Financial Autonomy

This week I chat with long time listener to the podcast and reader of the GainingCHOICE email, Dan McCutcheon. Dan reached out to me recently sharing his wealth creation journey. I thought it would make a great case study and he kindly agreed to come on and share his experience.   [Disclaimer] [Website]

Last week in one of our progress meetings I was asked by a client a very sensible question "why is record-low unemployment a bad thing?" His question arose from a news report that was attempting to explain the economic challenges currently faced and the concerns for 2023 and beyond. One of the explanations offered by the journalist was this "problem" of record low unemployment. But as my client ob...

If we're asked what sort of return should be expected from an investment over the long run the tendency is to rely on the long term average, or perhaps lean on the conservative side and round down a percent or two. The reality however is that from one year to the next there is a high level of variability in returns. Sure, given long enough they may well deliver that long term average that you see...

This week, we cover 3 different ways you could rapidly accelerate your wealth creation to help you to achieve financial independence.    For more from us, click here . [Disclaimer]

Every major financial event is also a major psychological event. When you buy a home, change job or career, receive an inheritance, or retire. So this week I'm very excited to welcome psychologist Parris Davenport from Everyday Psychology onto the podcast to explore that intersection between psychology and money a little deeper. [Website] [Disclaimer] Links referenced in the episode: Everyday Psyc...

I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that investment markets around the world have been experiencing challenging times over the past year. Shares, bonds, and property, everything is down and there have been few places to hide. So this week I wanted to consider what we could learn from past market declines. What can we take away to help us not only get through this current period, but perhaps eve...

Today I'm speaking with Victor Huang Principal and Head of Investment Solutions with Milliman Australia.   [Website] [Disclaimer]

In this episode, we discuss franking credits, their purpose, and how they benefit you.   [Disclaimer]

I'm joined today by Evan Lucas. Evan has just released a beautifully written book Mind Over Money. It makes a great companion piece for our focus here at Financial Autonomy around gaining choice. In this episode we talk about the impact your personality has on the way that you interact with money, the role of expectations, cultural differences and their impact on money decisions, and plenty more....

With markets down at the moment due to interest rate increases, this week I explore how to keep calm when markets aren't doing what we'd like, and how to ensure you don't miss out on any potential opportunities. [Disclaimer]

We knew the rates of last year were temporary, but the speed with which they are snapping back has been surprising. Based on this, I wanted to talk this week about the different potential strategies and opportunities that will arise in a world with rising interest rates.   [Disclaimer]

I'm joined today by author and buyers agent Steve Palise. Steve recently released his second book, Residential Property Investing Explained, to complement his first release Commercial Property Investing Explained. But today we're not just talking property, Steve splits his time between Australia and the UK. He's achieved this through two of the three Financial Autonomy pathways that we focus on he...

For over 6 years now I've released weekly podcasts and emails exploring the idea of Financial Autonomy and gaining choice. The content is informed by the wonderful clients that we get to work with, many of whom are listeners. I'm constantly learning, and sometimes what you learn contradicts what you thought you knew. This week I wanted to share 3 things I got wrong. There's probably plenty more, b...

This week we're talking tax. Strategies to minimise tax are often high priorities for those seeking financial planning advice. In this episode, we'll take a look at some of the most common taxes that we as Australians face, pick apart some of the mechanics of how they work, and consider whether it's appropriate to change anything that you currently do to improve your tax outcome.   [Disclaimer]

This week I chat with Financial Autonomy community member Mark Hutchins on his journey to financial independence. We discuss minimalism, the related idea of "enough', job share, running a small business, semi-retirement, and Mark's unique Ice Cream FI approach.   [Disclaimer]

Your superannuation is likely to grow to be either your largest, or second largest asset, so it's worth making sure you understand how it works. In this week's episode I explore the different contribution types you can make into super, and they benefit you in the long run.   [Disclaimer]

This week, we're talking with accountant Shaun Farrugia about Family Trusts - who are they most useful for, what do they cost, how can they be used, when should they be closed, and plenty more. [Disclaimer] Optimised Accounting    

Why do people worry about their financial future, and what simple ideas can you implement to alleviate at least some of that worry? That's our focus for today's episode, where we look at how to de-stress your personal finances.   [Disclaimer]

This week I chat with Glen James from My Millennial Money. He's just wrapping up an Australian roadshow travelling right across our wide brown expanse. So I'm keen to learn what he's hearing, what is on people's minds right now? From interest rates to investment timing and long-term goals, it's always fun to chat with Glen. [Disclaimer] My Millennial Money    

Whether it's packing up the family and doing a road trip around Australia, taking some time off to focus on your postgraduate studies, or just recharging the batteries with a few months on the Greek Islands, some sort of mid-career sabbatical is on the agenda for many of the people that we work with. In this week's episode, I want to explore some of the planning actions you can take to help make t...

We're all so caught up in being financially responsible and planning for a successful financial future, however, sometimes this can get in the way of living our lives. In this episode, we explore how we can strike a balance between being responsible with our money while also enjoying life throughout the process.   [Disclaimer]

It's easy to think about progress in terms of technological progress, but in this episode, I want to talk about the social progress we have made and how that has allowed us to go after our Financial Autonomy dreams.   [Disclaimer]

We didn't have a new episode this week, but, we thought you may enjoy this one from the vault which covers some of the steps you can take to help you move to self-employment. We are joined today by Shaun Farrugia from Optimised Accounting and Finance to talk about the essential things you need when you move to self-employment. In this episode we cover the challenges and knowledge Shaun shares abou...

In this episode, Paul talks about how financial advice is regulated in Australia and what this means for Guidance in terms of the advice he provides.   [Disclaimer]

Today I'm chatting with David Foster who's a member of the Financial Autonomy community. He reached out to me after a podcast episode a little while back - 50% more weekend for 20% less pay. David emailed me to say he'd done exactly that and I asked if he'd be prepared to share his experience. Luckily for us, he said yes.   [Disclaimer]