Get Started Investing

Jess recently got paid real money from her ETFs for the first time.

(a whole 30 bucks, watch out- don’t spend it all at once!)

It made her wonder- could payments from investments eventually replace her salary?

She sat down with Dave Gow from Strong Money to learn everything you need to know about dividends.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Dividends

03:07 Income vs Growth

07:01 How Dividends Work

10:34 ETF Distributions and Reinvesting

13:30 Balancing Income and Growth

16:41 Planning Your Retirement Income

19:08 Dividend Yields and Risks

23:40 Managing Dividend Cuts

28:31 Choosing Dividend Investments

32:39 Dividends vs Savings Accounts

If you'd like to learn more about Dave's journey and teachings - you can find his website here. He's also written a book about how to gain financial independence create a life of freedom which has sold over 40,000 copies! Find that here.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Calculator mentioned by Dave: Portfolio with Dividends Reinvested vs not

📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here

📩 Share your investing story with us submit here

🤳 Follow Jess’ investing journey on instagram at getstartedinvesting_

Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.

———

Thanks to MLC for sponsoring this series and helping keep our content free.

If you’re the type of person who spends weekends comparing ETF’s, keeps an eye on crypto, and never misses an episode of Equity Mates, here’s one investment you may be overlooking – your super.

MLC knows it might not seem as exciting as picking your next investment, but thanks to tax advantages and decades of compound growth, it could end up being one of the hardest working investments you own. See how your super could be working harder with MLC at mlc.com.au

Disclaimer: Products issued by NULIS Nominees (Australia) Ltd as trustee of MLC Super Fund. General information only. Read the PDS & TMD available at mlc.com.au and consider if it’s right for you.

———

In the spirit of reconciliation, Equity Mates Media and the hosts of Get Started Investing acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today.

———

Get Started Investing is a product of Equity Mates Media.

This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice, and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional. The hosts of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares group but maintains editorial independence.

Equity Mates Media operates under Australian Financial Services Licence 540697.

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

Josh spent his early 20s racking up consumer debt. Holidays, nights out and a car he couldn't afford.

With his 30s approaching, he decided it was time to turn himself from a debt collecting spender, to an investor.

Today at 32 years old he is debt free, investing regularly and his portfolio just ticked over six figures. He joined Jess to share the steps he took to get from there to and now.

This is ‘How I Got Started’ a series where Jess sits down with a community member to hear the highs and lows of their journey to investing. These are real stories that we hope will give you confidence that investing is for anyone.

Chapters:

00:00 From Debt to Investing

03:37 Early Money Habits

07:40 Paying Off Debt

10:05 The Financial Wake Up Call

12:06 Learning to Invest

14:05 Building His Portfolio

17:54 Inside His Six Figure Portfolio

22:00 His Investing Strategy

25:00 Lessons and Advice

Links mentioned:

Josh’s book recommendation: I will teach you to be rich by Ramit Sethi

Other Links:

🤳 follow along on Jess’ investing journey on Instagram @getstartedinvesting_.

📩 Share your investing story with us submit here

📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here

Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.

———

Thanks to Ubank for sponsoring this series.

Ubank is a digital bank designed to help you understand your money, with tools that can help you do better day-to-day.

You can download Ubank from the App Store or Play Store and sign up in just a few minutes.

Products issued by Ubank, which is part of NAB. This info is general so consider what’ right for you. For TMDs, visit ubank.com.au

———

Get Started Investing is a product of Equity Mates Media.

This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice, and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional. The hosts of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares group but maintains editorial independence.

Equity Mates Media operates under Australian Financial Services Licence 540697.

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

How do you know when it's time to change your strategy?

At just 21, listener Ben is already asking when he should prepare his portfolio for retirement. He's invested entirely in a geared ETF and wants to know what that means for his future.

It's something Jess hasn't really considered either. She's investing for the long term, but what should that actually look like as life changes? Jess sits down with financial adviser Melissa Balacharige from Shadforth to explore how your investment strategy might evolve through your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and into retirement.

They unpack when to start de-risking, how your portfolio might change as your goals and time frame shift, and whether the 4% rule still works if you're invested in leveraged ETFs.

Plus, why getting too defensive too early could be one of the biggest mistakes you make.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

03:10 The Four Percent Rule

07:14 Investing in Your 20s and 30s

12:24 Diversifying in Your 40s

17:30 Managing Retirement Risk

21:21 Staying Disciplined

26:31 Preparing for Retirement

30:34 Leveraged ETFs and Key Takeaways

Links mentioned in this episode:

Find Shadforth's investing playbook here

❓ Send your investing questions here and Jess will get them answered!

📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here

📩 Share your investing story with us submit here

🤳 Follow Jess’ investing journey on instagram at getstartedinvesting_

Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.

———

Thanks to MLC for sponsoring this series and helping keep our content free.

If you’re the type of person who spends weekends comparing ETF’s, keeps an eye on crypto, and never misses an episode of Equity Mates, here’s one investment you may be overlooking – your super.

MLC knows it might not seem as exciting as picking your next investment, but thanks to tax advantages and decades of compound growth, it could end up being one of the hardest working investments you own. See how your super could be working harder with MLC at mlc.com.au

Disclaimer: Products issued by NULIS Nominees (Australia) Ltd as trustee of MLC Super Fund. General information only. Read the PDS & TMD available at mlc.com.au and consider if it’s right for you.

———

In the spirit of reconciliation, Equity Mates Media and the hosts of Get Started Investing acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today.

———

Get Started Investing is a product of Equity Mates Media.

This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice, and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional.

The hosts of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares group but maintains editorial independence.

Equity Mates Media operates under Australian Financial Services Licence 540697.

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

It’s not everyday Jess meets someone whose first investment was a cow.

But for 42-year-old dairy farmer Justin, that was the case. Bought with the profits of selling manure by the side of the road might we add! 😆

It’s no secret that farming is a tough, often volatile profession. Justin watched his parents financial life revolve solely around their farm. So when he discovered investing, he saw it as a way to build a life less dependent on the weather.

Now, he’s teaching his 14 year old daughter the power of investing too.

This is ‘How I Got Started’ a series where I sit down with a community member to hear the highs and lows of their journey to investing. These are real stories that we hope will give you confidence that investing is for anyone.

Chapters:

00:00:00 Meet Justin

00:03:00 Wealth Beyond Farming

00:07:46 Early Money Lessons

00:11:08 Learning From Dad

00:15:27 His Investing Turning Point

00:19:47 Building His Portfolio

00:23:35 Teaching His Daughter

00:26:23 Freedom Beyond Farming

00:29:00 Investing With Irregular Income

00:31:30 Advice for Beginners

Links Mentioned:

Get Started Investing book - Buy here

How many ETFs episode should you have? here

Other Links:

🤳 follow along on Jess’ investing journey on Instagram @getstartedinvesting_.

📩 Share your investing story with us submit here

📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here

🎟️ FinFest tickets - Buy early bird tickets here

Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.

———

Thanks to Ubank for sponsoring this series.

Ubank is a digital bank designed to help you understand your money, with tools that can help you do better day-to-day.

You can download Ubank from the App Store or Play Store and sign up in just a few minutes.

Products issued by Ubank, which is part of NAB. This info is general so consider what’ right for you. For TMDs, visit ubank.com.au

———

Get Started Investing is a product of Equity Mates Media.

This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice, and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional. The hosts of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares group but maintains editorial independence.

Equity Mates Media operates under Australian Financial Services Licence 540697.

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

Should Jess add an active manager to her passive portfolio?

After logging into her super and noticing that a portion is actively managed- it got her thinking, should she add active management outside of super too?

And she’s not the only one wondering, the equity mates facebook group had a lot to say on the matter!

Actively managed fund are now more accessible than ever- out of the 50 new ETFs listed on the ASX last financial year, 28 of them were active.

But what actually is an active ETF and How does it compare to a passive one?

Jess sat down with financial adviser Amie Baker to find out how active fits into a passive portfolio like Jess’.

Chapters:

00:00:00 Active vs Passive Investing

00:03:24 How Passive ETFs Work

0:05:27 How Active Funds Work

00:09:29 What the Research Says

00:12:54 Diversifying Your Portfolio

00:17:33 Choosing Active Investments

00:21:00 Small Caps and Fund Performance

00:24:06 Building a Balanced Portfolio

Links mentioned in this episode:

Learn more about Amie's take on passive and active investing in an article she has put together here.

Episode with Dave Allen talking about red flag system here

Morningstar Active Passive Barometer here

📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here

📩 Share your investing story with us submit here

🤳 Follow Jess’ investing journey on instagram at getstartedinvesting_

Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.

———

Thanks to MLC for sponsoring this series and helping keep our content free.

If you’re the type of person who spends weekends comparing ETF’s, keeps an eye on crypto, and never misses an episode of Equity Mates, here’s one investment you may be overlooking – your super.

MLC knows it might not seem as exciting as picking your next investment, but thanks to tax advantages and decades of compound growth, it could end up being one of the hardest working investments you own. See how your super could be working harder with MLC at mlc.com.au

Disclaimer: Products issued by NULIS Nominees (Australia) Ltd as trustee of MLC Super Fund. General information only. Read the PDS & TMD available at mlc.com.au and consider if it’s right for you.

———

In the spirit of reconciliation, Equity Mates Media and the hosts of Get Started Investing acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today.

———

Get Started Investing is a product of Equity Mates Media.

This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice, and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional. The hosts of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares group but maintains editorial independence.

Equity Mates Media operates under Australian Financial Services Licence 540697.

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

Larissa thought she knew how to invest. She’d read the books, listened to the podcasts and watched her first investments climb. Then it went downhill.

What followed was a shift to simple ETFs and an unconventional plan to buy property with her partner; give up renting and house-sit their way to a deposit. (spoiler; it worked!)

This year, a break up changed the future she’d been financially building towards.

She joins Jess to share how the financial foundations she built in her 20s gave her the freedom to pivot when life changed.

This is ‘How I Got Started’ a series where I sit down with a community member to hear the highs and lows of their journey to investing. These are real stories that we hope will give you confidence that investing is for anyone.

Chapters:

00:00 Larissas Investing Journey

03:01 Life Money And Early Habits

06:33 Learning How To Invest

09:01 From Risky Picks To ETFs

12:13 Building A Simple Portfolio

16:29 The Unconventional Path To Property

22:12 Rebuilding After A Breakup

26:07 New Goals And Investing Lessons

Links:

🤳 follow along on Jess’ investing journey on Instagram @getstartedinvesting_.

📩 Share your investing story with us submit here

📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here

Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.

———

Thanks to Ubank for sponsoring this series.

Ubank is a digital bank designed to help you understand your money, with tools that can help you do better day-to-day.

You can download Ubank from the App Store or Play Store and sign up in just a few minutes.

Products issued by Ubank, which is part of NAB. This info is general so consider what’s right for you. For TMDs, visit ubank.com.au

———

Get Started Investing is a product of Equity Mates Media.

This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice, and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional. The hosts of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares group but maintains editorial independence.

Equity Mates Media operates under Australian Financial Services Licence 540697.

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

Don't let a lump sum sit in the wrong place. So how should you use it?

Save it, invest it, pay off debt, put it in super, or spend it? Jess asks Financial Adviser Tom Hayes from Shadforth to run the numbers on every option.

By the end of this episode, you'll know the trade-offs of each, and how to choose what fits your goals.

Chapters:

00:00:00 What To Do With A Lump Sum

00:04:16 Where Your Money Came From

00:06:56 Building An Emergency Fund

00:11:53 Paying Down Debt

00:14:00 Superannuation And Tax Benefits

00:18:45 Investing Outside Super

00:24:21 Lump Sum Or Dollar Cost Averaging

00:27:01 Making The Right Choice

Links mentioned in this episode:

Check out the previous episode on offset accounts here

📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here

📩 Share your investing story with us submit here

🤳 Follow Jess’ investing journey on instagram at getstartedinvesting_

Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.

———

Thanks to MLC for sponsoring this series and helping keep our content free.

If you’re the type of person who spends weekends comparing ETF’s, keeps an eye on crypto, and never misses an episode of Equity Mates, here’s one investment you may be overlooking – your super.

MLC knows it might not seem as exciting as picking your next investment, but thanks to tax advantages and decades of compound growth, it could end up being one of the hardest working investments you own. See how your super could be working harder with MLC at mlc.com.au

Disclaimer: Products issued by NULIS Nominees (Australia) Ltd as trustee of MLC Super Fund. General information only. Read the PDS & TMD available at mlc.com.au and consider if it’s right for you.

———

In the spirit of reconciliation, Equity Mates Media and the hosts of Get Started Investing acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today.

———

Get Started Investing is a product of Equity Mates Media.

This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice, and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional. The hosts of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares group but maintains editorial independence.

Equity Mates Media operates under Australian Financial Services Licence 540697.

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

You don’t need a high income to invest your way to a better financial future. Today’s guest is proof of that.

Ten years ago, while on maternity leave, Leigh decided to get serious about her families finances.

Leigh and her husband aren’t high earners. She’s a teacher and her husband’s an electrician- so they don’t have millions coming in the door.

But ten years after her investing journey began; their mortgage is paid off, she’s reached ‘Coast FIRE’ and is in a financial position to take next year off work.

How did she do it? Jess chats with Leigh to find out.

This is How I Got Started, in each episode one community member shares the highs and lows of their investing journey. These are real stories that we hope will give you confidence that investing is for anyone.

Chapters:

00:00:00 Meet Leigh

00:02:03 Why Financial Independence

00:04:05 Learning To Save

00:07:37 Discovering Investing

00:09:39 Her First Investments

00:12:09 ETFs And Dividend Income

00:15:17 The Monthly Money Split

00:18:02 Life After Coast Fire

00:20:00 Paying Off The Mortgage

00:22:14 Teaching Kids About Money

00:24:17 Building Financial Security

Links:

🤳 follow along on Jess’ investing journey on Instagram @getstartedinvesting_.

📩 Share your investing story with us submit here

📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here

🎟️ FinFest tickets - Buy early bird tickets here

Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.

———

Thanks to Ubank for sponsoring this series.

Ubank is a digital bank designed to help you understand your money, with tools that can help you do better day-to-day.

You can download Ubank from the App Store or Play Store and sign up in just a few minutes.

Products issued by Ubank, which is part of NAB. This info is general so consider what’ right for you. For TMDs, visit ubank.com.au

———

Get Started Investing is a product of Equity Mates Media.

This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice, and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional. The hosts of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares group but maintains editorial independence.

Equity Mates Media operates under Australian Financial Services Licence 540697.

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

Is your portfolio diversified, or just complicated?

Jess is only five months into investing and she’s already got seven ETFs and a stock. What is each investment actually adding? She’s starting to think maybe she’s overcomplicated things…

Then community member Hamish sent in a question about whether it makes more sense to own one diversified ETF or build a portfolio from several ETFs. Jess took it as a sign to get back to basics.

So she sits down with financial adviser Glen Hare to unpack how to think about building an ETF portfolio, including

• How many ETFs is too many?
• How to spot overlap between ETFs
• What you gain, and give up, by keeping things simple
• Three example approaches: one diversified ETF, Australian + global ETFs, and a portfolio built across different regions

Chapters:

00:00:00 How Many ETFs?

00:03:38 Has Jess Overcomplicated?

00:08:07 All-In-One ETF Benefits

00:16:08 Avoiding ETF Overlap

00:24:54 Which Strategy Suits You?

00:32:48 The ETF Selection Checklist

ETFs Mentioned:

We talk about a handful of ETFs in this episode so here is a list, in order of appearance to help you follow along if you need it!

From Hamish’s Question:

Betashares Global Share ETF (ASX: BGBL)

Betashares Diversified All Growth ETF (ASX: DHHF)

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV)

Betashares Global Shares Ex US ETF (ASX: EXUS)

Vanguard FTSE Asia ex Japan Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAE)

From Jess Portfolio:

Betashares Global Share ETF (ASX: BGBL)

Betashares Wealthbuilder Global Geared Complex ETF (ASX: GGBL)

Betashares Australia 200 ETF (ASX: A200)

Betashares Wealthbuilder Aus200 Gear ETF (ASX: G200)

Betashares MSCI Emerging Markets Complex ETF (ASX: BEMG)

Global X AI Infrastructure ETF AUD (ASX: AINF)

Betashares Welathbuilder Nas100 Gear ETF (ASX: GNDQ)

Others:

Vanguard Diversified High Growth Index ETF (ASX: VDHG)

Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS)

Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)

Links mentioned in this episode:

📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here

📩 Share your investing story with us submit here

Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.

———

Thanks to MLC for sponsoring this series and helping keep our content free.

If you’re the type of person who spends weekends comparing ETF’s, keeps an eye on crypto, and never misses an episode of Equity Mates, here’s one investment you may be overlooking – your super.

MLC knows it might not seem as exciting as picking your next investment, but thanks to tax advantages and decades of compound growth, it could end up being one of the hardest working investments you own. See how your super could be working harder with MLC at mlc.com.au

Disclaimer: Products issued by NULIS Nominees (Australia) Ltd as trustee of MLC Super Fund. General information only. Read the PDS & TMD available at mlc.com.au and consider if it’s right for you.

———

In the spirit of reconciliation, Equity Mates Media and the hosts of Get Started Investing acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and

community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today.

———

Get Started Investing is a product of Equity Mates Media.

This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice, and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional. The hosts of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares group but maintains editorial independence.

Equity Mates Media operates under Australian Financial Services Licence 540697.

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

Hayden McLean knows a thing or two about playing the long game.

After missing out on the AFL draft twice, Hayden kept going until he earned his place at the Sydney Swans. That same patience has shaped how he invests.

At 27, he’s investing with one big goal in mind: creating the freedom to choose what life looks like after football.

Hayden joins Jess to share how he went from being a hard-core saver who thought investing was too risky, to dollar cost averaging every month into a building a tech-heavy portfolio.

This is How I Got Started, in each episode one community member shares the highs and lows of their investing journey. These are real stories that we hope will give you confidence that investing is for anyone.

Chapters:

00:00:00 Hayden McLean On Money

00:04:22 Chasing The AFL Dream

00:08:06 Learning To Budget In Sydney

00:11:00 Discovering Investing

00:14:22 Building A Stock Portfolio

00:18:44 Financial Literacy Beyond Football

00:21:54 Investing For Life After Footy

00:24:00 Why Starting Earlier Matters

Links:

🤳 follow along on Jess’ investing journey on Instagram @getstartedinvesting_.

📩 Share your investing story with us submit here

📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here

🎟️ FinFest tickets - Buy early bird tickets here

Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.

———

Thanks to ShopBack for sponsoring this series.

Did you know you can earn cashback on in-store shopping? 💸

Check the ShopBack app for bonus cashback on eligible items at participating stores, buy them, then scan your receipt, done.

Download the app and use code GETSTARTED20 to get a $20 cashback bonus after earning your first $10.

———

Get Started Investing is a product of Equity Mates Media.

This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice, and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional. The hosts of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares group but maintains editorial independence.

Equity Mates Media operates under Australian Financial Services Licence 540697.

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