Not directly related but I'll take any opportunity to rant about property investment in commonwealth countries. Something I have observed about Commonwealth co

Not directly related but I'll take any opportunity to rant about property investment in commonwealth countries. Something I have observed about Commonwealth countries is the obsession with property as a vehicle for investment. Speaking from my experiences growing up in New Zealand and living in Australia, I find the culture infuriating. Every single financial planner I have spoken to has recommended that I invest heavily/exclusively in property. The tax incentives and welfare given to property investors are so generous that they renders all other investment vehicles irrational. Why buy stocks, start a restaurant, or do anything other than buy property and sit on it? It's such a parasitic industry perpetuated by policies designed to deepen, or at the very least maintain, the current status quo. It has resulted in an environment where investors have no incentive to increase housing stock (particularly in terms of density) or improve living conditions for tenants. For instance, adding thermal insulation to a property is an expense with no advantage to the investor (they don't need to be competitive) and the disincentive towards higher density contributes towards sprawl which strains public transit resources. As a young professional trying to be smart with my hard earned, slowly accumulating nest egg - I'm deeply saddened by this environment. /rant