fix its housing crunch without reshaping its most exclusive suburbs?

Inside the Housing Backlash in Sydney’s Wealthiest Suburbs

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9a0bc6e3-134f-411c-92ba-b3f6000a8666/transcript

Global markets have been on a rollercoaster, with billions wiped from two of the hottest trades of the past year: Big Tech and Bitcoin. At first glance they might seem unrelated – but both are deeply tied to the same force driving markets right now: the AI boom. As software stocks wobble, crypto swings wildly and tech giants ramp up spending on data centers, investors are being forced to reassess what comes next.

On this episode of the Bloomberg Australia Podcast, Rebecca Jones speaks with cross-asset reporter Richard Henderson about what’s behind the volatility, whether the AI trade is cracking or simply cooling off, and why some investors remain surprisingly bullish.

Global markets have been on a rollercoaster, with billions wiped from two of the hottest trades of the past year: Big Tech and Bitcoin. At first glance they might seem unrelated &ndash; but both are deeply tied to the same force driving markets right now: the AI boom. As software stocks wobble, crypto swings wildly and tech giants ramp up spending on data centers, investors are being forced to reassess what comes next.
On this episode of the Bloomberg Australia Podcast, Rebecca Jones speaks with cross-asset reporter Richard Henderson about what&rsquo;s behind the volatility, whether the AI trade is cracking or simply cooling off, and why some investors remain surprisingly bullish.

Bitcoin, Big Tech and the AI Trade Rollercoaster

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c4b8af1f-2a4c-4a31-a223-b3ef002f7324/transcript

Global markets have started 2026 in chaotic fashion, with wild swings in stocks, a plunging dollar and fresh questions about everything from gold to AI. So what does all that mean for Australia’s super funds — and the retirement savings of millions of workers?

This week on the Bloomberg Australia Podcast, host Chris Bourke is joined by AustralianSuper CEO Paul Schroder, who runs the nation’s largest super fund with some A$410 billion under management. They discuss how the fund is navigating market volatility, exposure to US tech and AI, the case for staying invested through uncertainty, and why Australia’s super system still isn’t ready for the retirement wave ahead.

Global markets have started 2026 in chaotic fashion, with wild swings in stocks, a plunging dollar and fresh questions about everything from gold to AI. So what does all that mean for Australia&rsquo;s super funds &mdash; and the retirement savings of millions of workers?
This week on the Bloomberg Australia Podcast, host Chris Bourke is joined by AustralianSuper CEO Paul Schroder, who runs the nation&rsquo;s largest super fund with some A$410 billion under management. They discuss how the fund is navigating market volatility, exposure to US tech and AI, the case for staying invested through uncertainty, and why Australia&rsquo;s super system still isn&rsquo;t ready for the retirement wave ahead.

We Talked to AustralianSuper’s CEO on Wild Markets, AI and Retirement Fears

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/fe34f13b-782d-4bc2-be6c-b3e800157b0c/transcript

The Rising Cost of Retirement (And What Super Funds Are Doing About It)

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