Finance Hour on J-Air

Episode 41 - Managing career transitions with Kerina Alter

Kerina Alter is the founder and Director of Altered Career, a coaching practice dedicated to providing professionals of all ages with the tools, resources, and clarity they need to transition their careers successfully. As an expert career and leadership coach and change consultant, Kerina has helped over 2,000 clients realise their career potential, develop their leadership skills, and create a succession plan for retirement.

Kerina joins me today to share her experience with pivoting her career and how it led to her helping others through career transitions. She explains the definition of career success, why it is often more than power or the amount of money you make, and how your version of success should be unique to your personal goals and values. She also explains the importance of up upskilling throughout your career to ensure you stay relevant in today’s ever-changing work environment.

Don’t miss this week’s segment of Reuben’s Rant where I share my thoughts on the newly introduced My Health Record and why I believe it’s a helpful resource for our society.

And stay tuned to the end of the episode for my Propellerhead of the Week segment to learn how the Voxer app helps me communicate with my staff.

“Success and impact are not just about your career or the job that you are paid to do.” - Kerina Alter

This week on The Finance Hour Podcast:

• What career coaching is and how it can help you achieve your career
• The mental and emotional impact of feeling stuck and unmotivated in your career.
• The importance of up improving your skills as you advance your career.
• The four models of career success and why the definition of career success is unique to each individual.
• Factors to consider when making a career transition.
• Overcoming challenges and obstacles regarding career gaps, re-entering the workforce, and identifying the new soft skills you’ve developed.
• How leadership and people management training can help executive leaders better understand their employees needs following a career gap.
• Why technology and today’s remote-work environment has blurred the lines between work and leisure.
• How the gig economy and remote work has impacted the global workforce regarding job security.
• How Kerina helps older individuals transition from a full-time career to retirement.

Kerina Alter’s Top 3 Tips for Managing a Career Transition:

1. Have career resilience - the ability to be open and ready for a change.
2. Stay skilled. Up level your skills.
3. Stay networked.

Resources Mentioned:

• When book by Daniel Pink
• The Five Hour Workweek book by Tim Ferriss

Connect with Kerina Alter:

• Altered Career

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Episode 40 -  The only way is up

Tim Farrelly is the founder and Principal of Farrelly’s Investment Strategy, an independent investment advisory firm based in Sydney, Australia. Since 2003, his company has helped countless investors create dynamic investment portfolios through their subscription and consultation services.

Tim joins me today to discuss why the only way is up regarding interest rates and the potential impact it can have on borrowers and investors. He explains why banks are raising interest rates on interest-only loans, how the “wage-price spiral” impacts the economy, and how borrowers and investors can prepare for interest rate hikes. He also shares how the population’s overall debt impacts the economy’s vulnerability and the impact that very low interest rates can have on investment markets.

Don’t miss this week’s segment of Reuben’s Rants where I share my thoughts on the recent news of two of Australia’s largest banks, Commonwealth Bank and Westpac Bank, cutting 0.3 percent of interest rates on their online saver accounts, dropping rates down to a whopping 0.5 percent.

And stay tuned to the end of the episode for my Propellerhead of the Week segment to learn strategies to maximize your deductions on your tax returns.

“Interest rates will probably go up, but not very much. We may even see one more rate cut before they go back up.” - Tim Farrelly

This week on The Finance Hour Podcast

• Why Tim believes interest rates will eventually go up - but not very much.
• Why the cost of banks funding themselves have gone up and how it is impacting interest rates.
• Why banks are raising interest rates on interest-only loans.
• What are prudential requirements?
• What the “wage-price spiral” is and how it impacts the economy, inflation, and interest rates.
• How to prepare for the increase in interest rates.
• The pros and cons of offset accounts.
• How the level of debt people have impacts the economy’s overall vulnerability.
• The impact of very low interest rates on various investment markets.

Tim Farrelly’s Top Tips for Preparing for Interest Rate Hikes:

1. For borrowers: Prepare yourself for an increase in interest rates of up to 2 percent.
2. For investors: In the secure part of your portfolio, work out how much you need now and how much can be put away for a little bit. Look for the best opportunities that are completely secure and will give you a much better return.

Resources Mentioned:

• Reserve Bank of Australia - 2018 Interest Rate Decisions

Connect with Tim Farrelly:

• Tim Farrelly on LinkedIn

Subscribe to The Finance Hour Podcast with Reuben Zelwer!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Finance Hour Podcast with your host, Reuben Zelwer! If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to iTunes to leave us a rate and review. Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with your friends and colleagues. To learn more about Adapt Wealth Management and to connect with Reuben, visit our website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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Jonathan Bell is a musculoskeletal physiotherapist with over 20 years of experience. He is the Director and Partner at Narre Warren Physiotherapy Sports and Injury Group, a  physiotherapy clinic focused on providing evidence-based rehabilitation and treatment programs for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions such as migraines, arthritis, chronic pain, and sport-related injuries. Since 2006, he has received several awards including the prestigious Work safe Health Practitioner of The Year award and has become highly regarded in the management of Workcover and TAC patients.

Jonathan joins me today to discuss how to keep moving and stay active in a sedentary workplace. He explains the relationship between sitting too long and early mortality, the importance of taking frequent breaks throughout your work day, and how technology has impacted the increase in work-related musculoskeletal injuries. He also shares what it’s like to run a physiotherapy clinic, how mentoring and training new practitioners has evolved over the years, and the biggest challenges many physiotherapy practices face regarding hiring and maintaining new practitioners.

Don’t miss this week’s segment of Reuben’s Rants where I share my thoughts on the Australian Optus’ issues with streaming the World Cup and why I believe the Optus needs to get their act together.

And stay tuned to the end of the episode for my Propellerhead of the Week segment to learn more about my favorite transcription and dictation service, Rev.com, and how I use it in my business to transcribe my recorded client meetings.

“Moving from healing to moving well to being stronger is really your best journey in order to be able to perform.” - Jonathan Bell 

This week on The Finance Hour Podcast:

• The key to optimising your physical performance.
• How work-related injuries vary from industry to industry.
• The benefits of standing desks, taking breaks and changing positions during your work hours.
• How technology has impacted the increase in musculoskeletal conditions.
• Using ergonomic keyboards, mouse pads, and trackpads to reduce the risk of muscle fatigue and work-related injuries.
• The reality of how age impacts the likelihood of increased musculoskeletal injuries.
• Behind-the-scenes of his physiotherapy group clinic.
• How mentoring and training new physiotherapists has evolved over the years.
• How the group uses technology and software to collaborate and improve productivity.
• The biggest challenges regarding running a physiotherapy practice.

Resources Mentioned:

• eNoteFile
• Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams book by Matthew Walker

Jonathan Bell’s Top 3 Tips for Maintaining Your Physical Health:

1. Avoid sitting for too long. Every 90-minutes, take a break to move around.
2. Good habits are much better than good will-power. Find an exercise you enjoy. Make time. Make it non-negotiable, even if it’s only once per week.
3. Try to get 8 hours of sleep as often as you can.

Connect with Jonathan Bell:

• Narre Warren Physiotherapy Sports and Injury Group
• Jonathan Bell on LinkedIn

Subscribe to The Finance Hour Podcast with Reuben Zelwer!

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Leah Miller is the owner and Director of Waxed; a personal grooming company focused on helping clients look and feel their best through full-body hair removal, tanning treatments, and lash application services. She has five salon locations across Australia including Windsor, Balaclava, Malvern, Elsternwick, and Bentleigh. Her career initially began in the communications and public relations industry when she decided to pivot her career and begin her journey as an entrepreneur in the beauty and personal care industry.

Leah joins me today to share her journey into entrepreneurship. She shares how she successfully built her personal grooming business and how she developed a system that enabled her to expand her service area into multiple market locations. She shares some of the biggest challenges she has faced as an entrepreneur in a highly competitive industry and her strategy for hiring and retaining excellent employees. She also shares how she balances managing and scaling a multiple-location company while raising a family.

And of course, don’t miss this week’s segment of Reuben’s Rants where I share my thoughts on ASIC canceling the Australian Financial Services Licensing of Dover and what it means for the Dover Financial Advisors and their clients.

And stay tuned to the end of the episode for my Propellerhead of the Week segment to learn about my favorite app, Receipt Bank, and how it helps entrepreneurs and small business owners keep track, manage, and organize their expense receipts.

“Work-life balance is what you make of it. You’ve got to make your business work how you want it. You’ve got to work hard, but you have to realize that you have a life.” - Leah Miller

This week on The Finance Hour Podcast:

• Leah’s career journey and what inspired her to build a personal grooming company.
• How she determined the location of her first tanning studio.
• How she developed the policies, procedures, systems, and processes that enabled her to open multiple salon locations.
• Why she developed a training program for her employees and the types of training she offers.
• The marketing strategies she uses to promote her business and how they have evolved.
• Challenges associated with ending a long-term business partnership.
• How she manages her time while running her business and raising a family.

Leah Miller’s Top 3 Tips for Starting & Scaling a Business:

1. Start a business with a business partner that shares your vision and compliments your skills. Have a transparent agreement with your business partner to avoid misunderstandings and miscommunication issues.
2. Ensure you are completely comfortable with the way your business is running before you scale up.
3. Ensure you are confident - even if you have to “fake it ‘til you make it.”

Connect with Leah Miller:

• Waxed
• Lovers of the Lash

Subscribe to The Finance Hour Podcast with Reuben Zelwer!Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Finance Hour Podcast with your host, Reuben Zelwer! If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to iTunes to leave us a rate and review. Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with your friends and colleagues. To learn more about Adapt Wealth Management and to connect with Reuben, visit our website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yehuda Gottlieb is the General Manager of Investments at Spotlight Group Holdings, LTD., a privately-held commercial holdings company based in South Melbourne, Australia with operations across the country as well as in New Zealand and Asia. He has over a decade of experience in advising and consulting middle-market and publicly listed companies with corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and raising capital. His responsibility at the Spotlight Group includes managing the company’s Family Office, specifically focusing on investment management, private equity, corporate advisory, and corporate strategy.

Yehuda joins me today to discuss what family offices are and the various roles that make up a family office. He explains how Family Offices differ from traditional corporate company offices, why ultra-high net worth investors choose to open a family office, and the mindset differences between an average investor and an ultra-high net worth investor. He also explains how the Spotlight Group Holdings Family Office works with other investors on various deals and how they manage risks when investing in property developments.

Don’t miss this week’s segment of Reuben’s Rants where I share my thoughts on the latest headlines regarding the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission recently prosecuting six of the nation’s most senior bankers.

“Always have an understanding of what you want to get out of the deal and what you are trying to do and achieve.” - Yehuda Gottlieb

This week on The Finance Hour Podcast:

• What is a Family Office?
• How the Spotlight Group’s Family Office is different from their company’s office.
• How Family Offices are helping other successful family investors through services and consulting.
• The difference between single-family offices and multi-family offices.
• How the Spotlight Family Office is working with other investors.
• How investors can mitigate risks when investing and trading stocks.
• The challenge of securing loans through banks due to the increased pressure on Royal Commission with banks.
• How the Spotlight Family Office began.
• Lessons investors can learn from ultra-high net worth families.
• How Spotlight Family Office structures the decision-making process of negotiating and investing in deals.
• How Family Offices help ultra-high net worth investors preserve their wealth for future generations.
• The pros and cons of diversifying versus concentrating on a niche market.
• Separating Charitable Trusts from Family Offices.
• How the Spotlight Family Offices handles short-term lending deals.
• Managing risks while funding property developments.

Yehuda Gottlieb’s Top 3 Tips for Evaluating Investment Decisions:

1. Consider your alignment of interests.
2. Be clear on your goals and objectives.
3. Ensure the risk-reward is appropriate.

Connect with Yehuda Gottlieb:

• Spotlight Group Holdings, LTD
• Valara Capital
• Yahuda Gottlieb on LinkedIn

Subscribe to The Finance Hour Podcast with Reuben Zelwer!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Finance Hour Podcast with your host, Reuben Zelwer! If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to iTunes to leave us a rate and review. Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with your friends and colleagues. To learn more about Adapt Wealth Management and to connect with Reuben, visit our website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 36 – Art, philanthropy and start-ups with Nathan Cher

Art, Philanthropy and start-ups are three of Nathan Cher’s passions and have played a major role in his personal and business journey. According to Nathan the common theme in all three endeavours are: backing individuals, investing money and taking risk, and providing guidance to help the business, artist or charity reach its goals.

Nathan has had a fascinating business career from co-founding a tech company in his early 20s and growing it to staff of more than 1400, to investing in multiple start-up companies and helping to bring to Australia a crowdfunding platform to provide every day investors with the same opportunity. Nathan believes strongly in providing ongoing guidance and governance to the businesses he is involved in ; and his views on the role of directors, are relevant to all businesses, regardless of size.

 So whether you are interested in art, philanthropy and start-ups, or are looking for a new perspective on business and investing, you are sure to enjoy listening to this week’s show.

“If you are a young entrepreneur make sure the problem your enterprise is solving is a real and big problem”. – Nathan Cher

“You need to prepare to work really hard. A young business can be like a highly dependent child”.  - Nathan Cher

“Be realistic about your research and  forecasts and be pragmatic and conservative.  There is nothing worse than feeling of being half undressed when someone interrogates your numbers until they confess something that you should have known better ” – Nathan Cher

Today on the Finance Hour Podcast:

• Nathan’s first computing experience as a teenager with a clone of an Apple2E.
• The four movies which influenced the direction of Nathan’s career (hint: Ferris Bueller’s day off is one of them!)
• How Nathan co-founded Com Tech (later to become Dimension data) in his early 20s during the 1980s and grew the business to a staff of more than 1400 people before selling the company. The culture of the business remains intact to this day. 
• Nathan’s investment in ‘Moula Money’ which is taking on the big banks by leveraging technology to provide loans quickly and efficiently to small businesses.
• How Tonic Health Media uses the dead time in the waiting rooms of Doctors and Dentists to provide targeted advertising.
• Nathan’s 3 tips for people embarking on a business start-up.

And be sure to listen to my “Propellerhead of the week” where I talk about a fantastic way to plan your tax-deductible giving using a Public Ancillary Fund

Mentioned Resources:

• Nathan’s LinkedIn profile
• Moula Money
• OurCrowd
• Tonic Health Media

Thanks for tuning in!

Thanks for joining us on today’s episode of the The Finance Hour podcast! If you enjoyed today’s episode, please head over to iTunes and leave us a rate and review to help us reach even more listeners. Don’t forget to check out our website, visit us on Facebook, or hang out with us on Twitter to stay up-to-date on what’s in store for you!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Finance Hour podcast, my good friend and Director of Orange Wealth, Michael Chew, joins me to discuss the 2018 federal budget forecast. We share our thoughts on the winning and losing changes taking place this year and discuss our overall impressions of the Federal budget.

We discuss how wage growth impacts the economy and our thoughts on the budget reply. We also discuss why we believe tax rates are not a deciding factor regarding a person’s desire to work, the pros and cons of franking credits, and policy changes regarding super funds, business taxes, and social security.

Don’t miss this week’s segment of Reuben’s Rant where I share my thoughts on the budget’s forecast for the Australian economy and why I believe we need to see more accountability from government organizations on how their financials have impacted the budget.

And stay tuned to the end of the episode for my Propellerhead of the Week segment to learn an alternative method of claiming tax deductions on your super contributions.

This week on The Finance Hour Podcast:

• Why the government predicts an increase in income over the next five
• Tax cuts proposed by the Australian government.
• Predictions regarding abolishing the 37% tax rate in 2024.
• Changes regarding super funds, insurance, and approved number of super fund members.
• The pros and cons of franking credits.
• Business taxes: the benefits of instant asset write-offs for small and large businesses.
• The new changes regarding business tax penalties.
• The changes to the limitations regarding social security, pension work bonuses, and pension loan schemes.
• The changes to the government policies regarding childcare.

Resources Mentioned:

• Budget 2018-19

Key Takeaways:

• The economy is doing better which is generating more income for the government.
• There is a bit of money to be spent. This budget doesn’t represent all of that.
• We need a balance across low-income earners, middle-income earners, and high-income earners, but we need it also to drive the economy - which benefits everybody.
• The government is trying to increase the ability of older Australians to put money into superannuation.

Subscribe to The Finance Hour Podcast with Reuben Zelwer!

 Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Finance Hour Podcast with your host, Reuben Zelwer! If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to iTunes to leave us a rate and review. Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with your friends and colleagues. To learn more about Adapt Wealth Management and to connect with Reuben, visit our website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever helped a love one move into an aged care facility? In the end, we are all going to face this situation and you will need to deal with the complex emotional and financial issues associated with this difficult transition.

In this week’s episode I'm joined by by Sara Bell and Noel Carter of Next Direction, a firm that assist families in choosing aged care facilities and make informed decisions about the management of finances. They not only provide valuable advice, but are involved in making it all happen, whether it is financial negotiations with the aged care facilities, completing Centrelink forms or modelling cashflow requirements.

 “It is important to have powers of attorney in place before you need them, to avoid the difficulty of going to VCAT.” – Sara Bell

We encourage people to be prepared, take advice in advance, well before they need to go into the aged care facility” – Noel Carter

“The importance of talking to your family about what you want for yourself. So when the time comes, they know what your preferences are” – Sara Bell

Today on the Finance Hour Podcast:

• We explain the Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD) and different options for how it can be funded.
• The three types of ongoing fees associated with aged care accommodation.
• The important factors to be considered in deciding whether to keep or sell the family home.
• The complex Centrelink forms which need to be completed for all aged care residents (not only those receiving the Age Pension).
• Sara and Noel’s 3 top tips for planning a moved into aged care accommodation.

In my rant of the week, I talk about an astounding phone call I had with TPG as I arranged internet services in my new offices.

And don’t forget to listen all the way to the end for my “Propellerhead of the week” where I talk about superannuation contribution benefits for low income earners which are important to take advantage of well before June 30.

• To contact Sara Bell from Next Direction call 0439 952 311

Thanks for tuning in!

Thanks for joining us on today’s episode of the The Finance Hour podcast! If you enjoyed today’s episode, please head over to iTunes and leave us a rate and review to help us reach even more listeners. Don’t forget to check out our website, visit us on Facebook, or hang out with us on Twitter to stay up-to-date on what’s in store for you!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever wondered if it is worth installing solar panels on your roof? Then this week’s show is compulsory listening.

My guest this week is a Matt Russell of GStore –  a superstore in Malvern East which has a wide range of products including solar power panels, water tanks and  hot water systems designed to make greener, more energy efficient homes. Matt specialises in solar power panels and gives an honest take of the financial and environmental issues associated with this emerging technology .

So if you feel as ill as I do when you see your electricity bills or are looking for ways to reduce your carbon footprint, you are sure to benefit from listening to this week’s show.

“The return on investment is probably around 6 years on a good quality solar system depending on how people use power in the home. – Matt Russell

“There is still a $3,000 government rebate available and solar technology has halved in price” – Matt Russell

 “Energy bills are becoming a larger portion of household expenses, particularly for retirees” – Reuben Zelwer

 Today on the Finance Hour Podcast:

• The motivation for people installing solar panels, environmental, financial or both?
• Why you need to be conscious of when you use your power (day or night) in order to maximise the benefits of solar panels.
• The importance of  due diligence as to where and how your panels are manufactured.
• How you can sell your excess power back to the grid.
• Why you need careful advice of where to position the solar panels on your roof.
• Matt’s 3 tips for managing electricity bills.

And be sure to listen to my “Propellerhead of the week” which is about an underutilised alternative to Foxtel, Netflix and Stan.

Mentioned Resources:

• Gstore
• Dion Epstein Linked In profile
• SBS on Demand

Thanks for tuning in!

Thanks for joining us on today’s episode of the The Finance Hour podcast! If you enjoyed today’s episode, please head over to iTunes and leave us a rate and review to help us reach even more listeners. Don’t forget to check out our website, visit us on Facebook, or hang out with us on Twitter to stay up-to-date on what’s in store for you!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever stayed awake at night worrying about whether or not your investment portfolio will expire before you do? Then this week’s show is compulsory listening.

My guest this week is a Finance Hour favorite – Tim Farrelly, principal of Farrelly’s investment strategy. Tim guides financial planners like me in putting together long term portfolios for clients to ensure a comfortable retirement.

So whether you are retired, thinking about retirement or just want some insight as to how you should invest when interest rates are low and sharemarkets are volatile, you are certain to benefit from listening to this week’s show.

“What is sensible will depend on every individual and their risk tolerance. If they can’t cope with volatility and downturns, they may just need to get used to spending less – Tim Farrelly

 “When I think about my retirement, I  want to be at least 95% confident that my money is not going to run out” – Tim Farrelly

 “Annuities allow you to get a guaranteed income stream over time, which may be useful for securing at least your basic income requirements ” – Reuben Zelwer

 Today on the Finance Hour Podcast:

• In “Reuben’s Rant”, I give my take on Facebook data breach.
• What the standard expenditure benchmarks are for a modest and comfortable retirement.
• Tim tells us why it is important to have a high confidence level (up to 95%)of meeting your retirement income needs.
• How a ‘spending policy’ can be useful in reviewing your spending options in retirement.
• The relationship between market valuations, risk tolerance and starting point in charting your retirement course.
• The role of the Age Pension and annuities in providing a secure baseline for retirement income.
• The perverse incentives of the Age Pension asset test.

And be sure to listen to my “Propellerhead of the week” which is about the importance of the free financial counselling service to assist people who get into financial difficulty.

Mentioned Resources:

• Farrellys
• ASFA retirement standard
• Challenger Annuities

Thanks for tuning in!

Thanks for joining us on today’s episode of the The Finance Hour podcast! If you enjoyed today’s episode, please head over to iTunes and leave us a rate and review to help us reach even more listeners. Don’t forget to check out our website, visit us on Facebook, or hang out with us on Twitter to stay up-to-date on what’s in store for you!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.