The Aussie FIRE podcast is the ultimate guide to Financial Independence for Australians. Having started life as an e-book, then an audiobook, it's now reached its final form: a podcast that will keep on giving. The Aussie FIRE audiobook is brought to you by Pearler, Australia's favourite long-term investing community; and Dave Gow, the brains behind Strong Money Australia. Each episode explores a different aspect of Financial Independence, so stay tuned for new releases! https://pearler.com https://strongmoneyaustralia.com/ DISCLAIMER: We’re big fans of sharing experiences and talking about money. However, please note that any advice is general, and does not consider your financial situation, needs, or objectives. Consider whether it's appropriate for you, and if in doubt, speak to a licensed financial adviser. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
After the recent tax proposals, plenty of people were half joking about packing up and taking their money overseas. Enough of them were half serious that Dave and Hayden decided to make an episode out of it. This one is the broad overview of geoarbitrage (or "geo-FIRE"): why people do it, who it actually suits, where they tend to go, and what it does to your FI number. The technical side, tax residency, visas, and how to structure it properly, is coming in the next episode with a guest who does this for a living. In this episode we'll discuss: 💸 The $800 a month apartment in Chiang Mai, modern build, lagoon pool, walking distance to shops, that would cost roughly $800 a week in Australia (one of Dave's readers is testing it right now) 💸 Purchasing power vs exchange rates: why "the exchange rate is great over there" means nothing, and what the Big Mac index actually tells you 💸 The real numbers: singles living well on $15k to $25k a year in Southeast Asia, a recently retired couple budgeting $100 a day, and what that does when you multiply it by 25 💸 What a decade off looks like: a 15 year FI journey turning into 7, or half a million to a million dollars less in the portfolio you need 💸 The bit nobody budgets for: consumer guarantees, the ombudsman, banks that have to make it right, police body cams (Hayden on why it all feels academic until the day it isn't) 💸 Never quite being a local: the guy born in Japan, fluent, schooled there, who says he is "from Japan" but not Japanese, and why two white kids from regional Australia have never had to think about belonging 💸 Selling the Sydney house: a million in cash, invested, could fund a very good life overseas forever, so why do the alarm bells go off, and is the fear of not being able to buy back in a reasonable one? 💸 What actually moves the needle: housing, childcare and schooling, not $4 Grab rides and $6 chicken skewers (a fun novelty, not a financial plan) 💸 Why you have to live somewhere, not holiday there: three months of grocery runs, bank accounts and boring admin beats a year of nice trips, plus visiting in the bad season before you commit 💸 Your portfolio probably needs to change: if you won't be spending Aussie dollars, a big home bias stops making sense 💸 Geoarbitrage as a backup plan rather than a goal: why the people it works best for are somewhere in the middle, not the ones who can already comfortably buy a house here We're not pro or anti this idea. If you come away googling what life is actually like somewhere you'd never considered, that's a win. Follow us on Instagram Watch on Youtube Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it's appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To kick off our FY27 tax-time series, Dave and Hayden are joined by Navarre Trousselot, founder of Navexa — an investment tracking and tax reporting platform (if you've heard of Sharesight, it plays in the same space). Because here's the thing: most of us agonise over what to buy, then put zero thought into how we sell — and selling is the part where you actually get your money back. As Navarre puts it, too many investors are "selling in the dark" and handing the ATO far more than they need to. In this episode we'll discuss: 💸 How the exact same sale can be a $30 loss or a $20 gain: why choosing which parcels you sell (not just what you sell) can save you thousands in capital gains tax 💸 The ETF tax trap most investors have never heard of: AMIT cost base adjustments, and why ten years of dollar cost averaging leaves you 120 parcels to adjust every single year (get it wrong and you've either overpaid tax or filed incorrectly — hello, audit risk) 💸 FIFO, LIFO, minimise gain, maximise gain and minimise CGT explained — including why everyone's a FIFO milk drinker, but nobody's a LIFO milk drinker 💸 When realising a bigger gain is the smart move: using a maximise gain strategy in a low-income year (career break, slow year for the business) to land in a lower tax bracket 💸 The NAB shares Navarre almost sold as a dud — until he added up the dividends and realised he'd made roughly 40% (why annualised total return beats staring at the share price) 💸 Why ChatGPT can't do your capital gains tax: LLMs still only score around 70% on maths benchmarks, and "ChatGPT said so" won't cut it with the ATO 💸 Record-keeping 101 for new investors: keep every contract note and AMMA statement, don't assume your old broker sends your trade history to your new one, and remember foreign dividends (Apple, Tesla and friends) don't prefill with the ATO Navexa is offering Aussie FIRE listeners 20% off their first year, plus a two-week free trial — head to navexa.com/aussiefire to check it out. Happy EOFY from pearler! Sign up in July using the code AUSSIEFIRE for 12 months worth of free trades 💸 And for existing customers, sign up to a new pearler product and you'll get 12 months worth of free trades too! 💸 Follow us on Instagram Watch on Youtube Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it's appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Would you sell your ETFs just to save 0.1% a year in fees? In this episode, Hayden and Dave unpack some of the newest additions to the ETF marketplace, and work out where (if anywhere) they'd fit in a long-term portfolio. They cover: 👉 BGBL vs VGS: half the management fee for basically the same portfolio, and why switching isn't free once tax enters the picture 👉 VDAL, Vanguard's answer to DHHF: all-growth and all-in-one, minus VDHG's 10% bonds, and when one-fund portfolios make the most sense 👉 EMKT and factor investing: why this emerging markets fund has outpaced VGE, and the catch of paying guaranteed fees for an unguaranteed outcome 👉 Currency hedging, finally explained: what HNDQ actually does differently to NDQ, and who might genuinely need it 👉 V500 and A300, the new cheap rivals to IVV and VAS, and whether brand power beats a lower fee 👉 Old-school LICs trading at 15% discounts: buying a dollar of assets for 85 cents, and the risks hiding in the bargain Happy EOFY from pearler! Sign up in July using the code AUSSIEFIRE for 12 months worth of free trades 💸 And for existing customers, sign up to a new pearler product and you'll get 12 months worth of free trades too! 💸 Follow us on Instagram Watch on Youtube Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it's appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What happens to your job, your income and your investments when intelligence becomes almost free? In this episode, Dave uses Hayden as his window into the tech world, unpacking what AI actually means for jobs, businesses and long-term investors. They cover: 👉 How AI went from "write me a poem" to breaking big problems into bite-sized steps, and why the last 12 months surprised even the tech insiders 👉 Which parts of your job are actually at risk: why AI disrupts skills rather than whole jobs, and why the alone-at-your-computer work is the exposed bit 👉 The graduate problem: starting uni in a booming industry and finishing in a shrunken one, faster than the industrial revolution ever managed 👉 Whether AI is a bubble, a 20 to 30 year megatrend, or both, and what that could mean for indexing, Aussie property and white collar incomes 👉 Why your best hedge isn't a hot AI stock: keep earning, keep upskilling, and use the cheap intelligence everyone's worried about to your own advantage Happy EOFY from pearler! Sign up in July using the code AUSSIEFIRE for 12 months worth of free trades 💸 And for existing customers, sign up to a new pearler product and you'll get 12 months worth of free trades too! 💸 Follow us on Instagram Watch on Youtube Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it's appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Would you sell a property that's grown from $280k to $800k, even if it meant a six figure tax bill? In this episode, Hayden and Dave sit down with listener Lachlan to work through a big financial decision: whether to sell his investment property or keep holding on. They cover: 👉 The equity Lachlan has built up on his investment property, and what selling would actually cost him in CGT 👉 Debt recycling and whether redrawing equity could achieve the same goal without triggering a tax hit 👉 Why simplifying from property to shares might reduce stress, even if it's not the highest returning move 👉 What semi-retirement within a decade would actually require from Lachlan and his wife's finances 👉 The pull of sentimental value and FOMO, and how that shapes decisions that are supposed to be purely financial Happy EOFY from pearler! Sign up in July using the code AUSSIEFIRE for 12 months worth of free trades 💸 And for existing customers, sign up to a new pearler product and you'll get 12 months worth of free trades too! 💸 Follow us on Instagram Watch on Youtube Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What if one of the biggest leaks in your budget is sitting in your fridge? In this episode, Hayden and Dave get honest about how much they're actually spending on food right now, and running through some hacks to eat on more of a budget on your path to FIRE. The gap between a $15 and $25 daily food spend might not feel like much. But compounded over 20 years, that difference could be huge. They cover: 👉 How much each host is actually spending on food right now (one answer is going to raise some eyebrows) 👉 The slow creep of "brand drift" and food waste that inflates your grocery bill 👉 Why skipping breakfast might be the easiest budget and health hack you're not using 👉 Cheap protein swaps, bulk cooking and home brand experiments worth trying 👉 Whether it's worth shopping online 👉 How to tell if your food spending actually reflects your values Whether you're deep into your FIRE journey or just starting to question where your money goes each week, this episode will make you look at your next supermarket run a little differently. Happy EOFY from pearler! Sign up in July using the code AUSSIEFIRE for 12 months worth of free trades 💸 And for existing customers, sign up to a new pearler product and you'll get 12 months worth of free trades too! 💸 Follow us on Instagram Watch on Youtube Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What actually happens to your portfolio when the world feels like it's on fire? In this episode, Hayden and Dave look back at how share markets have responded to major global conflicts, from WWI and WWII through to COVID, and what that history can teach us about investing through periods of fear and uncertainty. They walk through the data most people have never seen: markets that fell sharply in the first six months of a war, only to roar back stronger than before it began. It's a timely reminder that the instinct to act during a crisis isn't always the one that serves us best. They cover: 👉 How the US and Australian share markets actually performed during WWI and WWII, including the sharp falls and surprising recoveries 👉 What 31 wars across 130 years of market data reveal about how long downturns really last 👉 Why war tends to be inflationary in a way that's different to a typical recession, and what that means for share prices 👉 How governments have historically intervened in markets during wartime, and where COVID fits into that picture 👉 Why 24/7 news and social media might be making market volatility feel worse than it actually is 👉 The case for sticking to dollar-cost averaging and diversification even when the headlines are dark At its core, investing through conflict is a bet on humanity's ability to find its way through. A look at history that might just change how you think about the next crisis, whatever it turns out to be. Follow us on Instagram Watch on Youtube Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
When your landlord puts the property up for sale, the rent vs. buy question stops being theoretical. For Shyann and her husband, that moment became the push they needed to make a decision they'd been circling for a while. In this case study episode, Shyann walks through how she and her husband approached one of the biggest financial decisions a FIRE-chasing couple can make, and what it actually looked like once they got the keys. They cover: 👉 Why security and long-term control tipped the scales toward buying over rentvesting 👉 How they funded the purchase on a strong combined income while keeping their investment strategy intact 👉 The trade-offs in choosing a home that fit the life they were planning, not just the budget they had 👉 Managing mortgage anxiety when one income might shrink after starting a family 👉 What actually happens when you move into a renovated home and the plumbing has other ideas Is buying always the right move for someone on the path to FIRE? And how do you keep building toward financial independence when a mortgage is suddenly in the mix? Follow us on Instagram Watch on Youtube Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today Hayden & Dave are unpacking an email they received from a listener. He's 29, originally from the UK, drives trucks for a living and keeps moving on after a year or two because the passion just isn't there. He loves to travel, wants to build wealth, but struggles to commit to investing when the next adventure feels a lot more appealing to him. He also lost his brother 13 years ago, which has really changed his outlook on things. They cover: 👉 Why losing a loved one can make the "now vs. later" question so much harder to answer 👉 The problem with expecting your job to be a source of passion (and what to expect instead) 👉 A simple mental framework for deciding whether spending & living today is actually worth it 👉 How to stop thinking about life choices as all-or-nothing trade-offs 👉 Whether the rise of AI is a reason to bunker down financially, or something else entirely If you've ever felt the pull between building for the future and not wanting to miss the present, this one's worth a listen. Follow us on Instagram Watch on Youtube Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode, Hayden and Dave dig into one of the most overlooked parts of the FI journey: what to do with your investments as you get closer to pulling the trigger. Does your strategy need to change? And if so, when and how? They cover: 👉 Whether you actually need to de-risk your portfolio before retiring, or whether it's just a psychological thing 👉 The difference between accumulation and drawdown, and why the same portfolio can feel very different depending on which phase you're in 👉 Cash buffers, offset accounts and other ways to protect yourself from selling at the wrong time 👉 How paying off debt fits into a pre-retirement strategy and what it does for your cash flow certainty 👉 Growth ETFs vs. income ETFs: does the distinction actually matter when you're drawing down? 👉 What Dave is doing with his own portfolio Free calculator here to work out your CGT with the new proposed changes. Follow us on Instagram Watch on Youtube Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The episode was updated on the 30th of May to remove some comments around assumptions around tax losses in the new budget if an asset underperforms inflation, as well as removing some comments around tax deductions which were oversimplified. The dust has (somewhat) settled on the Federal Budget, and Hayden and Dave are back to go beyond the initial reactions. This week they dig into the real numbers, the philosophical tensions behind the changes, and what investors should actually be doing differently (if anything). They cover: 👉 If and how our investing strategies will change 👉 How the CGT changes hit a sell-down strategy versus a dividend/income strategy differently 👉 Why the two-phase super strategy takes a bigger hit than most people realise 👉 The case for semi-retirement over full FIRE under the new rules 👉 Whether continuing to invest is still worth it when the rules keep shifting Plus, is the budget actually doing anything meaningful for housing supply? And what does the 30% floor really mean for someone trying to live off their portfolio? Free calculator here to work out your CGT with the new proposed changes. Follow us on Instagram Watch on Youtube Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Australian federal budget just dropped and there is a lot to unpack. Hayden and Dave dig into the changes that matter most for everyday investors and the FIRE community, cutting through the political noise to focus on what actually affects your money. They cover: 👉 The switch from the 50% CGT discount to indexation 👉 The surprise 30% minimum tax floor on capital gains that nobody saw coming, and who it really hits 👉 Why the "death of debt recycling" narrative doing the rounds online misses the point entirely 👉 Negative gearing changes, what's grandfathered, what's not, and who actually benefits 👉 How growth vs. dividend investing strategies stack up under the new rules 👉 Whether super just became a lot more attractive overnight 👉 The six year exemption loophole that rentvesting fans will want to know about There are still plenty of details being worked out in Canberra, exemptions being carved out, and edge cases nobody has good answers to yet, but these are our thoughts so far. Free calculator here to work out your CGT with the new proposed changes. Follow us on Instagram Watch on Youtube Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The federal budget is coming, and there's already noise around two policies that could shake up the investment landscape: capital gains tax and negative gearing. Hayden and Dave break down what's actually being floated, and what it could mean for your portfolio. They cover: 👉 How governments "soft launch" policy changes before they're official, and why it matters for investors right now 👉 The current CGT discount rules and the proposals that could change what you actually keep when you sell 👉 Whether indexation could be a better deal than a flat discount, depending on how long you've held an asset 👉 The grandfathering question that every existing property investor needs answered before panicking 👉 How capping negative gearing could reshape who benefits from it and what it means for property prices Plus, a timely reminder on building your investing strategy around any single tax settings. Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Chris is at a crossroads and unsure which way to go. He's spent time in his career working in real estate, and now he's trying to decide whether to buy a family home, double down on investment properties, or pivoting entirely into a more aggressive share portfolio. He's got a good case of analysis paralysis, and Hayden & Dave are here to help him work through some of the numbers and thinking behind it all. In this episode they cover: 👉 How much Chris saves & invests on a $170k household income 👉 His ultimate FIRE goal 👉 What Chris should do with an underperforming IP 👉 Chris' concerns about mortgage stress 👉 How Hayden & Dave would approach all of these things! Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Got a property and wondering if it's time to sell, rent it out, or just… hold on? In this episode, Dave and Hayden tackle two listener questions that a lot of people are quietly sitting with. First up is a listener who bought their first home two years ago is now craving more flexibility to make some big career moves, and wants to know whether to sell or become an accidental landlord. Then, they dig into the age-old question of house flipping and whether or not it still stacks up in today's market? They'll walk through the numbers you need to crunch and the situations where it might actually make sense. It's pearler's 5th birthday! Get 5 free trades here 🥳 Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What happens if the market crashes as soon as you hit FIRE? In this episode, Hayden and Dave get into one of the most practical and underrated challenges of early retirement: actually living off your portfolio when things get rocky. They cover: 👉 The stage of retirement where you're most at risk from market volatility 👉 The psychological shift from receiving a paycheck to relying on a portfolio, and why it's harder than it sounds 👉 Why having a backup plan before you need one changes everything 👉 Cash buffers, flexible income and expense levers you can pull without selling assets at the wrong time 👉 How debt, home equity and diversification fit into a drawdown strategy It's pearler's 5th birthday! Get 5 free trades here 🥳 Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Strong Money Australia’s audiobook Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What happens when a government equity scheme starts to feel like a trap? In this episode, Hayden and Dave sit down with listener Steve to unpack his property situation and map out a path forward. Steve is a self-employed sports coach earning around $120,000–$130,000 a year, with a partner on $100,000. He owns an apartment worth roughly $570,000, holds a $200,000 ETF portfolio, and used the Victorian Homebuyer Fund to get into the market with a 25% government equity stake still sitting on his property. In this episode they cover: 👉 How the Victorian Homebuyer Fund works and why Steve is feeling stuck 👉 Whether refinancing could free him from the government equity stake without selling his ETFs 👉 The case for rent-vesting as a flexible alternative to upsizing 👉 How to weigh lifestyle preferences against pure FIRE optimisation 👉 Why financial flexibility can matter more than squeezing every dollar out of a strategy It's pearler's 5th birthday! Get 5 free trades here 🥳 Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Strong Money Australia’s audiobook Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode of Aussie FIRE, Hayden and Dave are unpacking some listener questions around: 👉🏼 Selling shares to invest in solar panels at home 👉🏼 The 5% deposit scheme for first home buyers 👉🏼 Vanguard ETFs 👉🏼 And investing for high growth with a 5-8 year timeline As always, they'll unpack it, share their thoughts, and come at it from a few different angles. Hope you enjoy it! Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Strong Money Australia’s audiobook Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What would you do if $1 million landed in your bank account tomorrow? In this episode, Hayden and Dave get hypothetical and things get interesting fast. From taking on a gelato giant to debating whether a swimming pool counts as a financial decision, this one's a little different. But buried in the fun are some genuinely useful ideas about how people at different stages of their FIRE journey think about sudden wealth. Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Strong Money Australia’s audiobook Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode, we answer two listener questions. One on ethical investing and ESG funds, and another on managing tech concentration in a portfolio. We'll unpack: 👉 Whether aligning with ESG principles means reducing exposure to Australian equities 👉 Why assuming the US market will always outperform Australia might be 👉 What the ethical ETF DZZF is 👉 Why defining “ethical” companies is harder than it seems 👉 The trade-offs of ESG investing 👉 An alternative approach: investing broadly and donating the fee savings? 👉 Why adding more ETFs might not protect a portfolio from a major market crash 👉 How to think about tech concentration in your portfolio Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Strong Money Australia’s audiobook Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
