WestPac Wealth Investments

Advisor Joe DeLisi spends more time on X than he'd like. Not for the professionals. He goes there to take the temperature of everyday investors, and right now, he says, people are "freaking out."

So Joe asks a question advisors rarely say out loud: should you even be in the stock market? He starts with a thought experiment. Imagine knowing back in January that this year would bring a war with Iran, a closed Strait of Hormuz and oil up more than 50%. What would you have predicted for stocks? Joe suspects most people would have gotten it "dead wrong."

From there he looks under the hood of the S&P 500, where the index and the stocks inside it tell two very different stories, and explains why a market drop never arrives without scary news attached. He also takes on the urge to run somewhere safe. Bonds, real estate, small businesses and guaranteed assets all carry their own risks, inflation included. "There's really no safe harbor. It's just the appearance of safe harbor."

It isn't a pep talk. Joe is candid that "some people just don't have the temperament for it," and that's not a knock. He closes with what to do if the headlines are getting to you.

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Time in the market beats timing the market. Advisor Joe DeLisi calls that investing 101. This episode is the next level up.

Joe walks through how the portfolios he builds are actually put together, and why the answer to “why own this and not that” can’t come from a hunch. The thinking traces back to the academics he first studied when he got licensed about 30 years ago: Eugene Fama, Ken French and Harry Markowitz. In Joe’s words: “It’s not my philosophy. It’s one I’ve adopted from people much smarter than me.”

He covers five ideas in plain language: stocks versus bonds, small companies versus large, value versus growth, profitability, and momentum, the one he says even advisors get muddled on. Along the way there’s a house-flipping lesson about the ugliest house on the nicest street, and a short note on why bonds get the opposite treatment.

Light on statistics, heavy on reasoning. Worth a second listen.

Are high-income earners confusing tax deferral with tax avoidance?

In this episode, we take a closer look at one of the biggest financial planning mistakes that can affect high-income business owners, executives, and W-2 employees: continually deferring taxes without considering what that future tax liability could look like.

Tax deferral can be a valuable strategy, but it doesn’t make the tax disappear. Large balances in tax-deferred accounts can eventually create significant tax consequences through required distributions, retirement income, and legacy planning.

We discuss why it may be worth looking beyond simply maximizing tax-deferred accounts and considering other strategies, including Roth accounts, taxable investments, capital-gain-oriented investments, and tax planning opportunities available to business owners and highly compensated executives.

The goal isn’t to say that tax deferral is bad. It’s to make sure you’re intentionally building a diversified financial plan that considers both your investment goals and your future tax picture.

As we approach the end of 2026 and begin planning for 2027, now may be a good time to take a closer look at how much of your wealth is being deferred—and whether that strategy still makes sense for your long-term plan.

Can AI Beat the Market? The Truth About AI, Investing & Human Behavior

Can artificial intelligence be a better investor than a human? And more importantly, can AI actually beat the market?

In this episode of the Westpac Wealth Investments Podcast, we take a closer look at the growing role of artificial intelligence in investing and separate what AI can realistically do from what investors may hope it can do.

AI has one major advantage over human investors: it doesn't have emotions. Fear, greed, chasing performance and constantly trying to beat the market can all lead investors to make poor decisions. But eliminating emotion doesn't mean AI can predict the future—and predicting the future is ultimately what it would take to consistently beat the market.
We explore:

• Whether AI can invest better than humans
• Why AI can't reliably predict future market movements
• How efficient markets incorporate known information
• The role of supply, demand, profitability and cash flow in stock prices
• Why unknowable information continues to move markets
• The growing gamification of investing and connection between investing, sports betting and prediction markets
• What long-term data tells us about active managers trying to beat the market
• Why past outperformance doesn't necessarily predict future success
• The importance of controlling investor behavior rather than constantly searching for an edge
  The bigger lesson isn't that technology has no place in investing. It's that you don't need to predict the future or find the next market-beating strategy to be a successful long-term investor.

Instead, building a sound portfolio and avoiding costly behavioral mistakes may be far more important than trying to outsmart the market.

Westpac Wealth Investments Podcast — practical conversations about investing, wealth management and making better long-term financial decisions.

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In this episode of the WestPac Wealth Investments Podcast, Joe DeLisi welcomes Neal Brinsfield RICP®, CLU®, ChFC®, CExP™ for a conversation about financial planning, cash flow, risk, and what it really takes to create greater confidence around your financial future.

Neal has spent nearly two decades in the financial services industry and has helped train and coach financial advisors on the Living Balance Sheet planning system. Joe and Neal discuss how financial worries change as wealth grows. The question may shift from “Do I have enough?” to “Am I doing the right things with what I have?”—but the need for thoughtful planning remains.

They explore the role cash flow plays throughout a financial life, from accumulating wealth to eventually creating income in retirement. The conversation also looks at the limitations of relying solely on financial projections and Monte Carlo simulations, and why retirement planning should consider how income will actually be generated when a paycheck is no longer coming in.

Joe and Neal also discuss risks that can be easy to overlook while building wealth, including protecting your ability to earn an income, liability exposure, disability, life insurance, and having the appropriate legal documents in place.

Finally, they return to retirement and the relationship between reliable sources of income, investment portfolios, and financial confidence. It’s a practical conversation about looking at your financial life as a whole and building a strategy designed to help reduce worry along the way.

Choosing a financial advisor is one of the most important financial decisions you'll make—but are you asking the right questions?

In this episode of the WestPac Wealth Investments Podcast, Joe DeLisi explores the conversations every investor should have with their advisor before making long-term financial decisions. From investment philosophy and portfolio construction to tax strategies, retirement income planning, and risk management, Joe explains what separates a transactional advisor from a true long-term planning partner.

You'll also learn why understanding the "why" behind an investment strategy is just as important as the strategy itself, how to identify potential blind spots in your financial plan, and what to expect from a comprehensive wealth management relationship.

Whether you're evaluating a new advisor or reassessing your current one, this episode provides practical insights to help you make more informed decisions and build greater confidence in your financial future.

Every market cycle brings a new wave of predictions, headlines, and reasons to believe that "this time is different." But how accurate are those forecasts once the dust settles?

In this episode of the WestPac Wealth Podcast, Joe DeLisi revisits several of the most talked-about market predictions from the past year—including concerns surrounding tariffs, volatility, and broader economic uncertainty—to compare expectations with reality. The discussion highlights why reacting to headlines can be costly and why disciplined, long-term investing continues to outperform emotional decision-making.

Whether you're an investor, business owner, or financial professional, this episode provides valuable perspective on navigating uncertainty, evaluating market commentary, and maintaining a strategy built around long-term objectives rather than short-term noise.

Tune in for a timely conversation on market behavior, investor psychology, and the importance of staying focused when the headlines suggest otherwise.

Markets often reward what's popular...until they don't.

In this episode of the WestPac Wealth Investments Podcast, Joe DeLisi explores the recent pullback in many of the market's largest technology companies and what it means for investors. While tech has delivered exceptional returns over the past decade, history reminds us that leadership in the market eventually changes.

Joe explains why diversification remains one of the most important principles of successful investing, how different asset classes have performed during the current market environment, and why a disciplined investment strategy can help investors avoid emotional decisions during periods of volatility.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why many of today's leading technology stocks have declined from recent highs
• How small-cap and value investments have compared in the current market
• What investors can learn from previous technology market cycles
• Why diversification helps manage portfolio risk
• How to stay focused on long-term investment goals instead of short-term market headlines

Whether you're building wealth, preparing for retirement, or managing an existing investment portfolio, this episode provides valuable perspective on navigating changing market conditions with confidence and discipline.

Did you miss the boat on SpaceX?

With private companies staying private longer and high-profile IPOs generating enormous excitement, many investors wonder if they've missed their chance at extraordinary returns. In this episode, Joe DeLisi explores why the fear of missing out can lead investors away from sound decision-making and toward unnecessary risk.

Drawing on nearly three decades of experience, Joe explains why successful wealth management isn't built around chasing headlines or trying to pick the next big winner. Instead, long-term success comes from maintaining a disciplined investment strategy that aligns with your goals and allows innovation to work on your behalf over time.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why investors are captivated by companies like SpaceX
• The dangers of making emotional investment decisions
• How diversification helps investors participate in innovation
• Why your investment portfolio should support your financial plan
• The difference between speculation and long-term wealth building
• How experienced investors avoid the fear of missing out

If you've ever wondered whether you missed the next great investment opportunity, this episode offers a timeless perspective on building wealth with discipline and purpose.