In this Australian Finance Podcast episode, Owen Rask sits down with Pearler co-founder and CTO Hayden Smith to talk all things money, investing, mindset, AI, and financial tech. They explore:

– How Hayden thinks about saving and frugality

– What AI means for investors, workers, and platforms like Pearler

– The story behind Hayden’s famous wisdom teeth money hack

– How Pearler is building investing tools for real humans

– Lessons from being a software engineer in an AI world

If you like this Australian Finance Podcast episode on money mindset and investing in the AI era, subscribe to hear more weekly shows on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts!

Follow us on Instagram, and TikTok for more money insights.

Topics Covered

– Hayden’s unconventional wisdom teeth money-saving story

– Why he compares personal finance to skill-building

– How his money mindset has evolved with age & net worth

– Frugality vs. growth: what spending teaches you

– What Pearler got wrong early (and what it’s becoming now)

– Hayden’s take on AI's impact on software, investing & platforms

– What “vibe coding” is — and why it matters

– The truth about passive income tools & automation

– Behind the scenes: how Pearler's UI is built around goals

– The problem with overengineering in finance

– Why simple investing is hard — and where tech can help

– Advice for young people navigating careers in the AI era

– How to develop competence (and why it’s underrated)

– Why diversification matters in life AND investing

– What the future of investing platforms could look like

Chapters (approximate)

(00:00) Introduction

(03:45) Financial Decisions and Personal Growth

(09:22) Building Pearler: Challenges and Community

(10:49) Product Development and Learning from Mistakes

(13:19) The Future of Investment Platforms

(17:22) Admiring Simplicity in Financial Apps

(23:35) Vibe Coding: A New Approach to Software Development

(26:39) The Rise of Entrepreneurial Innovation

(28:54) AI's Impact on Engineering and Coding

(31:43) The Changing Landscape of Professional Skills

(33:27) Industries Ripe for AI Disruption

(35:25) Career Advice in the Age of AI

(39:25) Investing in a Tech-Driven Future

(41:06) Transforming Financial Services and Real Estate

(48:49) Understanding Energy Costs for Savings

Resources for this episode

Hanging with Hayden YouTube channel

Aussie Fire podcast with Dave & Hayden

Invest with Pearler

Buy Gemma’s book “The Money Reset”

Ask a question (select the Finance podcast)

Show partner resources

Join Pearler using code “RASK” for $15 of Pearler Credit

Get 50% off your first two months using PocketSmith

View Betashares range of funds

Rask resources

All services

Financial Planning

Invest with us

Access Show Notes

Ask a question

We love feedback!

Follow us on social media:

Instagram: @rask.invest

TikTok: @rask.invest

DISCLAIMER: This podcast contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG): https://www.rask.com.au/fsg

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In this Friday episode of The Australian Finance Podcast, hosts Owen Rask and Gemma Mitchell dig into your money questions. This week we look at how to spot risks inside your super fund, what’s reasonable to expect from a financial adviser, how to think about market crashes without panicking, and what happens if you can no longer use your FHSS funds.

If you like this episode of The Australian Finance Podcast, make sure you hit follow on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. And don’t forget to send in your questions for future Q&As using the link below.

Resources for this episode

Sign up for the newsletter

Buy Gemma’s book “The Money Reset”

Ask a question (select the Finance podcast)

Show partner resources

Join Pearler using code “RASK” for $15 of Pearler Credit

Get 50% off your first two months using PocketSmith

View Betashares range of funds

Rask resources

All services

Financial Planning

Invest with us

Access Show Notes

Ask a question

We love feedback!

Follow us on social media:

Instagram: @rask.invest

TikTok: @rask.invest

DISCLAIMER: This podcast contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG): https://www.rask.com.au/fsg

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In this short and snappy Wednesday bonus episode of The Australian Finance Podcast, Gemma Mitchell is joined by financial behaviour expert and author Emma Edwards to share five practical tips to help you spend less — without feeling deprived.

Emma’s brand new book, The Wardrobe Project: A Year of Buying Less and Liking Yourself More, dives into the emotional side of spending and why it’s not always about spending less — but spending right.

Episode Resources:

Buy Emma’s book “The Wardrobe Project”

Buy Gemma’s book “The Money Reset”

Ask a question (select the Finance podcast)

Show partner resources

Join Pearler using code “RASK” for $15 of Pearler Credit

Get 50% off your first two months using PocketSmith

View Betashares range of funds

Rask resources

All services

Financial Planning

Invest with us

Access Show Notes

Ask a question

We love feedback!

Follow us on social media:

Instagram: @rask.invest

TikTok: @rask.invest

DISCLAIMER: This podcast contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG): https://www.rask.com.au/fsg

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In this Australian Finance Podcast episode, your host Owen Rask sits down with David Gardner (co-founder of The Motley Fool and author of Rule Breaker Investing) to discuss:

– Beating the market vs indexing

– The “lose to win” philosophy and position sizing

– The six traits of rule-breaker companies

– Conscious capitalism, purpose and culture

If you love learning about growth investing and finding outliers, subscribe to the Australian Finance Podcast on ⁠Apple⁠, ⁠Spotify⁠, or ⁠YouTube⁠!

Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠TikTok⁠ for more investing insights.

Topics Covered

– Beating the market: why David still believes individuals can outperform and why most don’t try

– Lose to win: accepting frequent small losses to capture rare, massive winners (Babe Ruth analogy)

– Six rule-breaker traits: top dog & first mover, sustainable edge, strong price action, leadership/backers, brand love, and “overvalued” narratives

– Final thoughts & how to learn more: AI’s role in research (not a reason to quit stock picking) and making portfolios reflect our best vision for our future

Resources for this episode

⁠Ask a question (select the Finance podcast)⁠

⁠Visit TermPlus to learn more⁠

Rask Resources

⁠All services⁠

⁠Financial Planning⁠

⁠Invest with us⁠

⁠Access Show Notes⁠

⁠Ask a question⁠

⁠We love feedback!⁠

Follow us on social media:

Instagram: ⁠@rask.invest⁠

TikTok: ⁠@rask.invest⁠

DISCLAIMER:

This podcast contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG):

⁠https://www.rask.com.au/fsg

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Friday episode of The Australian Finance Podcast, host Gemma Mitchell is joined by Money Coach Lexi Smith from MoneyVine to answer your money questions. We look at how to get through the most expensive time of year, how to plan for holidays, the real cost of raising kids, and how to set yourself up well for 2026.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Australian Finance Podcast episode, Owen Rask dives deep into 5 of Australia's most popular thematic ETFs for long-term growth potential.

Owen profiles these thematic ETFs:

- Betashares Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK) 

- Betashares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF (ASX: ETHI)

- Global X FANG+ ETF (ASX: FANG)

- iShares Global Healthcare ETF (ASX: IXJ)

- Global X China Tech ETF (ASX: DRGN)

If you like this Australian Finance Podcast episode, make sure to subscribe for weekly shows on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

Thematic ETF topics covered today:

- What is a thematic ETF?

- Do thematic ETFs work?

- Are thematic ETFs risky?

- How to research a thematic ETF

- HACK review

- ETHI review

- FANG review

- IXJ review

- DRGN review

Resources for this episode

- Betashares ETFs

- Global X ETFs

- iShares IXJ ETF

- Buy Gemma’s book “The Money Reset”

- Ask a question (select the Finance podcast)

Rask resources

All services

Financial Planning

Invest with us

Access Show Notes

Ask a question

We love feedback!

Follow us on social media:

Instagram: @rask.invest

TikTok: @rask.invest

DISCLAIMER: This podcast contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG): https://www.rask.com.au/fsg

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In this episode, host Gemma Mitchell is joined by Ben Kingsley, one of Australia’s leading property investment advisers, founder of Empower Wealth, and Chair of the Property Investors Council of Australia (PICA). Ben, along with his long-time business partner Bryce Holdaway, has just released their third book, How to Retire on $3,000 a Week.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Qiao Ma, Portfolio Manager of the Munro Partners Global Small and Mid Cap Fund, joins Owen Rask on The Australian Investors Podcast to discuss:

1. What it takes to find killer stocks

2. How Qiao survived the GFC

3. Why founders tend to win

4. The importance of 'control' in long-term investing

5. Munro's investment process

6. Qiao's two pieces of advice to her younger self

Episode resources:

⁠Munro Partners⁠

⁠Nick & Owen's discussion⁠

All services: https://bit.ly/R-services

Financial Planning: https://bit.ly/R-plan

Invest with us: https://bit.ly/R-invest

Access Show Notes: https://bit.ly/R-notes

Ask a question: https://bit.ly/R-quest

DISCLAIMER: This podcast contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG): https://www.rask.com.au/fsg

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this bonus episode of the Australian Finance Podcast, host Gemma Mitchell returns with part two of The Money Reset 2 part series.

If you’re ready to take your financial reset to the next level, this bite-sized episode walks you through the final six steps, tackling debt, property, super, and protection, and shows you how to build lasting flexibility and freedom with your money.

Gemma shares simple actions and insights to help you future-proof your finances and create a life that feels secure, balanced, and on your terms.

Resources for this episode

Buy Gemma’s book “The Money Reset”

Ask a question (select the Finance podcast)

Show partner resources

Join Pearler using code “RASK” for $15 of Pearler Credit

Get 50% off your first two months using PocketSmith

View Betashares range of funds

Chapters (approximate)

(00:00) Introduction

(02:52) Doubling Down on Debt

(05:50) Planning Your Property Path

(07:47) Maximising Your Superannuation

(10:15) Planning for the Unexpected

(12:38) Protecting Your Financial Future

(14:26) Financial Flexibility

(16:43) Summary

Rask resources

All services

Financial Planning

Invest with us

Access Show Notes

Ask a question

We love feedback!

Follow us on social media:

Instagram: @rask.invest

TikTok: @rask.invest

DISCLAIMER: This podcast contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG): https://www.rask.com.au/fsg

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Australian Finance Podcast, Owen Rask sits down with Wenee Yap and Thomas Derricott, co-authors of the new book “Riding the Unicorn: The Startup Guide You'll Want to Read” In a deeply insightful and inspiring conversation, they explore:

– What makes a company a “unicorn”

– Why Australia punches above its weight in the global startup scene

– The biggest myths about startups and side hustles

– The six-stage founder framework

– What startup success (and failure) really looks like

Whether you dream of launching a business, joining the startup ecosystem, or backing the next Aussie success story, this conversation is a must-listen.

If you enjoy this episode, don’t forget to subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts!

🔗 Apple: Australian Finance Podcast on Apple

🔗 Spotify: Australian Finance Podcast on Spotify

🔗 YouTube: Australian Finance Podcast on YouTube

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok for daily insights:

📲 Instagram: @rask.invest

📲 TikTok: @rask.invest

Topics Covered

– What is a Unicorn Startup?

– Why Australia is one of the most capital-efficient ecosystems

– How Australia compares to Silicon Valley

– The six-stage startup founder framework

– The differences between a startup, small business, and side hustle

– Lessons from launching a cat café (yes, really)

– The “Sulopolis Score” and problem-solving in startups

– Why storytelling matters for business growth

– Mistakes to avoid from failed startups (MilkRun, etc.)

– How successful founders think differently the second time around

– Common traits of Australia’s top founders

– The truth about market research and pivots

– How to get started in the startup ecosystem—without quitting your job

Resources for this episode

Amazon link: https://amzn.to/4q52j56

We are on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok:

Buy Gemma’s book “The Money Reset”

Ask a question (select the Finance podcast)

Show partner resources

Join Pearler using code “RASK” for $15 of Pearler Credit

Get 50% off your first two months using PocketSmith

View Betashares range of funds

Rask resources

All services

Financial Planning

Invest with us

Access Show Notes

Ask a question

We love feedback!

Follow us on social media:

DISCLAIMER: This podcast contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG): https://www.rask.com.au/fsg

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices