The threat of rising inflation, faltering Chinese property markets, and doubts about any economic recovery in a COVID-19 world mean that interest in gold as a safe-haven for Aussie investors is gleaming once again. Gold can be held directly or more conveniently through shares in mining companies, managed funds or themed ETFs. But why does gold remain useful in in a diversified portfolio? And is crypto currency used as a defensive asset taking some of the shine off gold’s reputation? In this epis...
Oct 20, 2021•23 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Australians are paying greater attention to how superannuation is being invested, and also want to have a say in putting their money towards protecting people and our planet. We hear a lot about responsible investing and terms like ESG, carbon emissions trading and negative screening, but what do these terms actually mean, and how does a greener approach affect your overall returns? In this episode of Friends With money, managing editor Julia Newbould is joined by Moya Yip, head of responsible i...
Oct 13, 2021•16 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Australians took charge of their financial habits during coronavirus lockdowns in 2020. They became more frugal, increased their savings and paid down debt, according to new research from the Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA). Those who didn’t made those changes said some basic financial planning could have helped put them in a better position, including building up savings earlier, cutting out non-essential spending, and paying off debt more quickly. To mark Financial Planning W...
Oct 06, 2021•18 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Climate change, ESG investing and the world's changing attitude to carbon emissions are all factors which Australian property investors will need to consider in the next few years with Europe, the US and China all having taken steps around their emissions trading. It may seem that with many of us working from home we are having a smaller carbon footprint by not commuting to the office but while we are all running our own power it's not that simple. What will our new work environment look like - ...
Sep 29, 2021•18 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Aussies are known for being laidback, especially when it comes to their super. But they can’t afford to be ambivalent about their future retirement. So how do funds overcome the myths and the misconceptions, the disinterest and doubt, to get you to genuinely engage with your super? Good returns and low fees are important, but today investors are looking for more. And super funds are having to work harder to win you over. In this episode of Friends With Money, senior journalist David Thornton is ...
Sep 22, 2021•22 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Just as early Ford and GM investors grew rich from the internal combustion engine, the transition to electric vehicles will do the same for newer classes of responsibly charged investments. Global car manufacturing has reached an environmental tipping point, with the most powerful brands investing billions of dollars into transforming the industry. But this is a much bigger story than just Tesla alone. Affordable rechargeable batteries now make it possible to store electricity and harvest renewa...
Sep 15, 2021•25 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Women are retiring with 47% less super than men, so this episode of the Friends With Money podcast is focused on finding out whats going on and how we can fix it. Despite more conversations and greater advocacy around equal pay , the challenges associated with gender wealth disparity still remain. Time out of the work-force raising children , disproportionate representation in part-time retail and hospitality roles, as well as the gender pay gap mean women are also trailing men in superannuation...
Sep 08, 2021•14 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Just what inspires an Aussie teacher to pursue the dream of early retirement? It’s the freedom, flexibility, and the example set by a Canadian-born blogger known as Mr Money Mustache. In successfully retiring from an IT career at 30, he has inspired a growing movement around the world of people who are saving hard and investing now for their ultimate goal: a want a comfortable lifestyle without the 9-5 grind. So how much do you need to retire early? Is it possible on a modest income? And how can...
Sep 01, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 11
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the exchange traded fund (ETF) market in Australia and coincides with a period of incredible growth for these investments over recent years. Going back two decades, who would have thought that a tradable basket of securities would become one of the most innovative and sought-after products for Australian investors? Many financial advisers now recommend ETFs to their clients as part of a balanced portfolio strategy, and individual investors can gain cost ef...
Aug 25, 2021•19 min•Season 1Ep. 10
How do you pivot from building sets for Ninja Warrior to producing desks for a nation stuck working from home? More than a third of Aussie businesses have struggled financially since COVID-19 restrictions began last year, with small businesses in particular under pressure just to stay afloat. As our lifestyles and shopping habits have changed, many of these businesses have also found themselves branching into new projects. In this episode of the Friends With Money podcast, Julia Newbould is join...
Aug 18, 2021•14 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Super. We all have it and should all be doing our best to look after it. For the most part, our thoughts revolve around how much we actually have in our superannuation accounts, how much it has grown over time, or where it is invested. Then there are the benefits of organising insurance through your super, the life insurance component of which can represent a large sum of money intended to look after those left behind. But who can you nominate as a super beneficiary? What if you’re single, widow...
Aug 11, 2021•22 min•Season 1Ep. 8
More than just a billionaire’s playground, space offers investment opportunities along the entire supply chain, from government defence spending right through to Australia’s bread and butter, mining. According to KPMG, Australia's space industry will provide fertile ground for retail investors, who can already gain exposure through superannuation funds and ETFs. In this episode of Friends With Money, David Thornton is joined by Mike Kalms - lead partner for defence and space industry at KPMG Aus...
Aug 04, 2021•19 min•Season 1Ep. 7
People tend to see financial advisers as they near retirement, but the reality is that many gen X, millenials and even gen Zs can benefit from advice when making life's big decisions such as starting a new job, getting married, buying a house or investing for a secure future. After seeing a gap in the market needing advice in navigating through life stages, Glen Hare and business partner Jessica Brady built on their experience working for big financial firms and formed Fox and Hare, their own fi...
Jul 28, 2021•20 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Contracts for difference, also known as CFDs, are derivative investments that have long been used by professional investors to gain leveraged exposure to a broad range of securities. More recently, with an increase in the number of direct market access in the retail market they have soared in popularity with investors seeking strong returns. But are the risks really worth the rewards? In this episode of Friends With Money David Thornton is joined by Peter Campbell, senior financial adviser at Me...
Jul 21, 2021•19 min•Season 1Ep. 5
With the advent of 5G as the next generation of broadband technology, the way we work, play and even invest is set to be fundamentally revolutionised. At a basic level, this kind of generational change in technology means greater bandwidth and a vast increase in data speed to go with it. The benefits for domestic use are clear, particularly as COVID-19 changes how the world communicates. But there are also much broader implications for both government and commercial settings with enormous potent...
Jul 14, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Fashion industry icon Colleen Callander is a "leader by design", which happens to be the title of her new book. She believes leadership is something everyone can learn. In her book she shares her insights from 30 years in retail, including 13 years as CEO of popular fashion brands. Her experience runs from leaving school at 16 to suffering burnout from her workaholic ways to moving up the ladder and not being afraid to ask for her worth. Callander left the retail world in 2019 to experience the ...
Jul 09, 2021•24 min•Season 1Ep. 3
“31 degrees. Sun on my face. Sand between my toes. Life was pretty relaxed as we lay on a beach in Kos, in the Greek Islands. It was 2016 and Mina and I were relishing a six- month break from Australia.” What a hook – isn’t it the dream – to be able to retire to a Greek island? The couple thought they’d hit the jackpot, retiring from your day job at age 28 owning 25 residential and commercial properties scattered across four states. On this episode of the Friends With Money podcast, host and Edi...
Jul 05, 2021•31 min•Season 1Ep. 2
According to a growing number of Australians, many of whom are millennials, there is more to life than working flat-out, earning and spending, piling on debt, and consuming voraciously. They want financial freedom and more happiness from following their passions and interests by leading a simple life and saving hard to reach early retirement. These people are followers of the popular personal finance FIRE movement - which stands for financial independence, retire early - who save rigorously, inv...
Jul 05, 2021•41 min•Season 1Ep. 1
We all have questions about money; how to earn it, how to spend it, and the best ways to invest so we can watch it grow. The Friends With Money podcast, created by Money Magazine (Australia’s longest-running and most-read personal finance magazine), shares its extensive network of finance experts, in-depth knowledge of markets and timely advice to help you understand the world of money. Hosted by senior writer, Tom Watson, and editor-in-chief, Michelle Baltazar, Friends With Money is a weekly ch...
Jun 24, 2021•32 sec
