Friends With Money

Did you know many Australians get their investment advice from social media finfluencers?  It's a frightening fact. A recent ASIC (Australian Securities & Investment Commission) conference determined that most of those giving financial advice online are both unqualified and unlicensed. This week on the Friends With Money podcast, Money's Michelle Baltazar chats with Rhys Bollen, Senior executi...

It may seem like a long time off, but are you ready for retirement? Planning for the future now will save you a lot of stress and frustration when you finally decided to leave the workforce. This week on The Friends With Money podcast, Money's Michelle Baltazar chats with Money's Senior writer & columnist, Vita Palestrant, about what you need to consider well before your last day on the job. W...

It’s often described as the safe-haven asset, but what makes gold so desirable to everyone from central banks to everyday investors? On this episode of the Friends With Money podcast, Money's Tom Watson is joined by chief market strategist at the World Gold Council, Joe Cavatoni, to dig into some of the big questions surrounding investing in gold. What are the major drivers of demand for gold? Why...

Gearing up to buy your first home? Chances are you’ve got a question or two about the process of taking out a mortgage. On this episode of the Friends With Money podcast, Money's Tom Watson is joined by Daisy Stevens, head of lending operations at digital mortgage broker Finspo, to run through the home loan process for first home owners. Is reducing spending or paying off debt important? How long...

Open banking is giving Australians the ability to share their banking data more securely and with fewer hurdles, but can it save people money? This week on the Friends With Money podcast, Money’s Tom Watson is joined by head of product management at Frollo, Kris Davant, to explore the possibilities of open banking.   What is open banking? How is open banking data kept private and secure? How can A...

Global tensions in the Middle East have raised concerns that oil costs could spike, possibly doubling in price in the coming months. How will this affect the cost of living? This week on a bonus episode of the Friends With Money podcast, Money's Michelle Baltazar chats with Shane Oliver, Head of Investment Strategy and Chief Economist at AMP, about the predicted rise in oil prices as the Israel-Ha...

Wondering if your investment strategy should be geared towards income, growth or both? On this episode of the Friends With Money podcast, Money's Tom Watson is joined by Adam Smith, chief executive at Saxo Australia, to discuss the pros and cons of growth and dividend stocks. What are growth and dividend stocks? Is it possible to have the best of both worlds? Does one come with more risk than the...

How much money do you need to retire?  It's a question we get a lot here at Money Magazine - I mean a lot! The latest numbers are out from The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) on how much you need in your super account to retire well. This week on the Friends With Money podcast, Money's Michelle Baltazar speaks with Virgin Money Super's general manager, Christopher Sozou, ab...

There are a lot of myths and preconceptions when it comes to retirement. Regardless of age, you can put into action a plan today that will help you achieve your goals and live an epic life. This week on the Friends With Money podcast, Money's Michelle Baltazar speaks with Author, Rebecca Wilson, about living your best life and future retirement. Retirement is just for old people, right? Money for...

Is it worth paying for financial planning, or can you do it on your own? A Financial Adviser can be quite costly, and do you get value for your investment? This week on the Friends With Money Podcast, Money's Michelle Baltazar chats with David Sharpe, Financial Adviser and the Chair of the FAAA, about the myths and benefits of getting help planning for your future. Does financial planning lack obj...

In this special bonus episode of the Friends With Money podcast, Money's Michelle Baltazar chats with Alex Moffatt, Director at Joseph Palmer & Sons, about the adverse effects of the war in the Middle East on the stock market. #friendswithmoney #warvsthestockmarket #michellebaltazar #bonus Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3mV0Cbr    Listen on Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3qGfsoL L...

Should you be investing in the U.S. stock market? This week on the Friends with Money podcast, Money's Michelle Baltazar chats with Tim Townsend, Professional Financial Advisor and a founding partner of Townsend Cobain, about the value of diversifying your portfolio by investing in the U.S. market. Why invest in U.S. shares? What should I be looking for? Are ETFs a good investment? #friendswithmon...

Today, it's relatively easy to start investing in stocks (you can even use a free app!), but roughly 49% of Australians have decided not to. Many have concerns about owning shares and are fearful they will lose everything or that they are not qualified to invest. This week on the Friends With Money Podcast, Money's Michelle Baltazar chats with Brendan Doggett, the Country Manager at Sharesies Aust...

After a woeful 2022 bonds appear to be making a comeback with investors. But how do they work, and what role do they have in a portfolio? This week on the Friends With Money podcast, Money’s Tom Watson is joined by chief executive of micro-investing app Blossom, Gaby Rosenberg, to drill into the fundamentals of fixed income and bonds. What do we mean by fixed income? What factors influence the pri...

Spring is one of the busiest times of the year for property sales, but is this spring likely to be a sellers’ or buyers’ market? This week on the Friends With Money podcast, senior journalist Tom Watson is joined by Domains’ chief of research and economics, Nicola Powell, to preview the spring property season. What’s happened in the property market so far in 2023? Will sellers hold the upper hand...

Voluntary contributions can have a significant impact on your super balance over time, but how much can you add and how can you make it happen? This week on the Friends With Money podcast, host Tom Watson is joined by head of advice, experience and enhancements at Aware Super, Peter Hogg, to talk about the small actions that can make a big difference to your super. They discuss: When you can acces...

The cost of living is continuing to put a strain on the finances of many Australians, but how is it impacting our credit health? On this episode of the Friends With Money podcast, Money’s Tom Watson is joined by credit reporting expert at CreditSmart, Geri Cremin, to discuss the importance of credit health during the cost of living crunch. How are Australians dealing with elevated living costs? Wh...

As the population grows, more Australians are living in strata-titled properties like units and townhouses than ever before. But what do buyers need to know about strata before purchasing? This week on the Friends With Money podcast, Money’s senior journalist Tom Watson is joined by strata lawyer Amanda Farmer to delve into the ins and outs out strata. They discuss: What is the strata ownership mo...

The doubling of mortgage interest rates have forced some homeowners to sell their property at a loss. How do you bounce back from that? This week on The Friends with Money podcast, Money's Michelle Baltazar chats with financial adviser Troy Theobald from RFS Advice about how to fight your way out of an investment loss. The courage to confront reality Why cashflow should be the priority You don't n...

Over two million Australians are property investors, but they don’t always get their purchases right. So how can investors avoid mistakes, and set themselves up for success?  This week on the Friends With Money podcast, Money's Tom Watson is joined by buyer’s agent and co-director of The Investors Agency, Darren Venter, to talk about the strategies investors should employ when buying property. The...

The popularity of exchange traded funds (ETFs) has surged in the past decade, but how much have they actually delivered for investors? On this episode of the Friends With Money podcast, Money’s Tom Watson is joined by founder and chief executive of Stockspot, Chris Brycki, to chat about the past, present and future of ETFs. Why have ETFs become so popular? What kind of returns have ETFs delivered?...

Facing the prospect of a substantial rate hike? That’s the reality for many mortgage holders who locked in a super-low rate in 2020 or 2021, but it’s never too early to take action. This week on the Friends With Money podcast, Money's Tom Watson is joined by Josh Brougham, chief product officer at online mortgage broker Finspo, to discuss the fixed-rate mortgage cliff and the action borrowers can...

Over 800 people retire daily in Australia, and that number is expected to balloon over the next decade. While most will leave the workforce with a "sweet spot" super amount and a government pension, many want to retire rich - 99 thousand dollars a year rich! This week on the Friends with Money podcast, Money's Michelle Baltazar chats with the Vanguard's head of super, Shannon Nutter, about the str...

Stop stressing about money!  Or is that easier said than done? This week on the Friends with Money podcast, Money's editor-in-chief, Michelle Baltazar, chats with author, chartered tax advisor, company board member, and veteran business executive, Jacqui Clarke, about how to get control of your money and thrive. Income vs expense creep? There's no such thing as free money What's the first step? To...

How has the share market performed so far in 2023, and what’s the outlook for the rest of the year? That’s the topic of discussion on this bonus episode of the Friends With Money podcast featuring Money’s Tom Watson and chief investment officer at Tiger Brokers Australia, Brett Reynolds. How have Australian and international markets performed? Have any companies or sectors stood out? Which stocks...