Your home isn’t just where you live — it can also be a powerful asset in your long-term financial plan. In this episode, we look at how shifting your housing as your life changes can open up smart strategies to build wealth and strengthen your retirement outlook. From understanding how property values tend to hold up in Australia, to making the most of tax-free gains and superannuation opportunities, you’ll learn how to turn a necessary life transition into a financial win. If you're thinking about your next move — whether it's upsizing, downsizing, or planning for the future — this one’s for you. Subscribe to our weekly GainingCHOICE email General advice disclaimer
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7:59
What is a Wrap and When Do They Make Sense?
This week, we're unpacking a real-world financial dilemma: one person's uneasy experience after being advised to move her super from a large industry fund into something she'd never heard of—a wrap account. So… what exactly is a wrap? And when (if ever) should you consider one for your superannuation or investments? Join me as I explain: What wrap accounts are and how they work The pros, cons, and costs compared to mainstream super funds When wraps make sense—and when they don’t How to spot potential conflicts of interest in financial advice Whether you're nearing retirement or just trying to make sense of your investment options, this episode will give you the clarity to navigate wrap facilities with confidence. Subscribe to our weekly GainingCHOICE email General advice disclaimer
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7:48
How Much Super Do I Need?
It’s one of the most common retirement questions—how much super is enough? In this episode, we explore how to estimate your retirement needs based on lifestyle, spending habits, and travel plans. You'll walk away with practical tips to start shaping a retirement plan that actually fits you. Subscribe to our weekly GainingCHOICE email General advice disclaimer
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9:42
Is it Time to Use the Equity in your Home to Build Wealth?
With interest rates starting to fall, is there an opportunity to utilise the equity in your home for investment purposes and accelerate your wealth creation? It's something we're certainly evaluating with several of our clients, so I thought I'd share with you today our current thinking. Subscribe to our weekly GainingCHOICE email General advice disclaimer
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8:23
Goals are Essential, but Don't Miss this Next Step
When we head off on vacation we don't barrel off down the highway, pull up at some random point hours or days down the road, and camp out for the next fortnight. When we depart for our holiday, we know our destination. Clarity on the location of our holiday is essential so that we know what to pack, whether it's affordable, and whether we're likely to be happy when we get there. In a financial planning context, clarity as to your goals is the essential element for success. There are plenty of potential investment pathways that could be followed. Selecting the one that's right for you very much depends on the destination that you are hoping to arrive at. A suitable financial planning strategy for someone whose goal is to have the option of retirement at age 60 would look quite different to someone whose goal was to be able to work two days per week whilst their children were in primary school. So, when it comes to financial planning, goals are essential. But goals alone are not enough. There is one extra step that is required for success. Subscribe to our weekly GainingCHOICE email General Advice Disclaimer
Plenty of books, podcasts and blogs focus on building wealth – and that’s great, as far as it goes. But focusing just on wealth misses the point.
I believe what most of us actually want is to have choice.
Choice in how much time we give to income-producing activities.
Choice about what those income-producing activities are.
Choice about where we live.
Choice about when we retire.
Choice about the ways we use our money to produce happiness.
In the Financial Autonomy podcast, I explore the different ways you can gain choice - from investing in stocks to becoming self-employed, starting a side hustle, or buying an investment property. I share learnings I've gained working with clients for over 20 years as a Certified Financial Planner, and interview others with interesting insights or experiences in gaining choice in life.
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