360 Money Matters

Welcome back to another episode of the 360 Money Matters Podcast!

In this episode, Billy and Andrew tackle the real reason most financial plans fall apart — and it's not the strategy. It's everything that happens after.

Drawing on real client stories, including a $15,000 mistake made by going it alone, they break down the six most common reasons people abandon their financial plan within the first 12 months and, more importantly, what to do about it.

If you've ever started strong and quietly let a financial plan fade out, this episode will show you exactly where it went wrong.

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This podcast contains information that is general in nature. It does not take into account the objectives, financial situation, or needs of any particular person. You need to consider your financial situation and needs before making any decisions based on this information. This information is provided by Billy Amiridis & Andrew Nicolaou of 360 Financial Strategists Pty Ltd, authorized representatives and credit representatives of Akumin Financial Planning – AFSL 232706

Episode Highlights

• Why complexity kills momentum before it even starts

• The danger of having no clear first step and how to fix it

• Why implementation support is worth more than the strategy itself

• How your own behaviour is a bigger threat to your wealth than any market downturn

• Why trying to be perfect and timing the market is a plan to fail

• The power of anchoring your financial plan to a personal goal — your real "North Star"

• How accountability is the missing ingredient most people overlook

Connect with Billy and Andrew!

360 Financial Strategists

Check out our latest episode here:

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Welcome back to another episode of the 360 Money Matters Podcast!

In this episode, Billy and Andrew break down exactly what sits behind a financial advice fee — from the initial Statement of Advice to ongoing service reviews, the compliance infrastructure, the research, and the team that makes it all work.

They challenge the assumption that a lower fee means better value, and explain why understanding what you're paying for is just as important as the dollar amount itself.

This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered whether their advice fee is worth it, or who has avoided getting advice altogether because the cost felt unclear.

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This podcast contains information that is general in nature. It does not take into account the objectives, financial situation, or needs of any particular person. You need to consider your financial situation and needs before making any decisions based on this information. This information is provided by Billy Amiridis & Andrew Nicolaou of 360 Financial Strategists Pty Ltd, authorized representatives and credit representatives of Akumin Financial Planning – AFSL 232706

Episode Highlights

• Why most people misunderstand what an advice fee actually covers

• The difference between one-off advice and an ongoing client relationship

• How fee structures (percentage vs. flat fee vs. hourly) change what you receive

• What to expect at each stage: upfront advice vs. annual review

• The compliance and infrastructure costs behind every recommendation

• How to assess whether your current adviser fee represents real value

• Questions you should be asking your adviser right now

Connect with Billy and Andrew!

360 Financial Strategists

Check out our latest episode here:

Apple Podcast

Spotify

Welcome back to another episode of the 360 Money Matters Podcast!

In this episode, Billy and Andrew cut through the noise to bust the most common financial advice myths they hear from clients every single day: the beliefs that feel safe, sound reasonable, and are quietly keeping you from building real wealth.

From waiting for the "right time" to invest, to assuming property always wins, to ignoring your super because you can't touch it, these myths aren't just wrong, they're expensive. And the fix is simpler than you think.

If you've ever caught yourself making any of these excuses, this episode is your mirror moment.

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This podcast contains information that is general in nature. It does not take into account the objectives, financial situation, or needs of any particular person. You need to consider your financial situation and needs before making any decisions based on this information. This information is provided by Billy Amiridis & Andrew Nicolaou of 360 Financial Strategists Pty Ltd, authorized representatives and credit representatives of Akumin Financial Planning – AFSL 232706

Episode Highlights

• Why "I'll invest when things settle down" is just uncertainty dressed up as strategy

• The property vs. shares debate and why the data might surprise you

• Pay off the mortgage first, then invest: why waiting 20–30 years is a wealth creation trap

• Superannuation the most powerful wealth vehicle most people ignore

• Why holding too much cash is also a financial mistake

• "I don't earn enough to invest yet" — and why $50 a week is all it takes to start

Connect with Billy and Andrew!

360 Financial Strategists

Check out our latest episode here:

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Welcome back to another episode of the 360 Money Matters Podcast!

In this episode, Billy and Andrew tackle one of the most confronting — and most overlooked — questions in personal finance: how long could you actually survive without your income? In a world of rising uncertainty, this isn't hypothetical. It's a question every household should be able to answer right now.

Billy and Andrew cut through the assumptions most people make — that sick leave, annual leave, and redundancy entitlements will catch them — and show why that thinking leaves dangerous gaps, especially if an employer goes under overnight. They walk through how to calculate your real financial burn rate, why "asset rich, cash poor" is a genuine trap, and why insurance covers less than you think when job loss is the problem.

If you've never stress-tested your finances against a worst-case scenario, this episode is your starting point and your action plan.

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This podcast contains information that is general in nature. It does not take into account the objectives, financial situation, or needs of any particular person. You need to consider your financial situation and needs before making any decisions based on this information. This information is provided by Billy Amiridis & Andrew Nicolaou of 360 Financial Strategists Pty Ltd, authorized representatives and credit representatives of Akumin Financial Planning – AFSL 232706

Episode Highlights

• Why your workplace entitlements are not a safety net and what actually is

• How to calculate your financial burn rate: fixed vs. discretionary expenses

• The emergency fund question: 3 months, 6 months, or 12?

• Where insurance helps and where it leaves a gap

• The stay-at-home parent life insurance blind spot most families miss

• Passive income vs. personal exertion income: does yours even make a dent?

• Why you need a Plan B and how to build one before you need it

Connect with Billy and Andrew!

360 Financial Strategists

Check out our latest episode here:

Apple Podcast

Spotify

Welcome back to another episode of the 360 Money Matters Podcast!

In this episode, Billy and Andrew tackle the decade that most Australians sleepwalk through and can never get back.

Your 40s are when income is climbing, debt is at its peak, and compound interest still has time to do its heavy lifting. Get it right and you build serious wealth. Take your foot off the accelerator — even just for a few years — and you arrive at 50 wondering where the decade went.

Billy and Andrew break down the financial checklist every 40-something should be running through right now, from attacking non-deductible debt and using super as a tax weapon, to building a clear investment strategy and protecting everything you've worked for.

If you're in your 40s, approaching them, or advising someone who is, this is the episode to listen to.

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This podcast contains information that is general in nature. It does not take into account the objectives, financial situation, or needs of any particular person. You need to consider your financial situation and needs before making any decisions based on this information. This information is provided by Billy Amiridis & Andrew Nicolaou of 360 Financial Strategists Pty Ltd, authorized representatives and credit representatives of Akumin Financial Planning – AFSL 232706

Episode Highlights

• Why your 40s are the make-or-break decade for long-term financial security

• The debt strategy: aggressively clearing non-deductible debt while keeping good debt working for you

• Debt recycling — how to pay down debt and invest at the same time

• Super isn't optional anymore — it's your most powerful tax structure

• Concessional contributions, spouse splitting, and how to use super to pay 15% tax instead of your marginal rate

• Why a piecemeal investment approach quietly destroys your wealth

• Protecting your plan — why income protection and insurance matter more than ever in this decade

• Cash flow creep: how rising expenses quietly erase the benefit of a higher income

• Why a coordinated plan beats isolated decisions every time

Connect with Billy and Andrew!

360 Financial Strategists

Check out our latest episode here:

Apple Podcast

Spotify

Welcome back to another episode of the 360 Money Matters Podcast!

In this episode, Billy and Andrew demystify one of the most talked-about — and most misunderstood — tax strategies in the business owner playbook: the bucket company.

Billy and Andrew cut through the jargon and explain exactly how a bucket company fits into a discretionary trust structure, why it's a tax-deferral strategy (not a tax-avoidance one), and the specific circumstances where it can be genuinely powerful — including when you retire, when your spouse steps back from work, or when your adult children enter the picture.

If you're a business owner, self-employed, or running a family trust at high income levels, this episode could reshape how you think about structuring your tax.

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This podcast contains information that is general in nature. It does not take into account the objectives, financial situation, or needs of any particular person. You need to consider your financial situation and needs before making any decisions based on this information. This information is provided by Billy Amiridis & Andrew Nicolaou of 360 Financial Strategists Pty Ltd, authorized representatives and credit representatives of Akumin Financial Planning – AFSL 232706

Episode Highlights:

• What a discretionary trust is and why it's the foundation of the strategy

• How a bucket company becomes a third beneficiary and why that matters

• Paying 25% company tax today vs. 47% personal tax — the numbers explained

• Why this is a deferral strategy, not a dodge and when the "top-up tax" kicks in

• The retirement play: drawing down at 0% tax with franking credit refunds

• The compounding advantage of investing 75 cents in the dollar instead of 53

• Division 7A — the compliance trap that catches people out

• Who this strategy is actually suited for and who it isn't

Connect with Billy and Andrew!

360 Financial Strategists

Check out our latest episode here:

Apple Podcast

Spotify

Welcome back to another episode of the 360 Money Matters Podcast!

In this episode, Billy and Andrew tackle one of the most overlooked risks in retirement planning and it's not about how much you save.

You can do everything right. Save diligently, live within your means, build a solid nest egg. And still run out of money sooner than expected simply because of when markets fall.

They break down why the first few years of drawing down your super are the most financially vulnerable of your retirement and what you can actually do about it.

If you're within 5 years of retiring, already retired, or helping someone who is, this episode could be the most important one you listen to this year.

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This podcast contains information that is general in nature. It does not take into account the objectives, financial situation, or needs of any particular person. You need to consider your financial situation and needs before making any decisions based on this information. This information is provided by Billy Amiridis & Andrew Nicolaou of 360 Financial Strategists Pty Ltd, authorized representatives and credit representatives of Akumin Financial Planning – AFSL 232706

Episode Highlights

• Why sequencing risk can wreck your retirement even with a great average return

• How drawing down in a falling market locks in losses you may never recover

• The cash buffer strategy and why almost every retiree should have one

• The three-bucket approach: short, medium, and long term income planning

• The 4% rule and when it's okay to break it

• Why retirement is still a long-term investment, even when you're spending down

Connect with Billy and Andrew!

360 Financial Strategists

Check out our latest episode here:

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Spotify

War in the Middle East. Oil past $100 a barrel. Markets swinging on a tweet. Your petrol bill climbing. What does any of this actually mean for your super, your investments, and your financial plan?

Billy and Andrew have been fielding this question from clients all week and in this episode, they give you the honest, no-politics breakdown of what's happening, why it matters to everyday Australians, and what to do (and not do) with your money right now.

Because in moments like this, the biggest risk to your wealth isn't the conflict. It's your reaction to it.

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This podcast contains information that is general in nature. It does not take into account the objectives, financial situation, or needs of any particular person. You need to consider your financial situation and needs before making any decisions based on this information. This information is provided by Billy Amiridis & Andrew Nicolaou of 360 Financial Strategists Pty Ltd, authorized representatives and credit representatives of Akumin Financial Planning – AFSL 232706

Episode Highlights

• Why the Strait of Hormuz hits your grocery bill, not just the petrol pump

• Inflation vs. recession — which risk is bigger right now?

• What stress in the bond market is quietly telling us

• Duration, not the event — why how long this lasts matters most

• The practical steps to protect your position and stay invested with confidence

Connect with Billy and Andrew!

360 Financial Strategists

Check out our latest episode here:

Apple Podcast

Spotify

Welcome back to another episode of the 360 Money Matters Podcast!

In this episode, Billy and Andrew break down one of the most common questions they get from first home buyers:

Should you put your money into property… or into ETFs?

With years of experience advising real clients, they go beyond social media opinions and look at the numbers, the risks, and the real-world behavior that actually shapes outcomes.

If you're trying to decide where your first serious investment should go, this episode will help you think clearly, avoid common traps, and choose a strategy you can stick with long term.

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This podcast contains information that is general in nature. It does not take into account the objectives, financial situation, or needs of any particular person. You need to consider your financial situation and needs before making any decisions based on this information. This information is provided by Billy Amiridis & Andrew Nicolaou of 360 Financial Strategists Pty Ltd, authorized representatives and credit representatives of Akumin Financial Planning – AFSL 232706

Episode Highlights

• The true costs of buying property vs investing in ETFs

• How historical returns compare over 30 years

• Why leverage makes property powerful, but also more risky

• The impact of liquidity and diversification

• The often ignored behavioral factor that changes everything

Connect with Billy and Andrew!

360 Financial Strategists

Check out our latest episode here:

Apple Podcast

Spotify

Welcome back to another episode of the 360 Money Matters Podcast!

In this episode, Billy and Andrew break down every method of paying yourself as a business owner, when each one makes sense, and how to structure your income to legally reduce tax, protect your wealth, and actually see how your business is performing. They also make the case for why superannuation remains the most overlooked wealth-building tool for the self-employed, and why ignoring it could cost you more than you think.

Discover why how you pay yourself could be the difference between building wealth and just staying busy.

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This podcast contains information that is general in nature. It does not take into account the objectives, financial situation, or needs of any particular person. You need to consider your financial situation and needs before making any decisions based on this information. This information is provided by Billy Amiridis & Andrew Nicolaou of 360 Financial Strategists Pty Ltd, authorized representatives and credit representatives of Akumin Financial Planning – AFSL 232706

Episode Highlights

• Salary vs dividends vs trust distributions, and when to use each

• How franking credits work and why they always bring you back to your marginal rate

• The "lifestyle salary rule", why paying yourself the right base changes everything

• Why mixing personal and business finances destroys your ability to read business health

• Distributing trust income to adult children

• Superannuation as a tax reduction tool and a creditor-proof safety net

• The bucket company strategy — how to delay tax obligations and invest at a lower rate

Connect with Billy and Andrew!

360 Financial Strategists

Check out our latest episode here:

Apple Podcast

Spotify