There's been plenty happening in markets recently, and even with 2 episodes a week we haven't had a chance to discuss it all. So in this episode we catch up on a few topics we've had our eye on. This includes changes in our personal investing journeys, new products for investors we're trying and big changes in the world of finance. In this episode we discuss: • The recent performance of the price of gold • The difference between paper gold and physical gold • Why gold is a counter-cyclical asset, and why that is important • CommBank's new micro-investing app Pocket (https://www.commsec.com.au/pocket) • Bitcoin's revival • A few thoughts on Finance Twitter • A brokerage platform Bryce is trialling with an interesting new feature • Rural Funds Group's (ASX: RFF) busy week on the back of a report from an American short seller(As well as a brief commiseration about our footy teams) How to Get Involved in Equity Mates: • Equity Mates Website • Ask Us Anything Page • Thought Starters • Equity Mates Facebook Page • Facebook Discussion Group • Instagram • Equity Mates Twitter • Email ([email protected])

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Unless you've been in a submarine, blocked off from worldly communication, it would be pretty fair to assume you've heard a lot about central banks and interest rates in the media. Particularly over the past couple of years. We're going through a period that is arguably quite unprecedented, and the role of the central bank is coming into question - do they have the influence they once had? In this episode, we break down central banks and interest rates, to help you piece the economy together. We answer the following questions: • What are central banks? • Why are we talking about them now? • What are the goals of a central bank? • What is their role in the economy? • How do they achieve their goals? • What are interest rates? What is QE (quantitative easing)? • Which country has the lowest interest rate and which has the highest? Knowing the role of central banks and interest rates will go a long way to helping you form a solid base understanding of the economy. How to Get Involved in Equity Mates: • Equity Mates Website • Ask Us Anything Page • Thought Starters • Equity Mates Facebook Page • Facebook Discussion Group • Instagram • Equity Mates Twitter • Email ([email protected])

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The first thing you need to understand about ethical investing - it's a myth that you're sacrificing returns for morality. In fact, over the last 12 months (so including 2018's horrific end of the year) the ASX200 is up 8% and the S&P500 is up 3%. In comparison, Betashare's Global Ethical ETF (ASX: ETHI) is up 12% and their Australian Ethical ETF (ASX: FAIR) is up 15%. So it seems that good morals make for good returns. To unpack the world of ethical investing, we sat down with one of the pioneers of this form of investing in Australia - Adam Verwey. Adam co-founded Future Super, the ethical super fund, in 2014 and has helped in grow into a large fund with $900m in assets under management. In this episode we unpack Adam's journey and the growth of future super, and discuss some of the key considerations that go into ethical investing. If you've ever wondered if sugar is ethical, or been unsure about the ethics of big tech - then this episode should help answer this dilemmas. How to Get Involved in Equity Mates: • Equity Mates Website • Ask Us Anything Page • Thought Starters • Equity Mates Facebook Page • Facebook Discussion Group • Instagram • Equity Mates Twitter • Email ([email protected])

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Our long awaited and often requested lithium episode is finally here. Lithium is a key component to batteries for electric cars and renewable energy generation - making it a critical component of the current transformation of our energy grid. This has put lithium miners front and centre of people's minds and lead to a stock market boom in many lithium stocks. In this episode we break down the lithium mining industry, the key players and the key trends you need to pay attention to if you're investing in the industry. If you want a full list of lithium stocks trading on the Australian stock market (as Ren started to read out), check out this list here: https://smallcaps.com.au/lithium-stocks-asx-ultimate-guide/ How to Get Involved in Equity Mates: • Equity Mates Website • Ask Us Anything Page • Thought Starters • Equity Mates Facebook Page • Facebook Discussion Group • Instagram • Equity Mates Twitter • Email ([email protected])

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Last episode of the month means it time for our Ask Us Anything episode. We've been collecting your questions from social media, our website and email and we answer the best questions here. In this episode we answer questions on: • China's new stock market - STAR Market • Raiz's increased management fee • Employee stock options • Investing in Asian stocks, particularly TenCent • Understanding economics • Best brokerage platforms • Investing in alternative asset classes • Margin loans & NAB's Equity Builder • Risks with ETF providers Apologies if we couldn't get to your question this episode. We'll do our best to get back to you personally. If you want to ask us a question - hit us up on any of our channels. How to Get Involved in Equity Mates: • Equity Mates Website • Ask Us Anything Page • Thought Starters • Equity Mates Facebook Page • Facebook Discussion Group • Instagram • Equity Mates Twitter • Email ([email protected])

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Is there value in a financial advisor? We got Jodie Hampshire on to help us find out. Jodie is Managing Director of Russell Investments, Australia - a global asset manager with $400m under management across the world. She is also a member of the firm's Australia Leadership Team and the Russell Global Council. Russell Investments has just released a new Managed Account offering, so we spend some time discussing how they differ from your traditional managed account. However, the main reason for getting Jodie on, was to discuss their Value Of An Advisor Report. The report looks holistically at the real value advisers deliver for their clients-from the knowledge and expertise required to help clients build personalised portfolios, to the support they provide when market conditions change. Advisors aren't for everyone, but sometimes it's hard to know just what value an advisor can actually give you. It's here that we try to find out. In this episode you will learn: • Who Russell Investments are, and; • Their investing philosophy • About their new Managed Account Offering - how it's different, and what they offer • How the report defines advice, and; • The distinction between the advisors in the report and investment-only advice • About the ABC's of advisor value • How retail investors access advisors • If there a minimum asset requirement before it is worth it • The key things retail investors should be looking at when choosing a financial advisor • What the future of financial advice may look like in a more technology-driven world and the role Robo-Advice may play How to Get Involved in Equity Mates: • Equity Mates Website • Ask Us Anything Page • Thought Starters • Equity Mates Facebook Page • Facebook Discussion Group • Instagram • Equity Mates Twitter • Email ([email protected])

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Ever wondered what the day in the life of a portfolio manager looks like? Well in this episode you will find out! We were lucky to grab some time with Peter Wilmshurst, Portfolio Manager at Templeton Global Growth Fund (ASX: TGG). Templeton Global Growth Fund is a Listed Investment Company (LIC), listing in Australia in 1987, however, they have a global approach, investing in some of the world's better-known brands. Peter has a strong focus on finding value in his investments. In other words, finding companies that are cheap. With markets currently at all-time highs, Peter gave some fascinating insight into how a value investor approaches market cycles, spreading their investments across different industries at different points in the cycle. Peter is incredibly experienced, and in this episode, you will learn: • The story of Peter's first investment, and his journey to portfolio manager at Templeton • What Peter's investing philosophy is, and how it may have changed over the years • How Peter is currently approaching value-investing • What a LIC is, and the advantages & disadvantages of them compared to unlisted funds • How Peter finds stocks and manages drinking from the firehose of information • Some of the key metrics used to value a company • About the importance of reading How to Get Involved in Equity Mates: • Equity Mates Website • Ask Us Anything Page • Thought Starters • Equity Mates Facebook Page • Facebook Discussion Group • Instagram • Equity Mates Twitter • Email ([email protected])

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Mastermind is fast becoming our favourite episode of the month. The feedback from Mastermind #1 has been incredible which is why we're so excited to continue with the format and bring you Mastermind #2. How does it work? Each month, Ren (Alec) & Bryce will come together with Julia Lee, to each pitch a stock we think is either interesting, be it due to its business model, its opportunity for growth or perhaps its management, or that we think presents a good investment opportunity. Please note, in no way is this a buy, hold, or sell recommendation, and doing your own research on any stocks discussed is critical, this is general information and discussion only. The idea of these sessions is to expose you to the different ways in which we think about companies, and go about researching them, and to obviously learn from Julia, who has a ton of experience. We're hoping to get Julia's thoughts on our approaches. Stocks discussed: • Ooh!Media (ASX.OML) • Eclipx Group Limited (ASX.ECX) • Brambles (ASX.BXB) How to Get Involved in Equity Mates: • Equity Mates Website • Ask Us Anything Page • Thought Starters • Equity Mates Facebook Page • Facebook Discussion Group • Instagram • Equity Mates Twitter • Email ([email protected])

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We all dream of retiring early, don't we? One of our broader goals for investing, at Equity Mates, is to use stocks as a way of removing the need to rely on a pay cheque later in life. However, developing a substantial investment portfolio, that generates enough income for you to retire, can appear quite daunting, and maybe unachievable. Particularly if you have a mortgage, dependencies, or an inconsistent income stream. The good news is, however, there are steps and some simple investing principles you can follow to get yourself on track to building that investment portfolio. This episode we chat with Chris Reining who has done exactly what we aspire to do - he saved, invested and then retired by the age of 37. Yes, 37! Chris now spends time doing what he loves, and not working in the corporate world. In this episode you will learn: • What Chris studied at university • How Chris used his entrepreneurial flair and started a few businesses • About the pivotal moment in which Chris decided to say farewell to corporate life and start building towards financial independence • About Chris' saving strategy, and how he went from saving 10% of income to over 50% of his income • What the investing strategy was - what Chris invested in, how often he was investing, what his investing principles were • What some of the most important characteristics are that you need if you're to embark on this journey • How you should think about superannuation as a millennial How to Get Involved in Equity Mates: • Equity Mates Website • Ask Us Anything Page • Thought Starters • Equity Mates Facebook Page • Facebook Discussion Group • Instagram • Equity Mates Twitter • Email ([email protected])

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One of the most common questions we get asked is "what metrics should I be looking at?" Our unhelpful answer back is often "it depends..." Different investing styles lend themselves to different investing metrics. So in this episode we focus on three major styles of investing - Value, Growth and Momentum - and talk about some key metrics for each style. Keep in mind these lists are not exhaustive and distinctions are not clear. These metrics can be useful for all types of investors to try and build a complete picture of a company's situation, market price and future prospects. In this episode you will learn: • Value investing - Price to Earnings & Price to Book • Growth investing - Earnings Growth, Revenue Growth & Return on Equity • Momentum investing - Rate of Change, Moving Average amongst others How to Get Involved in Equity Mates: • Equity Mates Website • Ask Us Anything Page • Thought Starters • Equity Mates Facebook Page • Facebook Discussion Group • Instagram • Equity Mates Twitter • Email ([email protected])

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