Investopoly

Stuart Wemyss
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Each episode is packed with concise tips, strategies, research, methodologies, case studies, and ideas to help you safely and effectively grow your wealth. Stuart Wemyss, a qualified financial advisor, accountant, tax agent, and licensed mortgage broker, delivers holistic advice. With four authored books, including "Investopoly" and "Rules of the Lending Game," Stuart shares his insights through a weekly blog, which is replicated on this podcast.

  1. 5 DAYS AGO

    Ep 389: Wealth First Principles #2: A step-by-step strategy for property investing

    Read Full Blog Here Most investors rush into property with tactics, not strategy, and pay for it in mistakes that are costly to buy, hold, and unwind. This guide lays out a clear, repeatable framework so you can make property decisions that compound for decades. Start by defining a single objective: long-term growth drives wealth; yield only supports holding costs. Next, build the finance structure first, smart loan splits, offsets, IO vs P&I, no cross-collateralisation, so your cash flow and future capacity are protected. Then buy only investment-grade assets: scarce, land-heavy homes in established, supply-constrained suburbs with deep owner-occupier demand and long growth histories. Model cash flow conservatively (30% expense allowance, 6.5% rates +1% stress) to avoid both over- and under-investing. Choose the city with the best 10-year prospects, then narrow to the top suburbs. Don’t trade quality for a cheaper price point. Manage risk on purpose: maintain buffers, insure properly, avoid excess leverage, preserve capacity, and diversify gradually. Review every 3–5 years for equity, borrowing power, cash-flow optimisations (including value-add), and asset quality, then scale only when foundations are strong. Follow this process, and the property becomes a disciplined wealth engine. Ignore it, and you’ll battle avoidable costs, fragile cash flow, and disappointing results. Subscribe via www.investopoly.com.au/email Do you have a question? Email: questions@investopoly.com.au or for a faster response, post a comment on the episode's video over on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@investopolypodcast/podcasts If you're interested in working with my team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/prospective-client/ If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform. Subscribe to my weekly blog: https://www.prosolution.com.au/stay-connected/ Buy a one of Stuart's books for ONLY $20 including delivery. Use the discount code blog: https://prosolution.com.au/books/ DOWNLOAD our 97-point financial health checklist here: https://prosolution.com.au/download-checklist/ IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.

    32 min

  2. 6 DAYS AGO

    Q&A: Develop, rentvest or debt-recycle? Structures, tax & capacity

    Stuart runs a strategy clinic on three big crossroads for investors: small-scale development, rent-vesting vs. holding the home, and using debt-recycling into shares when an investment-grade property is out of reach. He breaks down subdivision options (sell land now, build-and-sell, or build-and-hold), explains why GST applies to an “enterprise,” when the 50% CGT discount disappears, and which ownership structures (discretionary trust with bucket company vs. company) suit repeat projects. He also covers feasibility rules of thumb (contingency, funding, pre-sales risk), and whether you can pay yourself for project management. Next, he tackles rent-investing trade-offs: freeing borrowing capacity, concentration risk, and how to preserve deductible debt with splits and offsets. For households that can’t afford an investment-grade IP today, he maps a debt-recycling pathway P&I on the home, a clean, interest-only investment split, disciplined DCA into broad ETFs, and guardrails (buffers, LVR caps, rebalancing, no margin loans). Finally, a Sydney case study stress-tests a high-debt, high-income family: IO vs P&I sequencing, daycare-era cash-flow management, super vs. taxable investing, and planning an eventual PPOR upgrade without painting yourself into a DTI corner. Core takeaways: buy only unequivocally investment-grade assets, separate security to avoid cross-collateralisation, keep buffers, and choose the structure and debt settings that protect flexibility while compounding for 10+ years. Subscribe via www.investopoly.com.au/email Do you have a question? Email: questions@investopoly.com.au or for a faster response, post a comment on the episode's video over on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@investopolypodcast/podcasts If you're interested in working with my team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/prospective-client/ If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform. Subscribe to my weekly blog: https://www.prosolution.com.au/stay-connected/ Buy a one of Stuart's books for ONLY $20 including delivery. Use the discount code blog: https://prosolution.com.au/books/ DOWNLOAD our 97-point financial health checklist here: https://prosolution.com.au/download-checklist/ IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.

    30 min

  3. 23/12/2025

    Ep 388: Wealth First Principles #1: How wealth is actually built – The Wealth Equation

    Read Full Blog Here Stuart opens with Wealth First Principles, explaining how real fortunes are built through three key inputs: a durable cash-flow surplus, investment efficiency (quality assets, low costs, smart tax structures, and few behavioral errors), and time (the compounding decade that does most of the work). He separates process from prediction, shows why speculation usually fails, and explains where leverage helps (sensible gearing on high-quality property with buffers) versus where it can harm (aggressive equity leverage). The mindset shift: ignore stories, automate saving, and let compounding do the heavy lifting. Then he applies the framework to a detailed 10–15-year property plan: upgrading into an Adelaide family home later while renting it first, managing an existing regional PPOR, and deciding whether to sell or hold an inner-metro investment. Stuart stress-tests IO vs P&I for a decade, preserving deductible debt with offsets, optimal ownership splits for tax, and DTI/borrowing-capacity risks. He covers sequencing (buy vs renovate vs super), cash-flow resilience, buffers, and the realities of market timing in Adelaide. Practical guardrails include de-linking securities (avoiding cross-collateralization), structuring loans to maintain flexibility, and using evidence-based criteria to ensure each new asset is unequivocally investment-grade. The takeaway: anchor decisions to surplus, efficiency, and time, and design the debt so your future choices stay open. Subscribe via www.investopoly.com.au/email Do you have a question? Email: questions@investopoly.com.au or for a faster response, post a comment on the episode's video over on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@investopolypodcast/podcasts If you're interested in working with my team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/prospective-client/ If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform. Subscribe to my weekly blog: https://www.prosolution.com.au/stay-connected/ Buy a one of Stuart's books for ONLY $20 including delivery. Use the discount code blog: https://prosolution.com.au/books/ DOWNLOAD our 97-point financial health checklist here: https://prosolution.com.au/download-checklist/ IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.

    34 min

  4. 22/12/2025

    Super vs Flexibility, Debt vs Growth: Q&A on Contributions, Gearing, and Renovation Timing

    In this Q&A, Stuart unpacks two meaty, real-world dilemmas that many high-earning families face. First: should you prioritise concessional super contributions (carry-forward caps, Div 293 awareness, and long-term compounding) or keep capital outside super for flexibility and early semi-retirement? We explore building a liquid “bridge” portfolio, how to structure debt so renovation and investment loans stay deductible, and why borrowing to fund improvements paired with offset cash preserves future options. Next, we stress-test a fast-growing portfolio: a dream PPOR on acreage, a premium Geelong West IP, and an impending second purchase in inner-west Melbourne. Stuart tackles sequencing (buy vs renovate vs super), risk concentration at 80% LVR, cash-flow resilience through cycles, and the hidden traps of cross-collateralisation. We also cover trust distributions to a high-income household, return-on-payroll for a construction business, and the checklist for green-lighting IP #2 without jeopardising the 4–5 year, $1–1.5m renovation. The through-line: optimise for flexibility and durability, use super where it clearly wins on tax and compounding, keep enough liquidity to sleep at night, and make each new asset unquestionably investment-grade. Subscribe via www.investopoly.com.au/email Do you have a question? Email: questions@investopoly.com.au or for a faster response, post a comment on the episode's video over on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@investopolypodcast/podcasts If you're interested in working with my team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/prospective-client/ If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform. Subscribe to my weekly blog: https://www.prosolution.com.au/stay-connected/ Buy a one of Stuart's books for ONLY $20 including delivery. Use the discount code blog: https://prosolution.com.au/books/ DOWNLOAD our 97-point financial health checklist here: https://prosolution.com.au/download-checklist/ IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.

    28 min

  5. 16/12/2025

    Ep 387: Should you be an active property investor if your budget is under $1m

    Read Full Blog Here In this episode, Stuart makes the case for becoming a value-add property investor when budgets are tight. Rather than stretching for a bigger dwelling in a weaker location, he argues for prioritising high land value in an A-grade area and accepting a tired home you can improve. He outlines the highest-ROI upgrades (kitchens, bathrooms, paint, flooring, efficient heating/cooling; and, where sensible, adding a third bedroom), how these boost rent and reduce vacancy, and the smart way to fund works by borrowing the renovation cost and park cash in an offset to preserve flexibility and deductions. He clarifies the distinction between repairs and improvements (immediate deduction vs. depreciation), why a depreciation schedule is important, and the role of a seasoned local buyer’s agent in avoiding costly missteps. In the Q&A, Stuart tackles two big listener themes. First: simplifying a messy mix of assets to maximise retirement income, define required spending, prioritise tax-free super income streams, rebalance from low-yield positions to diversified income, and set a clear drawdown plan with adequate cash buffers. Second: navigating a rezoning/subdivision opportunity on a large primary residence, how main-residence CGT rules interact with a prior rental period, when profits can be taxed on revenue account, GST considerations, timing if purchasing another home, and choosing between an outright sale to a developer or a JV. He also lists the advisory bench needed: property accountant, tax lawyer, town planner, valuer, and development project manager. Subscribe via www.investopoly.com.au/email Do you have a question? Email: questions@investopoly.com.au or for a faster response, post a comment on the episode's video over on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@investopolypodcast/podcasts If you're interested in working with my team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/prospective-client/ If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform. Subscribe to my weekly blog: https://www.prosolution.com.au/stay-connected/ Buy a one of Stuart's books for ONLY $20 including delivery. Use the discount code blog: https://prosolution.com.au/books/ DOWNLOAD our 97-point financial health checklist here: https://prosolution.com.au/download-checklist/ IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.

    38 min

  6. 15/12/2025

    Family property transfers, rising insurance premiums, and where to deploy surplus cash: Q&A on tax, debt, and long-term strategy

    In this Q&A episode, Stuart works through a series of nuanced listener questions that all sit at the intersection of tax, structure, and long-term decision making. While the scenarios vary, the common thread is the cost of getting the structure wrong early, and the difficulty of undoing it later. We begin with a Melbourne couple in their 30s navigating a generous but complex proposal from ageing parents: the potential transfer of an investment property that may become a future family home. Stuart unpacks the trade-offs between gifting now versus inheriting later, the often-overlooked capital gains and stamp duty consequences, and why emotional intent does not override tax law. The discussion highlights how building, ownership, and funding decisions interact over decades, not just at the point of transfer. Next, Stuart addresses a listener holding a legacy agreed-value income protection policy. With premiums rising sharply, the focus turns to how to think about policy add-ons, what actually protects long-term earning capacity, and why some features feel comforting but deliver little real value relative to their cost. The episode then shifts to a detailed portfolio question from a high-income family weighing multiple competing uses of surplus cash flow: renovating the family home, upgrading, buying more property, investing in shares, or accelerating super contributions. Stuart reframes the decision away from “which option is best” and towards understanding opportunity cost, borrowing constraints, and the difference between emotional returns and financial ones. Inflation, real versus nominal returns, and the illusion of certainty in long-term projections are all addressed. We also explore whether recycling equity from investment properties to pay down a principal place of residence actually works in practice. Stuart explains the tax mechanics, where investors commonly trip up, and why some popular strategies sound elegant in theory but are messy or counterproductive in reality. As always, the episode is less about definitive answers and more about building a framework for making better decisions when the stakes are high, the numbers are large, and the consequences are long-lasting. Subscribe via www.investopoly.com.au/email Do you have a question? Email: questions@investopoly.com.au or for a faster response, post a comment on the episode's video over on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@investopolypodcast/podcasts If you're interested in working with my team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/prospective-client/ If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform. Subscribe to my weekly blog: https://www.prosolution.com.au/stay-connected/ Buy a one of Stuart's books for ONLY $20 including delivery. Use the discount code blog: https://prosolution.com.au/books/ DOWNLOAD our 97-point financial health checklist here: https://prosolution.com.au/download-checklist/ IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.

    32 min

  7. 09/12/2025

    Ep 386: Which is better: REIT or direct property?

    Read Full Blog Here In this episode, Stuart pulls apart the perennial “REITs vs direct property” debate and shows why they’re not substitutes but tools for different jobs. He explains how A-REITs work (structures, stapled securities, payout rules, typical 30–40% gearing) and why their liquidity and ~5% income appeal can be offset by equity-like volatility and index concentration (think one or two giants driving returns). He contrasts this with direct residential property: full control, the ability to gear up to 100%, negative-gearing benefits while working, lower observed volatility, and returns dominated by capital growth, making it a more potent long-term wealth builder when you buy true investment-grade assets. Stuart compares long-run numbers: REITs ~6–8% p.a. with higher year-to-year swings versus quality residential property targeting ~8%+ with smarter selection and sensible leverage. He then reframes their roles: REITs can be an income sleeve (especially when rates are low), while direct property is fundamentally a growth engine. In the listener Q&A, Stuart clarifies tax treatment for “informal trust” share portfolios for minors who are taxed on income, the pitfalls of penal child tax rates, and what actually triggers CGT when transferring to an adult at 18 cutting through conflicting internet guidance so parents don’t make costly ownership-structure mistakes. Subscribe via www.investopoly.com.au/email Do you have a question? Email: questions@investopoly.com.au or for a faster response, post a comment on the episode's video over on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@investopolypodcast/podcasts If you're interested in working with my team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/prospective-client/ If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform. Subscribe to my weekly blog: https://www.prosolution.com.au/stay-connected/ Buy a one of Stuart's books for ONLY $20 including delivery. Use the discount code blog: https://prosolution.com.au/books/ DOWNLOAD our 97-point financial health checklist here: https://prosolution.com.au/download-checklist/ IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.

    33 min

  8. 08/12/2025

    Why asset quality matters more than timing: Q&A on apartments, upgrades, Geelong, borrowing capacity, and early investing

    In this Q&A episode, Stuart tackles a wide mix of real-world scenarios that highlight a consistent theme: asset quality and long-term strategy matter far more than short-term market noise. We start with a listener holding an underperforming one-bedroom apartment and work through why some assets simply never recover, regardless of broader market conditions. From there, we explore whether trading two good properties for a single premium home makes sense, and why “levelling up” often outperforms spreading capital thinly.  Stuart also digs into the trap of using precious borrowing capacity on mediocre assets (including a candid warning about Geelong’s Corio), the risks of delaying a future move to Melbourne or Sydney, and how to make high-stakes decisions when the path is unclear. Questions from younger investors round out the episode, including whether to buy early or wait for a better asset, plus a deeper discussion about gearing into shares versus property and super strategy for a couple approaching retirement.  Subscribe via www.investopoly.com.au/email Do you have a question? Email: questions@investopoly.com.au or for a faster response, post a comment on the episode's video over on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@investopolypodcast/podcasts If you're interested in working with my team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/prospective-client/ If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform. Subscribe to my weekly blog: https://www.prosolution.com.au/stay-connected/ Buy a one of Stuart's books for ONLY $20 including delivery. Use the discount code blog: https://prosolution.com.au/books/ DOWNLOAD our 97-point financial health checklist here: https://prosolution.com.au/download-checklist/ IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.

    40 min
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Hosts & Guests

About

Each episode is packed with concise tips, strategies, research, methodologies, case studies, and ideas to help you safely and effectively grow your wealth. Stuart Wemyss, a qualified financial advisor, accountant, tax agent, and licensed mortgage broker, delivers holistic advice. With four authored books, including "Investopoly" and "Rules of the Lending Game," Stuart shares his insights through a weekly blog, which is replicated on this podcast.

Information

  • Creator
    Stuart Wemyss
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2025
  • Episodes
    494
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Investopoly
  • Show Website
    Investopoly

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