Today’s special Summer Series guest didn’t have a typical childhood. Growing up with a scarcity mindset, Maryanne and her siblings lived in an environment where food was scarce and at a young age, were placed into foster care. Then, at just 14 years old, she started making her own way in the world. If you can’t tell already folks, today's Summer Series story is an incredible tale of breakthrough and deciding “It's not where you’re from, it’s where you’re going”. From developing her own money man...
Jan 19, 2023•56 min
Growing up on a rice and cattle farm that would later sell due to Bankruptcy ... The circumstances that Dale, today’s special Summer Series guest, grew up in are drastically different to the financial outlook he has today. With 6 investment properties under his belt (with more to potentially come) and an early retirement on the cards, how did he make this complete 360, mind-blowing transformation?? From buying his FIRST share at the age of 15 (yep. You read that right!) to the pivotal point wher...
Jan 12, 2023•1 hr 17 min
We’ve all had big nights out where the next morning…we cringe, sigh and peek at our bank account with a feeling of dread. But what happens when this is your life every weekend?! This was sadly the story of David, today’s awesome Summer Series guest. Once a “weekend millionaire” who funnelled all his money into living for the weekend and getting bailed out by the bank of mum and dad, it wasn’t until he went across the world and had some life-changing experiences that he had his “a-ha” moment. Tun...
Jan 05, 2023•1 hr 13 min
Have you ever had just $336 to your name? Half of today’s Summer Series duo has. As our last episode of 2022, we’re closing out the year with a seriously phenomenal Summer Series Story. Meet Mathew and Olivia – our first and only couple in our 2022/23 Summer Series!! Raised in two very different backgrounds, this couple had 2 very different expectations around money management and investing... With one a spender and the other a reformed saver, tune in to discover how this couple has settled thei...
Dec 29, 2022•1 hr 10 min
As our LAST Episode before Christmas, we’ve got a super heart-warming money transformation in store! 🎄🎅🎁 Meet Jack: a 29-year-old teacher who grew up on Sydney’s northern beaches. From happily living at home, spending his days teaching and his spare time surfing, his world was turned upside down at the age of 25. As this special Summer Series Guest says, “I felt like I'd lost my safety net.” Suddenly with no backup plan and no clarity about his financial future, he knew he had to make a chang...
Dec 22, 2022•1 hr 7 min
“I worked hard my entire life and I had nothing to show for it...” Folks these are the words from today’s super special guest before she began her complete financial and self-described personal transformation. Born into an amazing family with terrible money management...Jessica learned the value of being financially independent of a young age. So how did she end up selling the first house she built...with multiple debts...and “walking away with nothing...”?! Tune in to find out now and discover ...
Dec 15, 2022•1 hr 10 min
“Some days, I had to choose between feeding the kids and driving them 27km to school...” Folks, some stories are just so insanely awe-inspiring and jaw-dropping that it's hard not to listen to it twice (or three times!). The story that today’s Summer Series Guest is sharing with us, is one of them. Meet Mandy: a champion mum from the remote town of Forbes. Growing up with absolutely NO money conversations around the table, she was constantly in “the bottom percentile” at school and at just 18, b...
Dec 08, 2022•1 hr 24 min
As we start to close out the year that was, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has just released its last official cash rate for 2022! As global economic outlook shifts to a more “positive” note with the US and Australia seeming to have escaped a recession, have we just received another early Christmas present from the RBA? Tune in to find out if the cash rate has been paused for the first time in 7 months, plus these 3 other key themes in this month’s economic update: The slowing of interest r...
Dec 07, 2022•49 min
It’s finally here folks. It’s the time of the year we’ve all been waiting for (that’s almost better than Christmas 😉). Today we’re kickstarting the VERY FIRST episode of our 2022-23 Summer Series!!! And boy do we have a FANTASTIC lineup of guests for our 5th Summer Series, each with their own absolutely amazing, jaw-dropping stories which are all about this year’s theme… What Drove You To Act? From their origin story to their darkest-before-dawn moments to their “rising from the ashes”, we’re k...
Dec 01, 2022•1 hr 14 min
“Property is a voting machine in the short term and a weighing machine in the long term.” Folks, these words form the beginning of one of our most important episodes (and also our LAST formal episode for 2022!! But don’t worry, we’ve got an AMAZING Summer Series coming at you next week. But back to this week…) In light of the rising housing values, we’ve heard SO many people say, “Surely property prices can’t go up anymore?!?” And this is exactly what we’re speaking to when we’re divulging… What...
Nov 24, 2022•1 hr 45 min
Saving for a home deposit. With high housing values and a steadily rising cost of living, saving for that first big leap onto the property ladder can seem daunting to some and impossible to others. Here to part the sea of confusion and simplify home deposits, we’ve got a fantastic number of guests on the couch (In fact, this is the MOST guests we’ve had on at a single time ). Free Stuff Mentioned… Want help with your home deposit? See how our award-winning team, Empower Wealth can help! Book a f...
Nov 17, 2022•1 hr 32 min
Property is a game of finance just as much as it is a game of bricks and mortar. But what happens when this bricks and mortar – and the cost to put it all together – starts to cost too much?! From rising labour costs to widespread material shortages, we’ll be exploring why the industry has ended up in its current state, when we can expect things to “normalise”, and answering the BIG question… Should you delay building?! And if you’re already building….what should you do to ensure the best result...
Nov 10, 2022•1 hr 13 min
We’re back with another mega-exciting Q&A Day that speaks to the Psychology of Investing, especially in an environment with rising costs and interest rates . From the common mindset blocks that investors face (like loss aversion and sunk cost) to how you can carve a path for yourself when you just don’t know what to do next. We’re unpacking why investing isn’t for everyone, the Quality of Living trade-offs, how and why you’d want to split your variable and fixed rates and tons more wisdom! F...
Nov 03, 2022•1 hr 11 min
While the race that stops a nation will have the eyes of Australians everywhere today, another decision drawing just as much interest has been released. In the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) November release – which happens to coincide with Victoria’s Melbourne Cup Day – Ben breaks down our seventh consecutive rate hike from the data behind this decision to how can we, as consumers, can curb interest rates. And, of course, it’s not a monthly RBA update unless it’s jam-packed! We’ll hear Ben e...
Nov 01, 2022•51 min
One of the biggest derailers for any investor is… Procrastination . So how can you avoid falling into this trap?! Folks this week we’re back with another super-exciting, real Case Study about Annabelle & Jamie (Pstt – These are fake names!). Tune in now to discover the sequencing that Annabelle & Jamie can take to still make this dream a reality, and the frameworks and property plan that’ll stop them from falling into the procrastination trap (or from making more costly mistakes) ever ag...
Oct 27, 2022•1 hr 9 min
Passing on interest rates to tenants. Updating property plans. The future of price growth and… Restructuring your mortgage (is Line of Credit still the best?!) Yep. Folks, we’re back with another ultra-packed Q&A session that’s all about being smart with your money in an unpredictable market. Give it a listen now to get the facts and cut through the noise! Free Stuff Mentioned… Want to be on The Couch? We’re calling all potential 2022/23 Summer Series Guests! If you’d like to share your stor...
Oct 20, 2022•1 hr 2 min
Let's welcome back CoreLogic’s Research Division Founder, Tim Lawless! As Executive Research Director of CoreLogic, Tim heads up a team of analysts in Australia and New Zealand, reporting on property market conditions and the interplay between economic and demographic forces (phew talk about wide coverage!). Free Stuff Mentioned… Want to be on The Couch? We’re calling all potential 2022/23 Summer Series Guests! If you’d like to share your story, reach out to Stig here (We’d love to hear from you...
Oct 13, 2022•1 hr 11 min
With the turbulent state of today’s markets, it’s no surprise that there’s been a lot of noise around the future of Australia’s market and what it means for investors. With many conflicting trends and numbers — and a lack of clarity around the origins of Australia’s inflation — it’s hard to know what remedy is needed from the Reserve Bank of Australia or how to keep successfully investing in such markets. In Part 2 of this educational series, Ben Kingsley, Managing Director of Empower Wealth and...
Oct 11, 2022•32 min
Folks, in honesty, today’s guest needs no introduction – although we’re still going to give him one… A proud husband and father to 7 kids, please welcome to the couch… The Hon Dominic Perrottet MP , NSW Premier and Member for Epping in the NSW Legislative Assembly!!!! Together, we’re pulling back the curtain on NSW’s newest property reforms, and examining his role in the scrapping of Queensland’s diabolical land tax! From solving the impending housing affordability crisis to helping everyday Aus...
Oct 06, 2022•48 min
Overnight Update: This video was filmed & produced before the UK’s mini-budget was scrapped. Folks, Ben’s RBA Monthly Update doesn’t get much bigger than this… The Reserve Bank of Australia has once again lifted interest rates, property market sentiment is shifting fast, and despite all, Australia’s retail spending remains at record high levels. Tune in now to find out if we have finally broken the 50 basis point hike rate trend as we slowly rise above a neutral cash rate. Meanwhile, on the ...
Oct 04, 2022•1 hr 2 min
Want to know what’s actually going on with Australia’s anxiety-inducing rental crisis ? Or where the market is really heading (based on insider’s data and knowledge?!) Well, folks, we’ve got an extremely wise and exciting guest sitting on the couch today to share just this! Please welcome…. Eleanor Creagh! She is the Senior Economist at REA Group (the brains behind realestate.com.au) and is a trusted financial commentator. Specialising in property, financial markets and macroeconomic policy, she...
Sep 29, 2022•1 hr 17 min
IMPORTANT NOTE: This recording was filmed and produced before Queensland’s Land Tax was scrapped. With a number of policy changes on the cards, in our third episode of “Talking Property Tax with Julia Hartman,” Ben and Julia cover… Salary Sacrificing For Cars: How do Salary Sacrificing and Novated Leases work? Plus, how can you tell if either is beneficial for you? Electric Vehicles – What are the changes to Federal Government’s policy and when is the best time to buy? Private Health Insurance –...
Sep 25, 2022•1 hr 1 min
Folks often believe that it isn’t possible to achieve everything they want in life. But what if, with the right sequencing and frameworks…it was possible to tick off everything on your bucket list?! Starting off with an investment property that isn’t faring so well but with 2 steady incomes, we uncover how – through the power of frameworks, sequencing and paper trading – they can achieve ALL their life goals. So how will they do it?! Listen now to find out! Free Stuff Mentioned… PIPA’s 2022 Brea...
Sep 22, 2022•1 hr 7 min
To sell, or not to sell, that is the question being asked by Queensland’s property investors. We’re back with yet another gigantic Q&A, involving one of the most contested issues in Australia’s property market: Queensland’s New Land Tax. We’ll be revealing the realistic options that property investors have and as Bryce says, how to defeat “the monsters under the bed” when it comes to scary situations like this. And we balance out these topical questions with some evergreen challenges faced b...
Sep 15, 2022•1 hr 10 min
Have you ever wondered if there’s a “right” way – or smart life hack – to pay off debts? Like is it better to pay off your investment property….before your Principal Place of Residence ?! Well folks, we have just the Q&A for you today where we tackle this very question and answer: Does this really shave off any debt?!? At the core of this Q&A is how folks can maximise their opportunities and be money smart… From renting your home as a holiday house to transferring a negatively geared pro...
Sep 08, 2022•1 hr 2 min
Inflation is at a 20-year high at 6.1% – and continuing to rise. So how has the Reserve Bank of Australia responded to its September cash rate? Tune in to find out and uncover if Australia’s cash hikes are set to slow down soon…or if the RBA’s new forecast reveals otherwise. Across the globe, the inflation story continues to unfold and trade tensions between Russia and the Eurozone simmer. We see oil prices and energy suppliers shifting which leaves the question: How will it impact Australia? Pl...
Sep 06, 2022•47 min
Market sentiment is in a hairy place. Every day costs are rising , people are worried and purse strings are being pulled tighter. So how can you make sure you’re not leaving any money on the table? Well, from our experience, one of the biggest “money pits” people fall into is their mortgage loans. Specifically, folks don’t know how to find – and maintain – the best rate for them. Here’s the deal… When folks first start with their mortgages, all the banks are jumping with great offers. But it’s w...
Sep 01, 2022•1 hr 21 min
Folks — full disclosure — today’s episode was NOT originally in the plan. Today you’ll be listening to Bryce interviewing Ben Kingsley as the Chair of the Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PICA) on Australia’s greatest renter’s tax ever introduced . Free Stuff Mentioned… Complete PIPA’s 2022 Sentiment Survey: Let us know your experiences and have your voice heard on issues such as QLD’s Land Tax. This is perhaps the most important Sentiment Survey ever done – Click here to complete...
Aug 25, 2022•1 hr 29 min
With higher interest rates and tighter budgets on the forecast, some folks have been left wondering… “How does lifting interest rates – when everything is already so expensive – actually help with inflation??” And for today’s episode – what do interest rates and inflation have to broccoli and property?! To answer this, we’re holding a special 101-crash course in inflation to explain why the Reserve Bank of Australia has taken its course of action and Ben dovetails it all together to demystify ho...
Aug 18, 2022•1 hr 14 min
Continuing from last week’s episode, we’re back with PART 2 of Do You Need a Buyers Agent in Today’s Market? As we’ve said since our earliest podcast episodes, folks end up paying in 1 of 4 ways , and choosing to work with a Buyers Agent means you’re also choosing to pay in the best way… (especially in today’s market, you don’t want to be paying in any of the other ways…) This week we’ll be diving deeper into this concept and unpacking the 5 benefits that Buyers Agents bring to property hunters ...
Aug 11, 2022•1 hr 32 min
