All Articles
August 26, 2020
Why (and how) I wrote Financial Autonomy – the money book that gives you choice
It was wonderful to be approached by a publisher to write a book. It felt like validation that the effort I’d been putting into the Financial Autonomy podcast, and the weekly Gaining CHOICE email were being recognised, and the ideas conveyed were interesting and valuable. I enjoy writing, and as much as putting together enough … Continued
Investment
Property
Saving Strategy
Self-Employment & Side Hustles
Superannuation
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
August 7, 2019
7 Essential Australian Resources for Investing in Shares as a Beginner
Warren Buffet started investing in shares when he was just 11 years old. Today he one of the richest people on the planet, with an estimated worth of US$84billion. Buying shares is becoming a part-owner of a business. Throughout history it has been business owners, whether founders or subsequent investors, who have been most successful … Continued
Investment
Superannuation
July 3, 2019
Listener Q & A – Episode 100
Thanks for joining us for another Financial Autonomy episode. We’ve got a bit of a change in the normal routine today, because today is Episode 100 and I don’t want to pass through that milestone without doing something a little bit special. I’ve asked our Gaining Choice subscribers for their top Financial Autonomy questions. I’ve … Continued
Investment
Property
Saving Strategy
Self-Employment & Side Hustles
Superannuation
June 26, 2019
Will retirement still be a thing in 2030? – Episode 99
Throughout most of human history, the only time you retired was when you died. Retirement as we now experience it is a reasonably recent phenomenon. It’s an invention of the 20th century and it’s worthwhile questioning whether it will continue through the 21st century, at least in the format we currently think of. When the … Continued
Investment
Superannuation
May 15, 2019
How to make sense of your superannuation statement (and other things you really should know about your most important financial asset). – Episode 93
For many people, thinking about superannuation is the go-to cure for insomnia. This isn’t all bad, in that so long as your superannuation foundations are set-up right, it is something that needs to be left alone to grow – too much fiddling around can be extremely costly. But ignoring your superannuation savings completely is a … Continued
Superannuation
March 27, 2019
The Grey Nomad Alternative – Episode 86
My parents, like many of their peers, bought a caravan shortly after retiring. Each winter they escape a cold Melbourne, and head north, to explore the vastness of our nation and enjoy the agreeable climate on offer. They’re onto their second caravan now, and whilst their preference has evolved to staying in the one spot for an extended period rather … Continued
Self-Employment & Side Hustles
Superannuation
March 5, 2019
Financial Independence in Australia – Episode 83
Job security isn’t what it once was. The trend toward contracting, outsourcing and the gig economy, combined with technological automation and increasingly, artificial intelligence, means the need for us to be emotionally and financially resilient has never been higher. Emotional resiliency isn’t something I’m qualified to speak on, but financial resiliency – financial independence – is of course … Continued
Investment
Saving Strategy
Self-Employment & Side Hustles
Superannuation
February 13, 2019
Why your parent’s financial plan won’t work for you – Episode 80
If retirement is a decade or more away, it’s tempting to look at your parents and perhaps grandparents in retirement and figure, well, they seem to be getting along fine, I’ll just have what they’re having. But there’s two key factors that have underpinned your parents retirement, that will look vastly different in your retirement – the Age … Continued
Investment
Saving Strategy
Superannuation
November 7, 2018
The reality of negative returns – knowledge is power – Episode 66
Investment markets don’t always go up. In fact they go down on a pretty regular basis. Is that a shock to you? I suspect not. Yet virtually none of the commentary on investing talks about negative returns – markets going down. But when I speak with clients, especially new clients, usually somewhere in their … Continued
Investment
Superannuation
October 10, 2018
Putting the puzzle together – 4 essential elements to achieving your big life goals – Episode 62
Here at Financial Autonomy, our focus is typically on the money side of how you achieve your goals and gain the choice in life that you deserve. But of course, achieving big goals requires more than just a financial solution. And so in today’s post we’re going to take a step back and consider … Continued
Investment
Saving Strategy
Self-Employment & Side Hustles
Superannuation
July 4, 2018
Mini-retirements – Episode 52
In several previous posts we’ve looked at strategies to help you achieve early retirement. I’ve often spoken about the fact that early retirement in our Financial Autonomy context doesn’t mean spending all day sitting on the couch watching the Simpsons. Our objective is gaining the flexibility and choice to pursue the things that we’re … Continued
Investment
Saving Strategy
Superannuation