78. Case Study: Should we buy or keep renting on the path to FIRE?

78. Case Study: Should we buy or keep renting on the path to FIRE?

When your landlord puts the property up for sale, the rent vs. buy question stops being theoretical. For Shyann and her husband, that moment became the push they needed to make a decision they'd been circling for a while. In this case study episode, Shyann walks through how she and her husband approached one of the biggest financial decisions a FIRE-chasing couple can make, and what it actually looked like once they got the keys. They cover: 👉 Why security and long-term control tipped the scales toward buying over rentvesting 👉 How they funded the purchase on a strong combined income while keeping their investment strategy intact 👉 The trade-offs in choosing a home that fit the life they were planning, not just the budget they had 👉 Managing mortgage anxiety when one income might shrink after starting a family 👉 What actually happens when you move into a renovated home and the plumbing has other ideas Is buying always the right move for someone on the path to FIRE? And how do you keep building toward financial independence when a mortgage is suddenly in the mix? Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/aussiefirepodcast/] Watch on Youtube [https://youtube.com/@aussiefirepodcast?si=ECenJH2w2AoZFTDb] Ask a Question [https://airtable.com/appm1Qj814tgX3I0O/shr50DPEI7iKsbNrG] FI Case Study Request Form [https://airtable.com/appm1Qj814tgX3I0O/pagP8jSwwyeYskjRk/form] Pearler [https://pearler.com/] Strong Money Australia [https://strongmoneyaustralia.com/] Original Aussie FIRE e-book [https://pearler.com/explore/learn/blog/category/aussie-fire-ebook] Dave's books on Amazon [https://www.amazon.com.au/stores/author/B0BNL7WHM6] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/author/0XP2oVmixNv9sVfUd5riI6] Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide [https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

77. FIRE Later vs. Living Now

Today Hayden & Dave are unpacking an email they received from a listener. He's 29, originally from the UK, drives trucks for a living and keeps moving on after a year or two because the passion just isn't there. He loves to travel, wants to build wealth, but struggles to commit to investing when the next adventure feels a lot more appealing to him. He also lost his brother 13 years ago, which has really changed his outlook on things. They cover: 👉 Why losing a loved one can make the "now vs. later" question so much harder to answer 👉 The problem with expecting your job to be a source of passion (and what to expect instead) 👉 A simple mental framework for deciding whether spending & living today is actually worth it 👉 How to stop thinking about life choices as all-or-nothing trade-offs 👉 Whether the rise of AI is a reason to bunker down financially, or something else entirely If you've ever felt the pull between building for the future and not wanting to miss the present, this one's worth a listen. Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/aussiefirepodcast/] Watch on Youtube [https://youtube.com/@aussiefirepodcast?si=ECenJH2w2AoZFTDb] Ask a Question [https://airtable.com/appm1Qj814tgX3I0O/shr50DPEI7iKsbNrG] FI Case Study Request Form [https://airtable.com/appm1Qj814tgX3I0O/pagP8jSwwyeYskjRk/form] Pearler [https://pearler.com/] Strong Money Australia [https://strongmoneyaustralia.com/] Original Aussie FIRE e-book [https://pearler.com/explore/learn/blog/category/aussie-fire-ebook] Dave's books on Amazon [https://www.amazon.com.au/stores/author/B0BNL7WHM6] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/author/0XP2oVmixNv9sVfUd5riI6] Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide [https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

76. Should your portfolio change as you approach FI?

In this episode, Hayden and Dave dig into one of the most overlooked parts of the FI journey: what to do with your investments as you get closer to pulling the trigger. Does your strategy need to change? And if so, when and how? They cover: 👉 Whether you actually need to de-risk your portfolio before retiring, or whether it's just a psychological thing 👉 The difference between accumulation and drawdown, and why the same portfolio can feel very different depending on which phase you're in 👉 Cash buffers, offset accounts and other ways to protect yourself from selling at the wrong time 👉 How paying off debt fits into a pre-retirement strategy and what it does for your cash flow certainty 👉 Growth ETFs vs. income ETFs: does the distinction actually matter when you're drawing down? 👉 What Dave is doing with his own portfolio Free calculator here to work out your CGT with the new proposed changes. [https://budget-2026.pearler.com/] Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/aussiefirepodcast/] Watch on Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCawTJqVVTHz5tfHdmU-UNMA] Ask a Question [https://airtable.com/appm1Qj814tgX3I0O/shr50DPEI7iKsbNrG] FI Case Study Request Form [https://airtable.com/appm1Qj814tgX3I0O/pagP8jSwwyeYskjRk/form] Pearler [https://pearler.com/] Strong Money Australia [https://strongmoneyaustralia.com/] Original Aussie FIRE e-book [https://pearler.com/explore/learn/blog/category/aussie-fire-ebook] Dave's books on Amazon [https://www.amazon.com.au/stores/author/B0BNL7WHM6] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/author/0XP2oVmixNv9sVfUd5riI6] Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide [https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

75. A Final Word on the Budget: How We're Thinking About it Now

The episode was updated on the 30th of May to remove some comments around assumptions around tax losses in the new budget if an asset underperforms inflation, as well as removing some comments around tax deductions which were oversimplified. The dust has (somewhat) settled on the Federal Budget, and Hayden and Dave are back to go beyond the initial reactions. This week they dig into the real numbers, the philosophical tensions behind the changes, and what investors should actually be doing differently (if anything). They cover: 👉 If and how our investing strategies will change 👉 How the CGT changes hit a sell-down strategy versus a dividend/income strategy differently 👉 Why the two-phase super strategy takes a bigger hit than most people realise 👉 The case for semi-retirement over full FIRE under the new rules 👉 Whether continuing to invest is still worth it when the rules keep shifting Plus, is the budget actually doing anything meaningful for housing supply? And what does the 30% floor really mean for someone trying to live off their portfolio? Free calculator here to work out your CGT with the new proposed changes. [https://budget-2026.pearler.com/] Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/aussiefirepodcast/] Watch on Youtube [youtube.com/channel/UCawTJqVVTHz5tfHdmU-UNMA/] Ask a Question [https://airtable.com/appm1Qj814tgX3I0O/shr50DPEI7iKsbNrG] FI Case Study Request Form [https://airtable.com/appm1Qj814tgX3I0O/pagP8jSwwyeYskjRk/form] Pearler [https://pearler.com/] Strong Money Australia [https://strongmoneyaustralia.com/] Original Aussie FIRE e-book [https://pearler.com/explore/learn/blog/category/aussie-fire-ebook] Dave's books on Amazon [https://www.amazon.com.au/stores/author/B0BNL7WHM6] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/author/0XP2oVmixNv9sVfUd5riI6] Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide [https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

74. The Budget: What it actually means for investors

The Australian federal budget just dropped and there is a lot to unpack. Hayden and Dave dig into the changes that matter most for everyday investors and the FIRE community, cutting through the political noise to focus on what actually affects your money. They cover: 👉 The switch from the 50% CGT discount to indexation 👉 The surprise 30% minimum tax floor on capital gains that nobody saw coming, and who it really hits 👉 Why the "death of debt recycling" narrative doing the rounds online misses the point entirely 👉 Negative gearing changes, what's grandfathered, what's not, and who actually benefits 👉 How growth vs. dividend investing strategies stack up under the new rules 👉 Whether super just became a lot more attractive overnight 👉 The six year exemption loophole that rentvesting fans will want to know about There are still plenty of details being worked out in Canberra, exemptions being carved out, and edge cases nobody has good answers to yet, but these are our thoughts so far. Free calculator here to work out your CGT with the new proposed changes. [https://budget-2026.pearler.com/] Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/aussiefirepodcast/] Watch on Youtube [youtube.com/channel/UCawTJqVVTHz5tfHdmU-UNMA/] Ask a Question [https://airtable.com/appm1Qj814tgX3I0O/shr50DPEI7iKsbNrG] FI Case Study Request Form [https://airtable.com/appm1Qj814tgX3I0O/pagP8jSwwyeYskjRk/form] Pearler [https://pearler.com/] Strong Money Australia [https://strongmoneyaustralia.com/] Original Aussie FIRE e-book [https://pearler.com/explore/learn/blog/category/aussie-fire-ebook] Dave's books on Amazon [https://www.amazon.com.au/stores/author/B0BNL7WHM6] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/author/0XP2oVmixNv9sVfUd5riI6] Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial situation needs, or objectives, so consider whether it’s appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking professional advice before making any financial decision. Pearler is an Authorised Representative #1281540 of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL #337927. Read the FSG available from https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide [https://pearler.com/financial-services-guide] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.