Retirement: Are You Ready for the Drawdown Phase?
Retiring soon? Instead of asking, “How much can I save?”, you’re likely to start asking, “How much can I afford to spend?” That shift from building wealth to using it…
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Navigating the ‘Help to Buy’ Scheme
Understanding the intricacies of schemes like ‘Help to Buy’ is crucial, offering a deeper insight into its potential benefits and complexities. This article unpacks the key aspects of the ‘Help to Buy’ scheme, aiming to provide clarity for those considering this path.
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The hidden cost of extending your mortgage back to 30 years
The federal government has tried (via 2009 legislation and later instructions to banks from APRA, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority) to ensure that mortgage borrowers will be able to service their loan and cope with any future interest rate rises. Despite this, many Australian homeowners are struggling financially as a result of inflation’s impact on the cost of living, geopolitical influences on fuel costs, and the Reserve Bank’s interest rate increases.
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Strategies for Reducing Debt and Enjoying Your 60s
Carrying debt into your 60s can feel stressful, especially when retirement is getting closer. The good news is that there may be practical ways to reduce debt while still making room to enjoy this important stage of life.
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What Does the 2026 Federal Budget Mean for Australian Investors?
The 2026 Federal Budget has introduced some of the most significant proposed tax changes Australia has seen in years. While many of the announcements were expected following months of speculation…
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The Risks of Property Investing: What Social Media Doesn’t Tell You
If you scroll through social media, you’ve probably seen bold claims from property investors, buyers’ agents, and real estate professionals boasting about the incredible growth of their portfolios. Properties worth tens of millions and annual percentage gains that seem unreal—it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement.
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Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should: The Property Investment Trap
Everywhere you look, property investment is being marketed like a golden ticket to wealth. Social media is flooded with experts explaining how to structure loans, access equity, and leverage your superannuation to get into the property market.
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How to Minimize Tax and Protect Assets Through Smart Structure Choices
When we think about health, we often picture diet, exercise, or regular check-ups. What we do not always think about is money. Yet financial wellbeing and overall wellbeing are closely linked.
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Know Who You’re Dealing With: The Hidden Conflicts in Property and Banking
In Australia, it’s no secret that banks and property marketers have a vested interest in keeping you in debt. But over the years, this has been normalized to the point…
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Unlimited Upside: Why Investing Is About More Than What You Risk
When it comes to investing, one concept stands out for its sheer potential: unlimited upside. This idea—the notion that a business’s growth has no ceiling—is what makes investing in the…
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Should You Invest in Property? A Look at Biases and Balanced Advice
Property investing has been a hot topic in Australia for decades. With nearly 25 years of consistent growth driven by government intervention and historically low interest rates, it’s no wonder…
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Retirement Confidence Comes From the Right Projections
As a financial adviser, one of the most valuable tools I’ve used over the last decade is personalised, realistic retirement projections. While many clients come to me wondering where and…
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The Real Reason Property Prices Exploded (And Why We May Have Hit the Ceiling)
I’ve been digging back into some excellent research from Tim Farrelly—our asset consultant who I really rate for his independent, no-conflict views. A few years ago, he published a brilliant piece…
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You Don’t Need High Risk Debt to Become Wealthy
There’s a growing issue facing families today, and it spans three generations. At the heart of it is the younger generation—the first-time homebuyers—who are struggling to break into the property market. This challenge isn’t just theirs to bear; it’s one that also involves their parents and grandparents, who want to see them succeed but are grappling with how to provide the right kind of support without overstepping or creating dependency.
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The Information Overload Trap: Why Too Much Financial Advice Can Leave You Stuck
There’s no shortage of financial advice out there. Everywhere you look—social media, news articles, investment forums—you’re bombarded with strategies, opinions, and predictions.
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The Big Money Is in the Waiting: Lessons from Charlie Munger
Discover why Charlie Munger’s quote, ‘The big money is not in the buying and selling, but in the waiting,’ holds the key to investment success through patience, compounding, and investor psychology.
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How Emotions Impact Investing: Tips to Navigate Fear and Greed in Markets
Investing isn’t just about the numbers—far from it. Over my 26 years as a financial adviser and more than three decades as an investor, I’ve realized that understanding balance sheets,…
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Unlisted Property Trusts: The Risks, Limitations, and the Alternatives
Over the last few years, I’ve taken on the management of many self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs), and in doing so, I’ve encountered a particular investment type that often causes significant…
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The Truth About Paying Off Your Home Loan in 7–10 Years
If you’ve ever clicked on a Facebook or Instagram ad about paying off your home loan in under 10 years, chances are you’ve been bombarded with more of them since. I’m all for reducing debt as quickly as possible. But let’s be real: not all strategies are created equal, and not all of them are safe.
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The Most Important Thing to Understand Before You Invest! Human Behaviour
We often think investing is about the numbers: profit margins, balance sheets, dividend yields, and all that jazz. And yes, they’re important—but if you ask me, there’s something even more…
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How to Minimise Tax and Protect Assets Through Smart Structure Choices
When it comes to investing, most of us focus on what to invest in—shares, property, or superannuation. But there’s another decision that’s just as important: where you hold those investments….
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Investor Psychology: The Key to Making Smart Decisions in the Market
When it comes to investing, most people focus on picking the right stocks, finding the best superannuation fund, or minimising their tax bill. And don’t get me wrong, these things…
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Should Inheritance Be Considered in Retirement Planning?
When clients ask, “Do I have enough to last through retirement?”, it’s often one of the biggest and most emotional questions they face. After nearly 27 years as a financial…
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Lessons From My Mentor: Peter Thornhill’s Guide to Long-Term Investing
As a young financial advisor attending my first industry conference in early 2001, I was fortunate to meet someone who would profoundly shape my investment philosophy: Peter Thornhill. His guidance…
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