The Property Couch

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recording was filmed and produced before Queensland’s Land Tax was scrapped. With a number of policy changes on the cards, in our third episode of “Talking Property Tax with Julia Hartman,” Ben and Julia cover… Salary Sacrificing For Cars: How do Salary Sacrificing and Novated Leases work? Plus, how can you tell if either is beneficial for you? Electric Vehicles – What are the...

Folks often believe that it isn’t possible to achieve everything they want in life. But what if, with the right sequencing and frameworks…it was possible to tick off everything on your bucket list?!  Starting off with an investment property that isn’t faring so well but with 2 steady incomes, we uncover how – through the power of frameworks, sequencing and paper trading – they can achieve ALL thei...

To sell, or not to sell, that is the question being asked by Queensland’s property investors.    We’re back with yet another gigantic Q&A, involving one of the most contested issues in Australia’s property market: Queensland’s New Land Tax.     We’ll be revealing the realistic options that property investors have and as Bryce says, how to defeat “the monsters under the bed” when it comes to sc...

Have you ever wondered if there’s a “right” way – or smart life hack – to pay off debts?   Like is it better to pay off your investment property….before your Principal Place of Residence ?!     Well folks, we have just the Q&A for you today where we tackle this very question and answer: Does this really shave off any debt?!?   At the core of this Q&A is how folks can maximise their opportu...

Inflation is at a 20-year high at 6.1% – and continuing to rise.   So how has the Reserve Bank of Australia responded to its September cash rate?   Tune in to find out and uncover if Australia’s cash hikes are set to slow down soon…or if the RBA’s new forecast reveals otherwise.  Across the globe, the inflation story continues to unfold and trade tensions between Russia and the Eurozone simmer. We...

Market sentiment is in a hairy place.  Every day costs are rising , people are worried and purse strings are being pulled tighter.   So how can you make sure you’re not leaving any money on the table?   Well, from our experience, one of the biggest “money pits” people fall into is their mortgage loans. Specifically, folks don’t know how to find – and maintain – the best rate for them.   Here’s the...

Folks — full disclosure — today’s episode was NOT originally in the plan. Today you’ll be listening to Bryce interviewing Ben Kingsley as the Chair of the Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PICA) on Australia’s greatest renter’s tax ever introduced . Free Stuff Mentioned…   Complete PIPA’s 2022 Sentiment Survey: Let us know your experiences and have your voice heard on issues such as...

With higher interest rates and tighter budgets on the forecast, some folks have been left wondering…  “How does lifting interest rates – when everything is already so expensive – actually help with inflation??”  And for today’s episode – what do interest rates and inflation have to broccoli and property?! To answer this, we’re holding a special 101-crash course in inflation to explain why the Rese...

Continuing from last week’s episode, we’re back with PART 2 of Do You Need a Buyers Agent in Today’s Market?   As we’ve said since our earliest podcast episodes, folks end up paying in 1 of 4 ways , and choosing to work with a Buyers Agent means you’re also choosing to pay in the best way… (especially in today’s market, you don’t want to be paying in any of the other ways…)  This week we’ll be div...

If you’ve been listening to the podcast recently, you’d know that we’ve been encouraging folks out there to keep investing despite today’s property market – basically, to be “greedy when others are fearful,” in the wise words of Warren Buffet! But…how are you supposed to get into the market – or even make progress – when you don’t have the experience or the time to invest?  Folks, the answer is a...

As we welcome in a new financial year, we welcome another not-so-surprising change… The Reserve Bank of Australia has once again lifted the cash rate by 50 basis points , bringing the official rate to 1.85%. This marks the most aggressive rate rise in a 3-month period since 1994 (If you’re wondering,  back then the RBA lifted the cash rate by 200 basis points) Tune in as Ben breaks down what this...

“ How old is TOO old to start investing?!?”   Like…how do Offset , Interest-Only & Principal Interest Only accounts work (in practical terms) to help you retire your debt? What are the fundamentals of Amortisation (we promise it’s not as scary as it sounds) and when are you too old to refinance a loan??  We’re answering how you can use all of this to best position yourself for retirement, plus...

Imagine, as a child, being diagnosed with an incurable cancer of the central nervous system. Imagine being told that you only have a 4% chance of survival. Now imagine being offered hope – a shot at life – as a patient in a new cancer drug trial. But…as the days and months creep by, seeing all the other children slowly passing away, one by one, until you are the only survivor left. Folks, this gut...

“It was almost considered rude in our family to be talking about how money is generated and how much of it is generated, and where it goes. We were sort of told to mind our own business…”  Folks, we’re finishing our 2022 Winter Series on a high with a guest with an amazing tale that shows the undeniable power of changing your mindset to change your life …  Today’s special guest – Alex – grew up in...

“I wouldn’t be going on holidays, I wouldn’t be going on those trips or just those little things, I guess the little voice in the back of my head going, “Oh, you sure you can afford that?”   Folks, today’s guest has been through a remarkable journey.  He’s transformed from a state of Financial Anorexia to achieving Financial Peace of Mind – but his tale doesn’t begin as you might think. Jack didn’...

And just like that, we’re back with another jam-packed economic and RBA update!   This month saw the RBA lift cash rates by yet another 50 basis points , bringing the cash rate to 1.35% – the biggest month-on-month increase in 22 years and the highest cash rate since early June 2019. Here are our other key themes for this month’s economic update:   The world’s leading economies are going to manufa...

“I thought investing was for RICH people, and that’s just what it was. It was something a normal person didn’t do, and now our eyes are open – the possibilities are endless really.”   Growing up in a household with a tight budget and parents working double jobs to feed a family of seven, our second Winter Series guest didn’t have a lot of money conversations around the table…  In fact, there was n...

As Australia descends into winter, what better way to celebrate the chill than by kicking off our 2022 Winter Series ?!   In this special edition series, we’ll be deep-diving into some of our listener’s personal stories, going behind the scenes to share their challenges and triumphs and exploring how they’re successfully investing in property thanks to the power of planning.  We’ve got a very spec...

While we love to have some good AFL banter on the show, this week’s episode is all about a star from another Aussie sport…  We’re jumping into the world of NRL (National Rugby League) with one of its most prominent athletes who played fullback, wing, centre and five-eighth for the Brisbane Broncos.  Representing Australia at an international level and playing in the Queensland State of Origin… We’...

It’s been a while since we’ve said this (which makes it even more exciting!!)… Ben reckons he’s found his new FAVOURITE QUESTION!!!!   That’s because this question is something EVERYONE can relate to: Do I need to choose between building wealth or living the lifestyle you want?!   Folks, this is the type of thing that we deal with on an everyday basis! We’re using our years of battle-hardened expe...

The RBA has released its June update and boy is there a lot going on!    Not only do we have a new Federal Government behind the wheel, but after lifting interest rates for the first time in 11.5 years in its May update , this month saw the RBA lift cash rates by a massive 50 basis points, bringing the cash rate to 0.85%. A certain sector within the property market is also facing a new threat… how...

Have you ever wondered what the BIGGEST influences are on an investor’s success?!   Is it passion, personality, time, experience, learnt market timing or even luck?! Or are you just born with a “business brain” ?!   Well folks, our very special guest today can actually narrow an investor’s success down to just 3 things!!   And if you’ve got that covered, well according to him…you’re basically goin...

We repeat! Do NOT land the plane during a storm!!  What do we mean by this…?   Well, in our minds, changing your investment plan due to changing circumstances is kinda like planning a flight and lifting off the runway and then hitting stormy weather. Should you try and land the plan in the middle of the storm?!?  You’ll have to tune in to the episode to find out what we think!! Since it’s a Q&...

With the Federal Election fast approaching, you’ve probably heard A LOT of noise around stuff like climate change, international security, and aged care funding…  But as a property investor, you’re probably wanting to know: What do the parties’ property policies mean for you!?!   We’ll be breaking down and comparing Liberal’s Access to Super policy and Labour’s Help to Buy (Shared Equity) policy a...

Folks we’re back to finish what we started…  In last week’s Bonusisode we featured Part One of Tax Planning Tips to Maximise your Returns and now, we’re back to give you the rest of the gold!   We’ll be unpacking…  How to claim travel expenses related to work (especially if you’re a rental owner!)   Is it possible to successfully act as your own accountant and claim travel expenses for properties?...