In this episode we take a deep dive into investment bonds, also known as insurance bonds.  These are investments which are structured to be tax effective and come with special rules.  We break down the ins and outs and share a few examples to see when investment bonds might be a good idea.

Discussion points...

• What exactly are investment bonds?  (03:46)
• Unpacking the tax benefits of investment bonds  (06:01)
• Investment rules and losing the CGT discount (13:58)
• Example using a high growth fund  (20:08)
• Example using a high income fund  (23:41)
• When do investment bonds make sense?  (30:28)
• Investing for children  (36:36)
• Asset protection, estate planning and government benefits  (37:40)
• Follow-up from the investment bond providers  (45:33)
• Final thoughts  (51:19)

Resources and stuff mentioned...

• How we track our investments:  Sharesight
• Pat's Article on Investment Bonds
• Podcast:  Key Investment Principles for Long Term Success

More from us...

• Pat's blog:  Life Long Shuffle
• Dave's blog:  Strong Money Australia
• Contact us with questions and feedback:  [email protected] 

In this episode of FIRE & Chill, we explore the topic of ethical investing. 

We cover everything from what it is, how it works, the pros and cons and how you should decide whether it's right for you.  We'll cut through the noise and share the important things to consider before diving in to ethical investing.

Discussion points...

• Intro and a big change to a popular index fund  (01:54)
• What is ethical investing?  (05:54)
• Benefits of ethical investing  (08:12)
• Downsides of ethical investing  (09:41)
• Where do we draw the line on what's ethical?  (20:56)
• What impact does our investing have?  (26:15)
• Is the world becoming more ethical?  (33:56)
• Being ethical and making an impact  (38:17)
• Takeaways and final thoughts  (42:08)

Resources...

• Our favourite portfolio tool:  Sharesight
• Podcast:  Why Invest in Index Funds?
• Article:  Being Green While Building Wealth

More from us...

• Pat's blog:  Life Long Shuffle
• Dave's blog:  Strong Money Australia
• Contact us with questions and feedback:  [email protected]

A special episode today, as we discuss Pat's recent move to buy a house.  I grill Pat for all the details and we chat about how this affects Pat's financial independence plans.

Discussion points...

• A quick run-down of what's happening  (01:55)
• Why Pat decided to buy, and what he was looking for in a property  (05:17)
• Price bracket and first homebuyer benefits  (07:25)
• Current and future plans  (09:03)
• How does this affect Pat's financial independence plans?  (10:24)
• Interest rates and online lenders  (15:12)
• A more in-depth look at fixed vs variable rates  (19:33)
• What gets Pat excited about owning a house  (26:04)
• Storing cash in an offset account  (30:27)
• Pat's thoughts and reflections on the home buying experience  (32:36)

Resources...

• Our favourite portfolio tool:  Sharesight
• Pat's online lender:  Tic Toc Home Loans
• Article:  How Do House Prices Affect Financial Independence?

More from us...

• Contact us with questions and feedback:  [email protected]
• Dave's blog:  Strong Money Australia
• Pat's blog:  Life Long Shuffle

Today we're going to share how to nail down the big categories of spending, to ramp up your savings rate and reach FI much faster!  These are ideas we've implemented in our own lives so we wanted to pass them on to our listeners :)

Discussion points...

• Housing costs (02:32)
• Super-cheap interest rates  (10:51)
• Cars and transport  (17:21)
• Food and cooking  (24:47)
• Cafes and restaurants  (34:46)
• Holidays and travel  (38:19)

Resources and stuff mentioned...

• Our favourite portfolio tool: Sharesight
• The Cost of Commuting for Aussies
• How to Deal with the Cost of Housing

More from us...

• Contact us with questions and feedback:  [email protected]
• Dave's blog:  Strong Money Australia
• Pat's blog:  Life Long Shuffle
• YouTube:  FIRE & Chill

You know our thoughts on the main asset classes - shares and property.   So, on this week's show we discuss the following investment options...

Bitcoin and crypto.  Gold and commodities.  Fractional property investing.  Peer-to-peer lending.  Real estate investment trusts and infrastructure.  And mortgage funds. 


Discussion points...

• Investing in bonds  (02:06)
• Gold and commodities  (08:58)
• Bitcoin and crypto  (15:04)
• Peer-to-peer lending  (20:08)
• Mortgage funds  (24:52)
• Fractional property investing  (28:13)
• REITs and infrastructure  (34:19)
• Summing up our views  (38:54)

Resources and stuff mentioned...

• Our favourite portfolio tool: Sharesight
• Vanguard interactive chart
• Long term trends - Gold vs Stocks
• Related article:  Peer-to-peer Lending - Become Your Own Bank
• Related article:  Aussie Guide to Real Estate Investment Trusts
• Related podcast:  Property vs Shares
• Related podcast:  Asset Allocation for Aussies pursuing FI

More from us...

• Contact us with questions and feedback:  [email protected]
• Dave's blog:  Strong Money Australia
• Pat's blog:  Life Long Shuffle
• YouTube:  FIRE & Chill