Equity Mates Investing Podcast

Four investors. $25K each. One year of big bets, questionable trades & a whole lot of competition. Bryce, Ren, Ally & Betashares' Cam Gleeson reveal the final results of their portfolio challenge. Who came out on top, which investments delivered, and where did it all go wrong?

In this episode:
00:00 Portfolio Challenge: Final Results
04:57 Why the Diversified Core Portfolio Delivered
05:40 Bryce's Portfolio: Pro Medicus, BHP & Timing the Market
09:43 Ally’s Portfolio: Big ETF Wins & Costly Stock Picks
13:49 Cam's Portfolio: Cybersecurity Gains & Uranium Losses
17:59 Competition vs Real-Life Investing: Taking Too Much Risk
19:57 Ren's Portfolio: Asian Tech, Commodities & Chasing Momentum
23:16 The Best & Worst Trades of the Year

Stocks & ETFs Mentioned: Betashares Diversified All Growth ETF (ASX: DHHF), Betashares Wealth Builder Diversified All Growth Geared ETF (ASX: GHHF), Betashares Japan Currency Hedged ETF (ASX: HJPN), Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ), Betashares Asia Technology Tigers ETF (ASX: ASIA), Betashares India Quality ETF (ASX: IIND), Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK), Global X China Technology ETF (ASX: DRGN), Betashares Global Uranium ETF (ASX: URNM), Global X Copper Miners ETF (ASX: WIRE), Betashares Global Energy Companies ETF (ASX: FUEL), Betashares Emerging Markets ETF (ASX: BEMG), BHP Group (ASX: BHP), Pro Medicus (ASX: PME), Macquarie Group (ASX: MQG), Goodman Group (ASX: GMG), Generation Development Group (ASX: GDG), IperionX (ASX: IPX), NextDC (ASX: NXT), Webjet Group (ASX: WJL), Megaport (ASX: MP1), Life360 (ASX: 360), Artrya (ASX: AYA), REA Group (ASX: REA), Karoon Energy (ASX: KAR), Deep Yellow (ASX: DYL), Paladin Energy (ASX: PDN), Lynas Rare Earths (ASX: LYC), Sandfire Resources (ASX: SFR), Pilbara Minerals (ASX: PLS), Mineral Resources (ASX: MIN), 4DMedical (ASX: 4DX), Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX: TLX), Lowell Resources Fund (ASX: LRT), Plato Global Alpha Fund (ASX: PGA1), SK Hynix (KRX: 000660), Samsung Electronics (KRX: 005930), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE: TSM)

Betashares Direct is giving Equity Mates Investing listeners $25 to invest in Betashares ETFs and portfolios. Enter Equitymates once you sign up at betashares.com.au/direct. Visit betashares.com.au to learn more about the Betashares Funds and Betashares Direct. Read the PDS and TMD and consider whether the product is right for you. Betashares Capital Limited is the issuer. T&Cs apply. Investing involves risk. Betashares Capital Ltd (ABN 78 139 566 868 AFSL 341181) is the issuer of the Betashares Funds, as well as Betashares Invest, the IDPS-like scheme available via Betashares Direct. Read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determination, available at www.betashares.com.au, before making an investment decision. This information is general in nature and doesn’t take into account any person’s financial objectives, situation or needs. You should consider its appropriateness taking into account such factors and seek professional financial advice.

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Want to get involved in the podcast? Record a voice note or send us a message

And come and join the conversation in the Equity Mates Facebook Discussion Group.

———

Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.
Keep up with the news moving markets with our daily newsletter and podcast (Apple | Spotify)
We’re particularly excited to share our latest show: Basis Points
Listen to the podcast (Apple | Spotify)
Watch on YouTube
Read the monthly email

———

Looking for some of our favourite research tools?
Download our free Basics of ETF handbook
Or our free 4-step stock checklist
Find company information on TIKR
Research reports from Good Research
Track your portfolio with Sharesight

———

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 unsure, speak to a financial professional. The host 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 and operates under Australian Financial Services licence 540697.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nvidia's Jensen Huang is making headlines for all the wrong reasons, but what does the controversy mean for investors? Bryce & Ren unpack the market reaction, the growing backlash against data centres and why existing operators could emerge as the biggest winners. Two Equity Mates listeners take opposite sides of the superannuation debate: is it better to invest inside or outside super? Then, Luke Laretive returns to Pimp My Portfolio, with some strong opinions on listed investment companies and active managers.

In this episode:
00:00 Sneak Peek: What's Ahead
01:52 Jensen Huang's Controversy & Nvidia's Share Price Reaction
06:35 Data Centre Backlash & NextDC's Remarkable Recovery
10:17 Community Questions: Investing Inside vs Outside Super
15:46 Superannuation Tax Benefits vs Investment Flexibility
18:21 Taking Control of Your Super & Reducing Fees
24:08 Pimp My Portfolio with Luke Laretive
30:29 Luke's Verdict on LICs, Active Managers & Mining Stocks

Stocks & ETFs Mentioned: Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL), NextDC (ASX: NXT), Goodman Group (ASX: GMG), Digital Realty Trust (NYSE: DLR), Betashares Australia 200 ETF (ASX: A200), Australian Foundation Investment Company (ASX: AFI), Washington H. Soul Pattinson (ASX: SOL), Equity Trustees (ASX: EQT), GR Engineering Services (ASX: GNG), Service Stream (ASX: SSM), Glennon Small Companies (ASX: GC1), Prime Financial Group (ASX: PFG), Visa (NYSE: V), Swisscom (SIX: SCMN), Zurich Insurance Group (SIX: ZURN), Airtel Africa (LSE: AAF), Prysmian (BIT: PRY), Mitsubishi Corporation (TSE: 8058), Roche Holding (SIX: ROG), Nestlé (SIX: NESN), Safran (EPA: SAF), VINCI (EPA: DG), RENK Group (ETR: R3NK)

———

Want to get involved in the podcast? Record a voice note or send us a message

And come and join the conversation in the Equity Mates Facebook Discussion Group.

———

Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.
Keep up with the news moving markets with our daily newsletter and podcast (Apple | Spotify)
We’re particularly excited to share our latest show: Basis Points
Listen to the podcast (Apple | Spotify)
Watch on YouTube
Read the monthly email

———

Looking for some of our favourite research tools?
Download our free Basics of ETF handbook
Or our free 4-step stock checklist
Find company information on TIKR
Research reports from Good Research
Track your portfolio with Sharesight

———

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 unsure, speak to a financial professional. The host 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 and operates under Australian Financial Services licence 540697.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What would it take to make work optional by 50? And how do you actually turn decades of investing into an income you can live on? Bryce & Ren are joined by James Wrigley, principal & financial adviser at First Financial and author of Retire Life Ready, to unpack the numbers, strategies and mindset behind early retirement.
From the 20x rule, to minimising tax, managing your mortgage and protecting your portfolio from a market crash, James shares a practical roadmap to financial freedom.

In this episode:
00:00 So You Want to Retire Early? Making Work Optional
03:36 The Reality of Early Retirement: Freedom, Purpose & Lifestyle
11:16 How Much Money Do You Actually Need? The 20x Rule
17:14 The Three Phases of Retirement & How Spending Changes
18:49 Building Your Portfolio: Super, ETFs & Tax-Efficient Investing
25:26 Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage Before Retiring?
28:36 Living Off Your Investments: The Three-Bucket Strategy
33:05 Where to Start & the Biggest Retirement Mistakes to Avoid

If you would like to speak to an adviser head to https://equitymates.com/advice/ and we will put you in touch.

———

Want to get involved in the podcast? Record a voice note or send us a message

And come and join the conversation in the Equity Mates Facebook Discussion Group.

———

Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.
Keep up with the news moving markets with our daily newsletter and podcast (Apple | Spotify)
We’re particularly excited to share our latest show: Basis Points
Listen to the podcast (Apple | Spotify)
Watch on YouTube
Read the monthly email

———

Looking for some of our favourite research tools?
Download our free Basics of ETF handbook
Or our free 4-step stock checklist
Find company information on TIKR
Research reports from Good Research
Track your portfolio with Sharesight

———

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 unsure, speak to a financial professional. The host 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 and operates under Australian Financial Services licence 540697.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

October was a rough month for growth investors, but not every stock got the memo. Bryce & Ren unpack their latest portfolio performance, from big wins in Eli Lilly, Spotify and Pro Medicus to painful drawdowns in Alphabet, TransMedics and Asian tech. They dig into Google's slowing search growth, the future of weight-loss drugs, and a leaked CEO memo that has Ren questioning his investment in Sea Limited.

In this episode:
00:00 October's market wrap: Rate hikes, AI wobbles & global returns
07:19 Portfolio updates: The winners, losers & performance
12:46 Intuitive Surgical: Why Bryce is still buying
13:57 Rule Breaker Investing: Finding great companies
19:27 Alphabet: Is Google's search business in trouble?
22:44 Spotify & Eli Lilly: Growth, GLP-1s & what comes next
27:56 Sea Limited: The leaked memo that has Ren questioning his investment
30:03 Grab & Shopify: Two growth stories worth watching

Stocks & ETFs Mentioned: Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META), NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA), Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY), Spotify (NYSE: SPOT), Pro Medicus (ASX: PME), Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.B), TransMedics (NASDAQ: TMDX), Sea Limited (NYSE: SE), Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG), Hims & Hers Health (NYSE: HIMS), Macquarie Group (ASX: MQG), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE: TSM), SK Hynix (KRX: 000660), Samsung Electronics (KRX: 005930), Shopify (NASDAQ: SHOP), Grab Holdings (NASDAQ: GRAB), Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO), CoreWeave (NASDAQ: CRWV), Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER)

Get started with Sharesight and save 4 months on an annual paid plan: https://www.sharesight.com/equitymates

———

Want to get involved in the podcast? Record a voice note or send us a message

And come and join the conversation in the Equity Mates Facebook Discussion Group.

———

Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.
Keep up with the news moving markets with our daily newsletter and podcast (Apple | Spotify)
We’re particularly excited to share our latest show: Basis Points
Listen to the podcast (Apple | Spotify)
Watch on YouTube
Read the monthly email

———

Looking for some of our favourite research tools?
Download our free Basics of ETF handbook
Or our free 4-step stock checklist
Find company information on TIKR
Research reports from Good Research
Track your portfolio with Sharesight

———

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 unsure, speak to a financial professional. The host 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 and operates under Australian Financial Services licence 540697.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to FinFest Week 2026, proudly brought to you by Betashares. Over the coming week we’re releasing 10 of our favourite sessions, recorded live at FinFest, Australia’s largest finance festival.

Today’s session is The Insurance You Can’t Afford to Ignore with Sonny Lowe, CEO and Managing Director of Sustainable Life Group. Insurance is the part of our finances most of us ignore until it’s too late, so Owen Rask, founder of Rask, sat down with Sonny to help fix that.

Missed a session on the day? We’re getting all 43 FinFest sessions ready to release on our YouTube channel by 30 November.

Want to be there next year? Join the FinFest 2027 waitlist here.

A big thank you to all of our FinFest partners, including this session’s stage sponsor, Sustainable Life.

Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to Finfest
03:06 How Sunny Started
05:22 Why Insurance Feels Personal
07:30 Sonny’s Family Story
10:17 When Income Stops
13:30 Income Protection Explained
15:10 Four Types of Cover
17:42 Insurance Through Super
20:27 Tax and Trauma Cover
23:26 Underwriting and Claims
25:42 Commissions and Advice
28:09 Reviewing Cover Over Time

———

Want to get involved in the podcast? Record a voice note or send us a message

And come and join the conversation in the Equity Mates Facebook Discussion Group.

———

Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.
Keep up with the news moving markets with our daily newsletter and podcast (Apple | Spotify)
We’re particularly excited to share our latest show: Basis Points
Listen to the podcast (Apple | Spotify)
Watch on YouTube
Read the monthly email

———

Looking for some of our favourite research tools?
Download our free Basics of ETF handbook
Or our free 4-step stock checklist
Find company information on TIKR
Research reports from Good Research
Track your portfolio with Sharesight

———

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 unsure, speak to a financial professional. The host 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 and operates under Australian Financial Services licence 540697.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.