Blog

What to do when you receive an Inheritance

The okay Boomer eye roll movement came out of frustration that Australia’s wealth is disproportionately distributed to those over 60, with the sharp rise in property prices being the primary culprit. But whilst we’re all living longer, science hasn’t yet found a way to grant us eternal lives, and so eventually that wealth will be … Continued

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What to do when you receive an Inheritance

NEW PODCAST

Super excited to announce a new podcast to the Financial Autonomy stream. Market Noise is a collaboration between personal finance YouTuber Justin Baldori and me, Paul Benson. We record each episode live on Youtube each Monday night at 8pm AEST, and then release to podcast version later that night. Justin and I each choose 2 … Continued

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How to use a Core/Satellite strategy in your share portfolio

One of the most popular pathways to achieving Financial Autonomy is through investing in stocks. Stock market investing has a tonne of advantages – ease of diversification, low transaction costs, ease of liquidity, and being highly regulated to guard against investor fraud. Perhaps the number one reason share investment is so popular for those looking … Continued

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How to use a Core/Satellite strategy in your share portfolio

Discovering the Satellite – What are the Satellites in a Core-Satellite strategy?

Here at Financial Autonomy we follow the framework set out in the Financial Autonomy book. One of the pathways in that framework is stocks and within that section I explore the Core-Satellite strategy in some detail. It’s a strategy we use a lot with clients. In this post we’re going to dig in a bit … Continued

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Discovering the Satellite – What are the Satellites in a Core-Satellite strategy?

18 ways to Build Passive Income that work in Australia

I’ve been researching all the ways one might go about generating Passive Income. Unfortunately, many of those found on the web won’t work in Australia. So I’ve produced a custom list especially for those of us on the largest island in the Southern Hemisphere. Here’s what I’ve come up with: 1. Low input business 2. … Continued

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18 ways to Build Passive Income that work in Australia

All Articles

May 18, 2022

Why does Inflation matter?

Most of us recognise that interest rates were unusually low for a time, to counter the economic effect of the COVID pandemic. We knew that at some point they would return to normal. But what is normal, why are they going up now, and why has this got share and property markets so rattled? One … Continued

Investment

May 18, 2022

50% more weekend for 20% less pay

For many of us, our working lives have been put through a bit of a blender over the past couple of years. Teachers taking classes from their kitchen table, Team meetings whilst still in our pyjamas, exercise replacing the commute, and trying to find what works for each of us both professionally and as part … Continued

Saving Strategy

Superannuation

May 4, 2022

Offset vs Redraw

GENERAL ADVICE WARNING – Please be mindful that the information contained in this post is general in nature. You should seek advice that takes into account your specific circumstances before embarking on any significant financial matter. Should I be putting my savings in an offset account, or paying it straight off the loan and … Continued

Saving Strategy

April 20, 2022

How to Manage Uneven Super Balances Between a Couple

This week’s piece arises from a question I received from Daniel. He wrote: Quick question that might be good to discuss – there is a significant difference between my Super Balance and my partner (self employed) which will only get bigger over time. I’m 39 and based on the current situation I will be … Continued

Superannuation

March 30, 2022

The Balancing Act

How do we juggle the desire to save for the future, with the need to live life to the fullest today? Is 6 months backpacking around Europe in your 20’s more valuable than being able to buy a beach house in your 50’s? Is pushing hard on the mortgage today the wisest course, … Continued

Investment

Saving Strategy

March 23, 2022

How to Build your Financial IQ

We’re fortunate to live in an age where information is at our fingertips. If you’ve gotten more interested in investing and financial markets in recent years you’re not alone. It seems the combination of anaemic interest rates on bank savings, a proliferation in apps that make low cost investing easy, and reduced spending during COVID … Continued

Investment

Saving Strategy

Superannuation

March 16, 2022

Investing in Uncertain Times

There is always a degree of volatility on investment markets. But there are times when world events raise the level of worry and uncertainty, causing markets to seesaw, sometimes violently, from one day to the next. As investors, this sort of activity doesn’t put us in our happy place. A slow and steady upward climb … Continued

Uncategorised

February 16, 2022

Parents, Adult Children, & Money

Nearly every client I work with who has children give some thought to how they might help them out in adulthood. For those with young or teenage children, the thoughts are often around assisting them into the property market via a lump sum gift to bolster their potential deposit. For clients whose children are beyond … Continued

Investment

February 12, 2022

How to Convert Great Income into Financial Security

One of the most common reasons clients engage us through the Financial Autonomy programme is a realisation that all their hard work is not translating into financial wealth and security. It generally seems to be that people in this predicament have put all their energy and focus into developing their careers and therefore just haven’t … Continued

Investment

Superannuation

February 9, 2022

How to use the Greatest Tax Perk in Australia

Often when people think about making the transition from full time work to semi or complete retirement, there is consideration given to rejigging existing investments, whether to produce more income, reduce debt, or improve tax efficiency. But selling investments typically incurs capital gains tax and much of the planning work we do for our clients … Continued

Investment

Property

February 6, 2022

The Investment World Has Changed

In my recent New Year letter to our financial planning clients at Guidance, I proposed that investment markets are today less risky than they were in decades past. Whereas once governments and policy makers could largely leave the stock market to do what it likes, in the last decade especially there has been far more … Continued

Investment

February 2, 2022

Building Wealth Efficiently

You’re busy with your career and personal life. You don’t need your wealth creation plan to suck up hours of each week. So how can you best put your earnings capacity to work to secure choices for you down the road, without the plan adding to your already full schedule? This week I’m sharing 7 … Continued

Investment