James Kirby

About James

James Kirby is the Wealth Editor at The Australian newspaper and the host of its flagship daily podcast, The Money Puzzle — one of the most listened-to personal finance programs in the country. He is the author of multiple books on investing and personal finance, and over a career spanning decades he has established himself as one of Australia's most trusted and recognisable financial journalists. He is also an experienced MC and facilitator for events across the financial services sector.

Kirby's value is not that he predicts markets — it is that he makes sense of them. His audience is people who are engaged with their financial lives and want clear, honest, evidence-based analysis rather than noise. He has the journalist's instinct for the question that actually matters and the communicator's ability to hold a room without oversimplifying. His understanding of superannuation, housing, and the Australian economy is both broad and current, updated daily by the demands of his editorial work.

He is an ideal keynote speaker or MC for financial services conferences, wealth management forums, investor events, and corporate functions where economic outlook is on the agenda. Audiences — whether financial professionals or engaged general investors — leave with a clearer read on where the economy stands, where the risks sit, and what they should be paying attention to. For events that need both credibility and accessibility, Kirby delivers both.