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April 15, 2020
COVID19 + Money. Need to knows – Episode 141
Not as polished as our normal blog posts but this podcast transcript might provide so important information to help you through the current challenges: Welcome back to another Financial Autonomy episode. My name is Paul Benson. Coming to you live from my home office, like a good proportion of you guys no doubt. Today’s episode, … Continued
Investment
Saving Strategy

April 1, 2020
Learnings from our recent Community Survey – Episode 139
Today’s episode is a bit different. I don’t have a script and I don’t have a guest. I recently ran a community survey to everyone that gets the Gaining Choice email. In this podcast I want to share with you what we learned and some of the ways this information will be used to shape … Continued
Investment
Property
Saving Strategy
Self-Employment & Side Hustles

January 29, 2020
Investment Market Outlook for 2020 – Episode 130
2019 was a bumper year for investors, so can we expect more of the same in 2020? Or is a pullback inevitable? I receive reports almost daily from fund managers and financial institutions. In the last few weeks they’ve tended to focus on the current state of the global economy and what that means for … Continued
Investment

January 8, 2020
What’s the plan for 2020? – Episode 127
In this episode I review the wins and challenges faced during 2019 and look ahead to our plans for Financial Autonomy in 2020. A bit of a pull back the curtain episode that I hope you enjoy. General Advice Warning
Saving Strategy

December 5, 2019
The Financial Autonomy Journey
I put this diagram together yesterday to explain the central framework that we are working to here at Financial Autonomy. Anyone who successfully achieves Financial Autonomy will employ at least one, and usually two or three of these approaches. The self-employment route spotlights the difference between Financial Independence and Financial Autonomy. Financial Autonomy success is … Continued
Investment
Property
Saving Strategy
Self-Employment & Side Hustles

November 27, 2019
Is Private Health Insurance Worth Having in Australia? – Episode 121
The cost of private health insurance in Australia keeps on rising. After housing, food and motor vehicle expenses, health insurance typically comes up as the next big-ticket item in most household budgets. So it’s worth asking the question – do we need it? Private Health insurance is likely to be worth having if: You are … Continued
Saving Strategy

November 13, 2019
Re-thinking the traditional retirement – Episode 119
I read a great quote on the weekend attributed to Princess Elizabeth Charlotte of France in the 18th century. She was asked when sexual desire ended and she responded “How would I know, I’m only 80.” Between 1870 and 1970 our lifesplans more than doubled globally. For the thousands of years of human history prior … Continued
Investment
Superannuation

October 23, 2019
Living in a world where money is free – Episode 116
February 12, 1999. That was the date something never before seen, happened. The Central Bank of Japan, battling persistent recession, cut official interest rates to zero. At the time other central bankers around the world criticised the move. Savers must be rewarded for savings. Borrowers must have to pay something to borrow. Without these … Continued
Investment
Saving Strategy

October 16, 2019
FIRE is stupid – here’s some better alternatives
You’ve probably stumbled across the FIRE acronym before – it stands for Financial Independence Retire Early. It came out of the US and has spawned countless books, podcasts, conferences, and even a movie. Reddit has huge discussion threads devoted to the idea, with the primary thrust seeming to be how young you can achieve early … Continued
Investment
Saving Strategy
Self-Employment & Side Hustles

October 2, 2019
3 Alternatives To Car Ownership That Can Help You Save – Episode 113
How many thousands of dollars do you have parked on the street or in the garage losing money every day? It’s a question I’ve been focused on for our household recently. My wife and I each have a car, plus there is a 12 seater minibus for my wife’s tourism business that we could use for a personal trip … Continued
Saving Strategy

September 18, 2019
Episode 111 – Hyperinflation and the potential for Back to the Future
Welcome back to another episode in our financial history series. We started with Tulip Mania and the madness of crowds. Then we reviewed the Great Depression and how the lessons learnt continue to have impacts today. One thread of the Great Depression story was the Gold Standard, which we explored in episode 109. An understanding … Continued
Investment

September 4, 2019
The Gold Standard – What was it and what does it have to do with Crypto currencies? – Episode 109
Welcome back to the third episode in our financial history series. Last episode we looked at the Great Depression and why it still matters today. Before that we visited Amsterdam in the 1630’s to learn about Tulip Mania. Today we’re going to be exploring the Gold Standard, something that cropped up during the Great Depression … Continued
Investment