Would you sell your ETFs just to save 0.1% a year in fees? In this episode, Hayden and Dave unpack some of the newest additions to the ETF marketplace, and work out where (if anywhere) they'd fit in a long-term portfolio.

They cover:

👉 BGBL vs VGS: half the management fee for basically the same portfolio, and why switching isn't free once tax enters the picture

👉 VDAL, Vanguard's answer to DHHF: all-growth and all-in-one, minus VDHG's 10% bonds, and when one-fund portfolios make the most sense

👉 EMKT and factor investing: why this emerging markets fund has outpaced VGE, and the catch of paying guaranteed fees for an unguaranteed outcome

👉 Currency hedging, finally explained: what HNDQ actually does differently to NDQ, and who might genuinely need it

👉 V500 and A300, the new cheap rivals to IVV and VAS, and whether brand power beats a lower fee

👉 Old-school LICs trading at 15% discounts: buying a dollar of assets for 85 cents, and the risks hiding in the bargain

Happy EOFY from pearler! Sign up in July using the code AUSSIEFIRE for 12 months worth of free trades 💸

And for existing customers, sign up to a new pearler product and you'll get 12 months worth of free trades too! 💸

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Watch on Youtube

Ask a Question

FI Case Study Request Form

Pearler

Strong Money Australia

Original Aussie FIRE e-book

Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify

Disclaimer

Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it's appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision.

Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens to your job, your income and your investments when intelligence becomes almost free? In this episode, Dave uses Hayden as his window into the tech world, unpacking what AI actually means for jobs, businesses and long-term investors.

They cover:

👉 How AI went from "write me a poem" to breaking big problems into bite-sized steps, and why the last 12 months surprised even the tech insiders

👉 Which parts of your job are actually at risk: why AI disrupts skills rather than whole jobs, and why the alone-at-your-computer work is the exposed bit

👉 The graduate problem: starting uni in a booming industry and finishing in a shrunken one, faster than the industrial revolution ever managed

👉 Whether AI is a bubble, a 20 to 30 year megatrend, or both, and what that could mean for indexing, Aussie property and white collar incomes

👉 Why your best hedge isn't a hot AI stock: keep earning, keep upskilling, and use the cheap intelligence everyone's worried about to your own advantage

Happy EOFY from pearler! Sign up in July using the code AUSSIEFIRE for 12 months worth of free trades 💸

And for existing customers, sign up to a new pearler product and you'll get 12 months worth of free trades too! 💸

Follow us on Instagram

Watch on Youtube

Ask a Question

FI Case Study Request Form

Pearler

Strong Money Australia

Original Aussie FIRE e-book

Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify

Disclaimer

Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it's appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision.

Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would you sell a property that's grown from $280k to $800k, even if it meant a six figure tax bill? In this episode, Hayden and Dave sit down with listener Lachlan to work through a big financial decision: whether to sell his investment property or keep holding on.

They cover:

👉 The equity Lachlan has built up on his investment property, and what selling would actually cost him in CGT

👉 Debt recycling and whether redrawing equity could achieve the same goal without triggering a tax hit

👉 Why simplifying from property to shares might reduce stress, even if it's not the highest returning move

👉 What semi-retirement within a decade would actually require from Lachlan and his wife's finances

👉 The pull of sentimental value and FOMO, and how that shapes decisions that are supposed to be purely financial

Happy EOFY from pearler! Sign up in July using the code AUSSIEFIRE for 12 months worth of free trades 💸

And for existing customers, sign up to a new pearler product and you'll get 12 months worth of free trades too! 💸

Follow us on Instagram

Watch on Youtube

Ask a Question

FI Case Study Request Form

Pearler

Strong Money Australia

Original Aussie FIRE e-book

Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify

Disclaimer

Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision.

Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if one of the biggest leaks in your budget is sitting in your fridge? In this episode, Hayden and Dave get honest about how much they're actually spending on food right now, and running through some hacks to eat on more of a budget on your path to FIRE.

The gap between a $15 and $25 daily food spend might not feel like much. But compounded over 20 years, that difference could be huge.

They cover:

👉 How much each host is actually spending on food right now (one answer is going to raise some eyebrows)

👉 The slow creep of "brand drift" and food waste that inflates your grocery bill

👉 Why skipping breakfast might be the easiest budget and health hack you're not using

👉 Cheap protein swaps, bulk cooking and home brand experiments worth trying

👉 Whether it's worth shopping online

👉 How to tell if your food spending actually reflects your values

Whether you're deep into your FIRE journey or just starting to question where your money goes each week, this episode will make you look at your next supermarket run a little differently.

Happy EOFY from pearler! Sign up in July using the code AUSSIEFIRE for 12 months worth of free trades 💸

And for existing customers, sign up to a new pearler product and you'll get 12 months worth of free trades too! 💸

Follow us on Instagram

Watch on Youtube

Ask a Question

FI Case Study Request Form

Pearler

Strong Money Australia

Original Aussie FIRE e-book

Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify

Disclaimer

Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision.

Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What actually happens to your portfolio when the world feels like it's on fire? In this episode, Hayden and Dave look back at how share markets have responded to major global conflicts, from WWI and WWII through to COVID, and what that history can teach us about investing through periods of fear and uncertainty.

They walk through the data most people have never seen: markets that fell sharply in the first six months of a war, only to roar back stronger than before it began. It's a timely reminder that the instinct to act during a crisis isn't always the one that serves us best.

They cover:

👉 How the US and Australian share markets actually performed during WWI and WWII, including the sharp falls and surprising recoveries

👉 What 31 wars across 130 years of market data reveal about how long downturns really last

👉 Why war tends to be inflationary in a way that's different to a typical recession, and what that means for share prices

👉 How governments have historically intervened in markets during wartime, and where COVID fits into that picture

👉 Why 24/7 news and social media might be making market volatility feel worse than it actually is

👉 The case for sticking to dollar-cost averaging and diversification even when the headlines are dark

At its core, investing through conflict is a bet on humanity's ability to find its way through. A look at history that might just change how you think about the next crisis, whatever it turns out to be.

Follow us on Instagram

Watch on Youtube

Ask a Question

FI Case Study Request Form

Pearler

Strong Money Australia

Original Aussie FIRE e-book

Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify

Disclaimer

Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision.

Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When your landlord puts the property up for sale, the rent vs. buy question stops being theoretical. For Shyann and her husband, that moment became the push they needed to make a decision they'd been circling for a while.

In this case study episode, Shyann walks through how she and her husband approached one of the biggest financial decisions a FIRE-chasing couple can make, and what it actually looked like once they got the keys.

They cover:

👉 Why security and long-term control tipped the scales toward buying over rentvesting

👉 How they funded the purchase on a strong combined income while keeping their investment strategy intact

👉 The trade-offs in choosing a home that fit the life they were planning, not just the budget they had

👉 Managing mortgage anxiety when one income might shrink after starting a family

👉 What actually happens when you move into a renovated home and the plumbing has other ideas

Is buying always the right move for someone on the path to FIRE? And how do you keep building toward financial independence when a mortgage is suddenly in the mix?

Follow us on Instagram

Watch on Youtube

Ask a Question

FI Case Study Request Form

Pearler

Strong Money Australia

Original Aussie FIRE e-book

Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify

Disclaimer

Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision.

Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Hayden & Dave are unpacking an email they received from a listener. He's 29, originally from the UK, drives trucks for a living and keeps moving on after a year or two because the passion just isn't there. He loves to travel, wants to build wealth, but struggles to commit to investing when the next adventure feels a lot more appealing to him. He also lost his brother 13 years ago, which has really changed his outlook on things.

They cover:

👉 Why losing a loved one can make the "now vs. later" question so much harder to answer

👉 The problem with expecting your job to be a source of passion (and what to expect instead)

👉 A simple mental framework for deciding whether spending & living today is actually worth it

👉 How to stop thinking about life choices as all-or-nothing trade-offs

👉 Whether the rise of AI is a reason to bunker down financially, or something else entirely

If you've ever felt the pull between building for the future and not wanting to miss the present, this one's worth a listen.

Follow us on Instagram

Watch on Youtube

Ask a Question

FI Case Study Request Form

Pearler

Strong Money Australia

Original Aussie FIRE e-book

Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify

Disclaimer

Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision.

Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Hayden and Dave dig into one of the most overlooked parts of the FI journey: what to do with your investments as you get closer to pulling the trigger. Does your strategy need to change? And if so, when and how?

They cover:

👉 Whether you actually need to de-risk your portfolio before retiring, or whether it's just a psychological thing

👉 The difference between accumulation and drawdown, and why the same portfolio can feel very different depending on which phase you're in

👉 Cash buffers, offset accounts and other ways to protect yourself from selling at the wrong time

👉 How paying off debt fits into a pre-retirement strategy and what it does for your cash flow certainty

👉 Growth ETFs vs. income ETFs: does the distinction actually matter when you're drawing down?

👉 What Dave is doing with his own portfolio

Free calculator here to work out your CGT with the new proposed changes.

Follow us on Instagram

Watch on Youtube

Ask a Question

FI Case Study Request Form

Pearler

Strong Money Australia

Original Aussie FIRE e-book

Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify

Disclaimer

Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision.

Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The episode was updated on the 30th of May to remove some comments around assumptions around tax losses in the new budget if an asset underperforms inflation, as well as removing some comments around tax deductions which were oversimplified.

The dust has (somewhat) settled on the Federal Budget, and Hayden and Dave are back to go beyond the initial reactions. This week they dig into the real numbers, the philosophical tensions behind the changes, and what investors should actually be doing differently (if anything).

They cover:

👉 If and how our investing strategies will change

👉 How the CGT changes hit a sell-down strategy versus a dividend/income strategy differently

👉 Why the two-phase super strategy takes a bigger hit than most people realise

👉 The case for semi-retirement over full FIRE under the new rules

👉 Whether continuing to invest is still worth it when the rules keep shifting

Plus, is the budget actually doing anything meaningful for housing supply? And what does the 30% floor really mean for someone trying to live off their portfolio?

Free calculator here to work out your CGT with the new proposed changes.

Follow us on Instagram

Watch on Youtube

Ask a Question

FI Case Study Request Form

Pearler

Strong Money Australia

Original Aussie FIRE e-book

Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify

Disclaimer

Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision.

Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Australian federal budget just dropped and there is a lot to unpack. Hayden and Dave dig into the changes that matter most for everyday investors and the FIRE community, cutting through the political noise to focus on what actually affects your money.

They cover:

👉 The switch from the 50% CGT discount to indexation

👉 The surprise 30% minimum tax floor on capital gains that nobody saw coming, and who it really hits

👉 Why the "death of debt recycling" narrative doing the rounds online misses the point entirely

👉 Negative gearing changes, what's grandfathered, what's not, and who actually benefits

👉 How growth vs. dividend investing strategies stack up under the new rules

👉 Whether super just became a lot more attractive overnight

👉 The six year exemption loophole that rentvesting fans will want to know about

There are still plenty of details being worked out in Canberra, exemptions being carved out, and edge cases nobody has good answers to yet, but these are our thoughts so far.

Free calculator here to work out your CGT with the new proposed changes.

Follow us on Instagram

Watch on Youtube

Ask a Question

FI Case Study Request Form

Pearler

Strong Money Australia

Original Aussie FIRE e-book

Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify

Disclaimer

Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision.

Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.