Welcome back to the Runway to Retirement Podcast, Episode 23.

It's been a little while since our last episode. Over the past few months, we've been busy building new tools, resources, and courses designed to help people create their own retirement plans with confidence. Now we're excited to be back behind the microphone.

To kick things off, we're doing something a little different.

Recently, Rob McGregor presented to the Australian Independent Retirees Association, sharing his thoughts on the latest Federal Budget and what the proposed changes mean.

While much of the media coverage focuses on politics and headlines, Rob takes a practical approach. He explores the proposed changes to capital gains tax, family trusts, superannuation, and investment structures, and explains why these issues matter long before you actually retire.

You will learn why ownership structures can have a significant impact on long term wealth, why superannuation continues to be one of the most attractive environments for retirement savings, and why reviewing your strategy regularly is becoming increasingly important as governments continue to change the rules.

It is a practical discussion that helps you understand the bigger picture.

Each Week Runway to Retirement will be exploring what it means for your journey toward a secure and enjoyable retirement. Whether you're just starting to plan or already on your way, we're here to share insights and perspectives to help you feel more confident about your future.

Learn more on our website:

https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au

Download our free guide The 5 Essential Steps to an Awesome Retirement here bonus walkthrough video:

https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au/5ESARChecklist

Access our How Much Calculator to understand your retirement income needs:

https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au/howmuchworkshop

COMING SOON Build Your Financial Plan Over a Weekend. Leverage smart strategies for your unique situation, retire with confidence and style.

Welcome back to the Runway to Retirement Podcast, Episode 22

In this episode, Rob McGregor walks through a real life case study that highlights one of the most powerful ideas in retirement planning. Looking at the full picture.

He shares the story of a couple who believed they needed to sell assets they loved, including their home or lifestyle assets, just to make retirement work.

By stepping back and understanding all the moving parts in their situation, including super, property, lifestyle goals and even future inheritance, Rob shows how a flexible plan can completely change the outcome.

You will learn how to think about different assets at different stages of retirement, how to identify the key levers available to you, and why focusing on just one part of your finances can lead to the wrong decisions.

It is a practical example of how good planning can help you keep what matters most, while still building a confident and sustainable retirement.

Each week, Runway to Retirement explores what it means to create a secure and enjoyable future. Whether you are just starting or already on your way, we are here to help you feel more confident about your next stage.

Learn more on our website:

https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au

Download our free guide The 5 Essential Steps to an Awesome Retirement here bonus walkthrough video:

https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au/5ESARChecklist

Access our How Much Calculator to understand your retirement income needs:

https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au/howmuchworkshop

COMING SOON Build Your Financial Plan Over a Weekend. Leverage smart strategies for your unique situation, retire with confidence and style.

Welcome back to the Runway to Retirement Podcast, Episode 21

In this episode, Rob McGregor explores one of the most overlooked parts of retirement planning. Understanding yourself.

While most people focus on numbers, balances and returns, Rob explains why knowing your personality type and what you actually enjoy about work can be just as important when designing a fulfilling retirement.

Through real life examples and practical frameworks, he walks through how different personality types experience retirement very differently, and why some people thrive while others struggle, even with more than enough money.

You will learn how to identify what gives you purpose, how to replace the parts of work you actually enjoy, and how to structure your time so retirement feels meaningful, not empty.

It is a powerful reminder that retirement is not just about financial freedom. It is about building a life you genuinely enjoy living.

Each week, Runway to Retirement explores what it means to create a secure and enjoyable future. Whether you are just starting or already on your way, we are here to help you feel more confident about your next stage.

Learn more on our website:

https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au

Download our free guide The 5 Essential Steps to an Awesome Retirement here bonus walkthrough video:

https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au/5ESARChecklist

Access our How Much Calculator to understand your retirement income needs:

https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au/howmuchworkshop

COMING SOON Build Your Financial Plan Over a Weekend. Leverage smart strategies for your unique situation, retire with confidence and style.

Welcome back to the Runway to Retirement Podcast, Episode 20

In this episode, Rob McGregor breaks down one of the biggest risks to your long term wealth, and it is not the market. It is behaviour.

Drawing on over 40 years of market experience, Rob explains why most investors underperform the very investments they choose, and how small behavioural mistakes can cost hundreds of thousands, or even millions, over time.

Using his simple “MESS IT UP” framework, Rob walks through the most common traps investors fall into. From reacting to media headlines and emotional decision making, to short term thinking, trying to time the market, lack of diversification, and chasing past performance.

He also explains why even professionals struggle to consistently outperform, why timing the market rarely works, and how a disciplined, long term approach can dramatically improve your outcomes.

It is a practical, eye opening episode that shows you how to avoid the common mistakes and stay on track to building long term wealth with confidence.

Each Week Runway to Retirement will be exploring what it means for your journey toward a secure and enjoyable retirement. Whether you are just starting to plan or already on your way, we are here to share insights and perspectives to help you feel more confident about your future.

Learn more on our website:

https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au

Download our free guide The 5 Essential Steps to an Awesome Retirement here bonus walkthrough video:

https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au/5ESARChecklist

Access our How Much Calculator to identify your income needs in retirement and the assets you would need to make this a reality:

https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au/howmuchworkshop

COMING SOON – Build Your Financial Plan Over a Weekend. Leverage smart strategies for your unique situation, retire with confidence and style.

Welcome back to the Runway to Retirement Podcast, Episode 19

In this episode, Rob McGregor explores one of the most overlooked parts of retirement planning. Replacing meaning, purpose, and connection once work finishes.

While financial planning often focuses on income and assets, Rob explains why many retirees find the bigger challenge is adjusting to life without the structure, relationships, and sense of purpose that work once provided.

Through seven real life stories from clients, friends, and colleagues, Rob shares how people have successfully created fulfilling lives in retirement. From travel and volunteering to health projects, grandparenting, networking, and community involvement, each example shows a different way retirees build meaning and connection into their daily lives.

Rob also explains how to think about your own balance of purpose, meaning, and connection, how this can differ between partners, and why planning these aspects of retirement is just as important as planning your finances.

It is a thoughtful and practical episode designed to help you think beyond the numbers and design a retirement that feels full, connected, and deeply rewarding.

Each Week Runway to Retirement will be exploring what it means for your journey toward a secure and enjoyable retirement. Whether you are just starting to plan or already on your way, we are here to share insights and perspectives to help you feel more confident about your future.

Learn more on our website:

https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au

Download our free guide The 5 Essential Steps to an Awesome Retirement here bonus walkthrough video:

https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au/5ESARChecklist

Access our How Much Calculator to identify your income needs in retirement and the assets you would need to make this a reality:

https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au/howmuchworkshop

COMING SOON – Build Your Financial Plan Over a Weekend. Leverage smart strategies for your unique situation, retire with confidence and style.

Welcome back to the Runway to Retirement Podcast, Episode 18.

In this episode, Rob McGregor breaks down the four biggest factors that determine how much retirement capital you actually need. Not just income, but the capital required across superannuation, investment portfolios, and other assets to fund the retirement you want.

Rob explains why two people aiming for the same retirement income can need vastly different amounts of capital, depending on how long they want their money to last, what legacy they want to leave or receive, and the returns they achieve on their investments. He walks through real examples showing how timeframes, investment approach, and spending patterns dramatically change the numbers.

You will also learn how conservative versus growth investing affects your required capital, how inheritance and housing decisions can change your plan, and why rules of thumb rarely reflect real life.

It is a practical, numbers driven episode designed to help you understand what truly drives your retirement target and how to make smarter decisions as you plan ahead.

Each Week Runway to Retirement will be exploring what it means for your journey toward a secure and enjoyable retirement. Whether you’re just starting to plan or already on your way, we’re here to share insights and perspectives to help you feel more confident about your future.

Learn more on our website: https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au

Download our free guide The 5 Essential Steps to an Awesome Retirement here (bonus walkthrough video): https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au/5ESARChecklist

Welcome back to the Runway to Retirement Podcast, Episode 17.

In this episode, Rob McGregor walks through six powerful questions that help you clearly define what you actually want your retirement to look like. Drawing on nearly 30 years of experience helping people plan for retirement, Rob explains why asking better questions is far more important than chasing rules of thumb or average numbers.

He shows how retirement planning is deeply personal and why your income needs, lifestyle goals, lump sum plans, family support, legacy wishes, and bucket list ideas all need to be considered together. Rob explains how these questions translate into real numbers, real trade-offs, and real decisions about work, spending, and timing.

You will learn why clarity around goals makes retirement planning easier, how trade-offs work in both positive and negative directions, and why the planning process itself often matters more than the plan you start with.

It is a practical and thoughtful episode designed to help you move from vague ideas about retirement to a clearer picture of what you want and what it will take to get there.

Each Week Runway to Retirement will be exploring what it means for your journey toward a secure and enjoyable retirement. Whether you’re just starting to plan or already on your way, we’re here to share insights and perspectives to help you feel more confident about your future.

Learn more on our website: https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au

Download our free guide The 5 Essential Steps to an Awesome Retirement here (bonus walkthrough video): https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au/5ESARChecklist

The How Much Calculator - Every Financial Plan Starts by Looking Ahead. Access our How Much Calculator to identify your income needs in retirement and the assets you would need to make this a reality: https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au/howmuchworkshop

COMING SOON – Build Your Financial Plan Over a Weekend. Leverage smart strategies for your unique situation, retire with confidence and style.

Welcome back to the Runway to Retirement Podcast, Episode 16.

In this episode, Rob McGregor explores a question many people think about but rarely talk about openly. Should you allow for an inheritance when planning your retirement, and if so, how do you do it without feeling entitled or relying on something that may be decades away.

Rob explains why inheritance planning often sits in the background of our thinking, even if we do not consciously include it in our numbers. He walks through the key factors that matter most, including how much you may inherit, how certain it is, how far away it might be, and how your own goals and values shape the right decision.

Using three real life case studies, Rob shows how different people approach inheritance very differently. Some use it as a safety buffer to enjoy life earlier, others use it to relieve pressure while raising families, and some choose to build full independence despite knowing substantial wealth is coming later.

It is a thoughtful and practical discussion that helps you bring inheritance planning into the open, do the maths conservatively, and design a retirement plan that supports the life you want to live now and in the future.

Each Week Runway to Retirement will be exploring what it means for your journey toward a secure and enjoyable retirement. Whether you’re just starting to plan or already on your way, we’re here to share insights and perspectives to help you feel more confident about your future.

Learn more on our website: https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au

Download our free guide The 5 Essential Steps to an Awesome Retirement here (bonus walkthrough video): https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au/5ESARChecklist

The How Much Calculator - Every Financial Plan Starts by Looking Ahead. Access our How Much Calculator to identify your income needs in retirement and the assets you would need to make this a reality: https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au/howmuchworkshop

COMING SOON – Build Your Financial Plan Over a Weekend. Leverage smart strategies for your unique situation, retire with confidence and style.

Welcome back to the Runway to Retirement Podcast, Episode 13.

In this episode, Rob McGregor unpacks one of the biggest questions in retirement planning.

How do you know if you’ve got a good super fund?

He explains why so many Australians end up with average results from their super and how small differences in returns can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars over time.

Rob shares a clear framework for evaluating your fund, from performance and fees to transparency and service, and introduces his FIT principle: making sure your super is Focused, Intentional, and Targeted to your goals.

You’ll also learn how to avoid the common behavioural traps that cost investors dearly, why being proactive with your super can completely change your financial future, and how to spot the warning signs of underperformance.

Each Week Runway to Retirement will be exploring what it means for your journey toward a secure and enjoyable retirement. Whether you’re just starting to plan or already on your way, we’re here to share insights and perspectives to help you feel more confident about your future.

Learn more on our website: https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au

Download our free guide The 5 Essential Steps to an Awesome Retirement here (bonus walkthrough video): https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au/5ESARChecklist

The How Much Calculator - Every Financial Plan Starts by Looking Ahead. Access our How Much Calculator to identify your income needs in retirement and the assets you would need to make this a reality: https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au/howmuchworkshop

COMING SOON – Build Your Financial Plan Over a Weekend. Leverage smart strategies for your unique situation, retire with confidence and style.

Welcome back to the Runway to Retirement Podcast, Episode 14.

In this second part of his superannuation series, Rob McGregor continues unpacking how to evaluate whether you’re in the right super fund, this time using a real-world example. Rob walks through his step-by-step LEADER framework (List, Evaluate, Analyse, Decide, Execute, Review) and applies it to a detailed case study comparing QSuper to a low-cost index alternative.

He explains what to look for in performance, fees, transparency, and communication, and why even small differences in returns can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars over your lifetime. You’ll also hear why some big industry funds have become less efficient as they’ve grown, what hidden risks to watch out for, and how to identify funds that are truly focused, intentional, and targeted to your goals.

It’s a practical, eye-opening episode that shows how a bit of analysis can turn “average” super into something far more powerful for your retirement.

Each Week Runway to Retirement will be exploring what it means for your journey toward a secure and enjoyable retirement. Whether you’re just starting to plan or already on your way, we’re here to share insights and perspectives to help you feel more confident about your future.

Learn more on our website: https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au

Download our free guide The 5 Essential Steps to an Awesome Retirement here (bonus walkthrough video): https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au/5ESARChecklist

The How Much Calculator - Every Financial Plan Starts by Looking Ahead. Access our How Much Calculator to identify your income needs in retirement and the assets you would need to make this a reality: https://www.runwaytoretirement.com.au/howmuchworkshop

COMING SOON – Build Your Financial Plan Over a Weekend. Leverage smart strategies for your unique situation, retire with confidence and style.