Andrew Hobbs
Andrew Hobbs is a wealth reporter at The Australian Financial Review who covers the intersection of retirement savings, tax rules and investment strategy for super fund members and private investors. His work explains how policy changes, market conditions and financial products affect the size and reliability of long-term nest eggs, with a focus on self-managed superannuation funds, financial planning and inheritance in the pre-retirement years. He writes in a practical, options-oriented style that tests how new tax regimes, property trends and investment strategies translate into concrete portfolio outcomes for readers.
Super wars and retirement savings
Retirement income and superannuation settings are a core strand of Hobbs’ coverage. On The Fin podcast he has led discussions on the latest round of “super wars”, asking how much super is enough for a comfortable retirement and whether people should be allowed to access their superannuation early. These episodes unpack contribution patterns, withdrawal rules and the implications of changing policy for the balance between security and flexibility in retirement.
His reporting treats superannuation as a system ordinary investors must navigate, not just a political battleground, reflecting a long-standing focus on the practical decisions facing pre-retirees and those managing their own funds.
Tax changes and portfolio strategy
Hobbs spends significant time on tax changes that reshape investment decisions, particularly for high-balance super members and active investors. In coverage of the new Division 296 super tax he has outlined strategies to “beat” or manage the regime, drawing on adviser insights about the practical options available to reduce its impact. His article on four investments to counter the capital gains tax “wrecking ball” examines how investors can balance capital growth with income as tax settings tighten, and assesses which types of investments merit attention in that environment. Across this work he links technical tax rules to portfolio construction questions, emphasising how shifts in CGT and super taxation feed directly into asset selection, risk tolerance and long-term wealth planning.
Recognition in institutional press awards in categories such as Investor Services and Private Markets reinforces his focus on sophisticated investors and the products and structures they use.
Property, markets and stock selection
Property and listed markets form a second pillar of Hobbs’ beat, often treated as part of a broader wealth strategy rather than in isolation.
On The Fin he has explored whether property still deserves its status as a national investment obsession, looking at why housing has been such a powerhouse and whether changing conditions mean other assets now offer more compelling risk–return trade-offs. His collaborations with investment firms and analysts have highlighted contrarian equity ideas, such as companies facing short-term headwinds that may offer better risk-adjusted upside than more popular names.
In portfolio-focused pieces he tests strategies that claim to beat or match the market in most years, weighing the appeal of chasing what is hot against the need for resilient, income-generating portfolios.
Editorial experience and wealth lens
Hobbs’ current reporting role follows more than two decades in editing and newsroom management at major business and financial news organisations, including The Australian Financial Review, Bloomberg and AAP. As a home page editor he has managed live blogs across politics, markets and world news and rewritten headlines and copy to showcase complex business journalism. That background gives his wealth coverage a strong emphasis on clear rules, precise framing and timely context, connecting daily market moves and policy announcements with the longer arc of retirement and investment planning. His work sits at the point where institutional product design, regulatory change and household investment decisions meet, making him a consistent explainer of how high-level shifts translate into personal wealth outcomes.
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