Aussie FIRE | Financial Independence Retire Early

Hayden Smith & Dave Gow
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Investing
  • Updated Weekly

The Aussie FIRE podcast is the ultimate guide to Financial Independence for Australians. Having started life as an e-book, then an audiobook, it's now reached its final form: a podcast that will keep on giving. The Aussie FIRE audiobook is brought to you by Pearler, Australia's favourite long-term investing community; and Dave Gow, the brains behind Strong Money Australia. Each episode explores a different aspect of Financial Independence, so stay tuned for new releases! https://pearler.com https://strongmoneyaustralia.com/ DISCLAIMER: We’re big fans of sharing experiences and talking about money. However, please note that any advice is general, and does not consider your financial situation, needs, or objectives. Consider whether it's appropriate for you, and if in doubt, speak to a licensed financial adviser. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 4d ago

    76. Should your portfolio change as you approach FI?

    In this episode, Hayden and Dave dig into one of the most overlooked parts of the FI journey: what to do with your investments as you get closer to pulling the trigger. Does your strategy need to change? And if so, when and how? They cover: 👉 Whether you actually need to de-risk your portfolio before retiring, or whether it's just a psychological thing 👉 The difference between accumulation and drawdown, and why the same portfolio can feel very different depending on which phase you're in 👉 Cash buffers, offset accounts and other ways to protect yourself from selling at the wrong time 👉 How paying off debt fits into a pre-retirement strategy and what it does for your cash flow certainty 👉 Growth ETFs vs. income ETFs: does the distinction actually matter when you're drawing down? 👉 What Dave is doing with his own portfolio Free calculator here to work out your CGT with the new proposed changes. Follow us on Instagram Watch on Youtube Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr

  2. May 22

    75. A Final Word on the Budget: How We're Thinking About it Now

    The episode was updated on the 30th of May to remove some comments around assumptions around tax losses in the new budget if an asset underperforms inflation, as well as removing some comments around tax deductions which were oversimplified. The dust has (somewhat) settled on the Federal Budget, and Hayden and Dave are back to go beyond the initial reactions. This week they dig into the real numbers, the philosophical tensions behind the changes, and what investors should actually be doing differently (if anything). They cover: 👉 If and how our investing strategies will change 👉 How the CGT changes hit a sell-down strategy versus a dividend/income strategy differently 👉 Why the two-phase super strategy takes a bigger hit than most people realise 👉 The case for semi-retirement over full FIRE under the new rules 👉 Whether continuing to invest is still worth it when the rules keep shifting Plus, is the budget actually doing anything meaningful for housing supply? And what does the 30% floor really mean for someone trying to live off their portfolio? Free calculator here to work out your CGT with the new proposed changes. Follow us on Instagram Watch on Youtube Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr

  3. May 15

    74. The Budget: What it actually means for investors

    The Australian federal budget just dropped and there is a lot to unpack. Hayden and Dave dig into the changes that matter most for everyday investors and the FIRE community, cutting through the political noise to focus on what actually affects your money. They cover: 👉 The switch from the 50% CGT discount to indexation 👉 The surprise 30% minimum tax floor on capital gains that nobody saw coming, and who it really hits 👉 Why the "death of debt recycling" narrative doing the rounds online misses the point entirely 👉 Negative gearing changes, what's grandfathered, what's not, and who actually benefits 👉 How growth vs. dividend investing strategies stack up under the new rules 👉 Whether super just became a lot more attractive overnight 👉 The six year exemption loophole that rentvesting fans will want to know about There are still plenty of details being worked out in Canberra, exemptions being carved out, and edge cases nobody has good answers to yet, but these are our thoughts so far. Free calculator here to work out your CGT with the new proposed changes. Follow us on Instagram Watch on Youtube Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 7m

  4. May 8

    73. CGT and Negative Gearing: What the Budget Could Change for Investors

    The federal budget is coming, and there's already noise around two policies that could shake up the investment landscape: capital gains tax and negative gearing. Hayden and Dave break down what's actually being floated, and what it could mean for your portfolio. They cover: 👉 How governments "soft launch" policy changes before they're official, and why it matters for investors right now 👉 The current CGT discount rules and the proposals that could change what you actually keep when you sell 👉 Whether indexation could be a better deal than a flat discount, depending on how long you've held an asset 👉 The grandfathering question that every existing property investor needs answered before panicking 👉 How capping negative gearing could reshape who benefits from it and what it means for property prices Plus, a timely reminder on building your investing strategy around any single tax settings. Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    50 min

  5. May 1

    72. Case Study: Doubling down on investment properties vs. shares

    Chris is at a crossroads and unsure which way to go. He's spent time in his career working in real estate, and now he's trying to decide whether to buy a family home, double down on investment properties, or pivoting entirely into a more aggressive share portfolio. He's got a good case of analysis paralysis, and Hayden & Dave are here to help him work through some of the numbers and thinking behind it all. In this episode they cover: 👉 How much Chris saves & invests on a $170k household income 👉 His ultimate FIRE goal 👉 What Chris should do with an underperforming IP 👉 Chris' concerns about mortgage stress 👉 How Hayden & Dave would approach all of these things! Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    39 min

  6. Apr 24

    71. Q&A: Homebuyer’s regret + does flipping houses still work?

    Got a property and wondering if it's time to sell, rent it out, or just… hold on? In this episode, Dave and Hayden tackle two listener questions that a lot of people are quietly sitting with. First up is a listener who bought their first home two years ago is now craving more flexibility to make some big career moves, and wants to know whether to sell or become an accidental landlord. Then, they dig into the age-old question of house flipping and whether or not it still stacks up in today's market? They'll walk through the numbers you need to crunch and the situations where it might actually make sense. It's pearler's 5th birthday! Get 5 free trades here 🥳 Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Dave's books on Amazon and Spotify Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    46 min

  7. Apr 17

    70. Living off your portfolio during a market downturn

    What happens if the market crashes as soon as you hit FIRE? In this episode, Hayden and Dave get into one of the most practical and underrated challenges of early retirement: actually living off your portfolio when things get rocky. They cover: 👉 The stage of retirement where you're most at risk from market volatility 👉 The psychological shift from receiving a paycheck to relying on a portfolio, and why it's harder than it sounds 👉 Why having a backup plan before you need one changes everything 👉 Cash buffers, flexible income and expense levers you can pull without selling assets at the wrong time 👉 How debt, home equity and diversification fit into a drawdown strategy It's pearler's 5th birthday! Get 5 free trades here 🥳 Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Strong Money Australia’s audiobook Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    56 min

  8. Apr 10

    69. FI case study: Rentvest vs. ETFs

    What happens when a government equity scheme starts to feel like a trap? In this episode, Hayden and Dave sit down with listener Steve to unpack his property situation and map out a path forward. Steve is a self-employed sports coach earning around $120,000–$130,000 a year, with a partner on $100,000. He owns an apartment worth roughly $570,000, holds a $200,000 ETF portfolio, and used the Victorian Homebuyer Fund to get into the market with a 25% government equity stake still sitting on his property. In this episode they cover: 👉 How the Victorian Homebuyer Fund works and why Steve is feeling stuck 👉 Whether refinancing could free him from the government equity stake without selling his ETFs 👉 The case for rent-vesting as a flexible alternative to upsizing 👉 How to weigh lifestyle preferences against pure FIRE optimisation 👉 Why financial flexibility can matter more than squeezing every dollar out of a strategy It's pearler's 5th birthday! Get 5 free trades here 🥳 Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Strong Money Australia’s audiobook Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    38 min
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About

The Aussie FIRE podcast is the ultimate guide to Financial Independence for Australians. Having started life as an e-book, then an audiobook, it's now reached its final form: a podcast that will keep on giving. The Aussie FIRE audiobook is brought to you by Pearler, Australia's favourite long-term investing community; and Dave Gow, the brains behind Strong Money Australia. Each episode explores a different aspect of Financial Independence, so stay tuned for new releases! https://pearler.com https://strongmoneyaustralia.com/ DISCLAIMER: We’re big fans of sharing experiences and talking about money. However, please note that any advice is general, and does not consider your financial situation, needs, or objectives. Consider whether it's appropriate for you, and if in doubt, speak to a licensed financial adviser. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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