Financial Autonomy

You might have a retirement age in mind and a rough idea of what you'd like to do once you finish work. The harder part is working out what that life will cost and whether your savings can cover it. 

In this episode, Paul Benson walks through seven questions to answer as you build your retirement plan. You'll look at when you'd like the option to stop working, what you want to do with your time and which expenses you'll need to allow for. As you listen, see which questions you can answer now and which need more work. 

Inside this episode 

What to ask yourself if you want the freedom to retire but can't picture handing in your notice yet 


The two questions that can keep retirement planning in the too-hard basket for years 


What people tell Paul a year after they retire that they probably wouldn't have believed while they were still working 


What can slip through the cracks when you plan around a monthly retirement income 


A quick way to find the part of your retirement plan that needs the most thought 


DOWNLOAD THE FREE RETIREMENT READINESS GUIDE: Our free guide takes you through these seven questions in more detail to help you see what you've figured out and what still needs a plan. 

Download the free Retirement Readiness Guide 

Visit our website here: https://www.guidancefs.com.au/ and you can also find all our links here. 

General advice disclaimer

What if you could take every Friday off without taking the hit to your bank account you've been imagining?
A 4 day work week sounds pretty good, but then you think about the mortgage, how much you're putting away for retirement and whether your boss would still expect you to get the same amount done. Suddenly, four days feels like something you'll do one day.
Before you put it off for another year, listen to what happened when Paul ran the numbers on a move from five days to four. The figure he landed on might change what you think a day off would cost you. And there's one conversation worth having before you agree to a smaller pay packet.
Inside this episode
What a 20% salary cut could actually look like in your bank account
The cost of an extra day off that's easy to miss when you're doing the sums
Whether working less now could change when you can afford to retire
What to negotiate so you get the day off without cramming five days of work into four
WANT TO KNOW IF YOU COULD AFFORD TO WORK LESS?
If you're thinking about dropping a day, we can help you work out what it would mean for your budget now and your retirement plans down the track. Book an appointment with Guidance Financial Services.


IN YOUR 30s OR 40s AND WANT TO SET YOUR FINANCES UP PROPERLY?
The decisions you make today could have a big impact on when you can retire and the lifestyle you can afford.
Our Wealth Builder service helps you make smarter decisions about your super, investments and mortgage, with a personalised plan to build wealth and create more financial freedom.
Learn more about Wealth Builder and see how we can help you get ahead.


Visit our website here: https://www.guidancefs.com.au/ and you can also find all our links here. 

General advice disclaimer

Have you missed the boat on AI stocks, or is the market getting ahead of itself? The Anthropic IPO puts both instincts to the test. How much are investors willing to pay today for what they think AI will earn tomorrow? The answer could matter to your super and ETFs even if you have zero interest in buying Anthropic shares. 

In the first Financial Autonomy in Conversation, Nick Donato reckons Claude could become as hard for businesses to give up as Excel. Paul Benson asks what it costs Anthropic every time someone uses it. That's where the debate gets interesting. 

Inside this episode 

Why Anthropic would go public with so much cash in the bank, and who might be keen for it to happen 


The difference between Claude becoming a tool people swear by and Anthropic becoming an investment that pays off 


The question about Claude's growth that leaves Nick lost for words 


Is Anthropic becoming the next Apple or the next BlackBerry 


How you could end up with a stake in Anthropic without putting in an order 


What to look for beyond the first-day share price if you want to know what the IPO could mean for the investments you already own 


Want help making the most of your super and investments? 

At Guidance Financial Services, we help you make decisions about your super and investments based on what you want your money to make possible. Whether you're building wealth or getting ready to retire, we can help you work out what makes sense for you. We don't have investment products to sell. 

Book your appointment here. 

Visit our website here https://www.guidancefs.com.au/ and you can also find all our links here. 

General advice disclaimer

You've been working for years, but between the mortgage, raising kids and everything else life has thrown at you, retirement still feels a long way off. Have you left it too late to get where you want to be?
Perhaps you're earning decent money but haven't managed to put much aside. Or a divorce has left you rebuilding finances you thought were settled. You want to know whether a comfortable retirement is still possible, and what would actually make a difference now.
In this Financial Autonomy Essentials episode, Paul explores the choices available when you feel financially behind, including the story of a single mum who couldn't see how she'd afford to retire until they worked through her numbers.
In this episode:
What could make the biggest difference if you're playing catch-up

How to weigh up finishing work sooner against having more to spend

Whether your retirement income target is making things harder than they need to be

Why being cautious with your super could work against you

What else could help fund retirement beyond your savings

If you've been putting off retirement planning because you're worried about what you'll find, this is a good place to start.
WILL YOU HAVE ENOUGH TO RETIRE?
Find out when you could afford to retire, what life could look like and how to make the most of the years between now and then. Talk to Guidance about your retirement plans.


IN YOUR 30s OR 40s AND WANT TO SET YOUR FINANCES UP PROPERLY?
The decisions you make today could have a big impact on when you can retire and the lifestyle you can afford.
Our Wealth Builder service helps you make smarter decisions about your super, investments and mortgage, with a personalised plan to build wealth and create more financial freedom.
Learn more about Wealth Builder and see how we can help you get ahead.


Visit our website here: https://www.guidancefs.com.au/ and you can also find all our links here. 

General advice disclaimer

You don't want to get swept up in the AI hype. But you don't want to look back in ten years and realise you dismissed something enormous, either. 

So when you hear predictions about robot workers, driverless cities and data centres in space, should you be excited, sceptical or a little of both? 

After hearing from Cathie Wood, founder of ARK Invest, Nick and Paul unpack the bold predictions in ARK's Big Ideas report. Some could change how we work, live and invest. Others depend on an awful lot going right. 

But the most interesting question might be what happens if even some of them come true. 

Inside this episode: 

Is the excitement around AI getting ahead of reality — or is reality about to surprise us? 


Could the next wave of technology buy us something more valuable than money? 


The bold forecasts that have Paul optimistic and Nick asking questions 


Why the next big AI story might not be the one you're watching 


Can you believe in the future without buying into the hype? 


Before you decide it's all a bubble, hear what could come next. 

WANT HELP MAKING SENSE OF YOUR INVESTMENT OPTIONS? Book an appointment with Guidance here. 

Visit our website here: https://www.guidancefs.com.au/ and you can also find all our links here. 

General advice disclaimer