Aussie FIRE | Financial Independence Retire Early

Most people sit firmly on one side of the property versus shares fence. Dave Gow spent 15-plus years on both, building a property portfolio, hitting the borrowing ceiling, then selling down to fund the ETF portfolio he now lives off. In this episode Hayden puts him through a barrage of listener-style questions on how the transition actually works, and why most property investors have never honestly audited their returns.In this episode we'll discuss:💸 Why the property-only plan stalled: maxed-out borrowing capacity, and cash flow forecasts that looked grim even with the properties paid off💸 The mechanics of the switch: sell a property, park the lump sum in an offset, live off part of it, and dollar cost average the rest into ETFs over a couple of years💸 Why holding maximum debt while living off your portfolio rarely works, even when the maths of leverage looks appealing💸 Surviving the brutal years: Perth rents falling while expenses rose, negative cash flow on a falling asset, and why Dave banked on mean reversion💸 The self-delusion audit: anchoring to purchase price and forgetting stamp duty, holding costs, selling fees and CGT. "I bought for 600 and sold for a million" rarely means what people think💸 Why leverage only works when returns clearly beat the cost of servicing it, and why interest rates and timing matter more than the property you pick💸 How much you need to retire via property: roughly 30 to 35 times annual expenses instead of 25, to cover selling costs and tax on the way through💸 Which property to sell first: most equity, strongest market, worst cash flow, and the psychology trap of always keeping the recent winner💸 Dave's contrarian take on Melbourne: why the unloved market (with some land, away from apartment oversupply) might be the interesting oneFollow us on InstagramWatch on YoutubeAsk a QuestionFI Case Study Request FormPearlerStrong Money AustraliaOriginal Aussie FIRE e-bookDave's books on Amazon and SpotifyDisclaimerAny 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

Last episode Dave and Hayden covered the general idea of geographic arbitrage: take your Aussie wealth, live somewhere cheaper, retire sooner. This episode is the technical follow-up, and it's a sobering one. Brett Evans from Atlas Wealth has spent nearly three decades advising Australian expats across 65 countries, and he joins the boys to walk through everything that changes the moment you step on that plane. Fair warning: Hayden reckons it's the most information-dense episode they've published.In this episode we'll discuss:💸 The main residence trap: why selling the family home while you're a non-resident can mean capital gains tax all the way back to the purchase date, and the six and seven figure bills Brett has seen because of it💸 Deemed disposal on shares, ETFs and crypto: the one-time election at departure that stops you accruing CGT overseas, why plenty of accountants don't know about it, and the client sitting on a seven-figure bill who found out too late💸 How Australian tax residency actually works: the resides test, the domicile test, the 183-day test, and why "resident of nowhere" defaults you straight back to being an Australian tax resident💸 The proposed new residency rules: a hard 183-day line, a 45-day count, and a four-factor test where holding an Aussie passport already counts as one strike against you💸 What non-residents lose: no tax-free threshold, 30% from the first dollar of rental income, no 50% CGT discount since 2012, and why positive cash flow property becomes a problem💸 Withholding tax on dividends at 15% or 30% depending on where you land, and how franking credits can offset it💸 Why SMSFs are brutal for expats, including a case study where a client ignored the advice, got audited, and lost 45% of his balance💸 The brokerage headache nobody warns you about: platforms freezing accounts, CHESS holdings converted to issuer-sponsored, and share registry mail going to a country with no postal delivery💸 Getting your money home: the deemed acquisition rules, why to start planning 12 months out, and the $10,000 transfer myth that makes you look like a money launderer💸 Why Brett tells clients to stop asking ChatGPT, and why good advice for expats is simple and flexible rather than clever and structuredAround 70 to 80% of expats eventually come home, so the decisions you make before you leave matter more than most people realise. Nothing here is personal advice, and Brett's own point is that if your situation is simple you probably don't need someone like him. But if you're carrying property, a share portfolio, an SMSF or a trust, this is an hour and a bit well spent before you book the flight.Atlas WealthFollow us on InstagramWatch on YoutubeAsk a QuestionFI Case Study Request FormPearlerStrong Money AustraliaOriginal Aussie FIRE e-bookDave's books on Amazon and SpotifyDisclaimerAny 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

After the recent tax proposals, plenty of people were half joking about packing up and taking their money overseas. Enough of them were half serious that Dave and Hayden decided to make an episode out of it. This one is the broad overview of geoarbitrage (or "geo-FIRE"): why people do it, who it actually suits, where they tend to go, and what it does to your FI number. The technical side, tax residency, visas, and how to structure it properly, is coming in the next episode with a guest who does this for a living.In this episode we'll discuss:💸 The $800 a month apartment in Chiang Mai, modern build, lagoon pool, walking distance to shops, that would cost roughly $800 a week in Australia (one of Dave's readers is testing it right now)💸 Purchasing power vs exchange rates: why "the exchange rate is great over there" means nothing, and what the Big Mac index actually tells you💸 The real numbers: singles living well on $15k to $25k a year in Southeast Asia, a recently retired couple budgeting $100 a day, and what that does when you multiply it by 25💸 What a decade off looks like: a 15 year FI journey turning into 7, or half a million to a million dollars less in the portfolio you need💸 The bit nobody budgets for: consumer guarantees, the ombudsman, banks that have to make it right, police body cams (Hayden on why it all feels academic until the day it isn't)💸 Never quite being a local: the guy born in Japan, fluent, schooled there, who says he is "from Japan" but not Japanese, and why two white kids from regional Australia have never had to think about belonging💸 Selling the Sydney house: a million in cash, invested, could fund a very good life overseas forever, so why do the alarm bells go off, and is the fear of not being able to buy back in a reasonable one?💸 What actually moves the needle: housing, childcare and schooling, not $4 Grab rides and $6 chicken skewers (a fun novelty, not a financial plan)💸 Why you have to live somewhere, not holiday there: three months of grocery runs, bank accounts and boring admin beats a year of nice trips, plus visiting in the bad season before you commit💸 Your portfolio probably needs to change: if you won't be spending Aussie dollars, a big home bias stops making sense💸 Geoarbitrage as a backup plan rather than a goal: why the people it works best for are somewhere in the middle, not the ones who can already comfortably buy a house hereWe're not pro or anti this idea. If you come away googling what life is actually like somewhere you'd never considered, that's a win.Follow us on InstagramWatch on YoutubeAsk a QuestionFI Case Study Request FormPearlerStrong Money AustraliaOriginal Aussie FIRE e-bookDave's books on Amazon and SpotifyDisclaimerAny 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

To kick off our FY27 tax-time series, Dave and Hayden are joined by Navarre Trousselot, founder of Navexa — an investment tracking and tax reporting platform (if you've heard of Sharesight, it plays in the same space). Because here's the thing: most of us agonise over what to buy, then put zero thought into how we sell — and selling is the part where you actually get your money back. As Navarre puts it, too many investors are "selling in the dark" and handing the ATO far more than they need to.In this episode we'll discuss:💸 How the exact same sale can be a $30 loss or a $20 gain: why choosing which parcels you sell (not just what you sell) can save you thousands in capital gains tax💸 The ETF tax trap most investors have never heard of: AMIT cost base adjustments, and why ten years of dollar cost averaging leaves you 120 parcels to adjust every single year (get it wrong and you've either overpaid tax or filed incorrectly — hello, audit risk)💸 FIFO, LIFO, minimise gain, maximise gain and minimise CGT explained — including why everyone's a FIFO milk drinker, but nobody's a LIFO milk drinker💸 When realising a bigger gain is the smart move: using a maximise gain strategy in a low-income year (career break, slow year for the business) to land in a lower tax bracket💸 The NAB shares Navarre almost sold as a dud — until he added up the dividends and realised he'd made roughly 40% (why annualised total return beats staring at the share price)💸 Why ChatGPT can't do your capital gains tax: LLMs still only score around 70% on maths benchmarks, and "ChatGPT said so" won't cut it with the ATO💸 Record-keeping 101 for new investors: keep every contract note and AMMA statement, don't assume your old broker sends your trade history to your new one, and remember foreign dividends (Apple, Tesla and friends) don't prefill with the ATONavexa is offering Aussie FIRE listeners 20% off their first year, plus a two-week free trial — head to navexa.com/aussiefire to check it out.Happy EOFY from pearler! Sign up in July using the code AUSSIEFIRE for 12 months worth of free trades 💸And for existing customers, sign up to a new pearler product and you'll get 12 months worth of free trades too! 💸Follow us on InstagramWatch on YoutubeAsk a QuestionFI Case Study Request FormPearlerStrong Money AustraliaOriginal Aussie FIRE e-bookDave's books on Amazon and SpotifyDisclaimerAny 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

Would you sell your ETFs just to save 0.1% a year in fees? In this episode, Hayden and Dave unpack some of the newest additions to the ETF marketplace, and work out where (if anywhere) they'd fit in a long-term portfolio.They cover: 👉 BGBL vs VGS: half the management fee for basically the same portfolio, and why switching isn't free once tax enters the picture 👉 VDAL, Vanguard's answer to DHHF: all-growth and all-in-one, minus VDHG's 10% bonds, and when one-fund portfolios make the most sense 👉 EMKT and factor investing: why this emerging markets fund has outpaced VGE, and the catch of paying guaranteed fees for an unguaranteed outcome 👉 Currency hedging, finally explained: what HNDQ actually does differently to NDQ, and who might genuinely need it 👉 V500 and A300, the new cheap rivals to IVV and VAS, and whether brand power beats a lower fee 👉 Old-school LICs trading at 15% discounts: buying a dollar of assets for 85 cents, and the risks hiding in the bargainHappy EOFY from pearler! Sign up in July using the code AUSSIEFIRE for 12 months worth of free trades 💸And for existing customers, sign up to a new pearler product and you'll get 12 months worth of free trades too! 💸Follow us on InstagramWatch on YoutubeAsk a QuestionFI Case Study Request FormPearlerStrong Money AustraliaOriginal Aussie FIRE e-bookDave's books on Amazon and SpotifyDisclaimerAny 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

What happens to your job, your income and your investments when intelligence becomes almost free? In this episode, Dave uses Hayden as his window into the tech world, unpacking what AI actually means for jobs, businesses and long-term investors.They cover: 👉 How AI went from "write me a poem" to breaking big problems into bite-sized steps, and why the last 12 months surprised even the tech insiders 👉 Which parts of your job are actually at risk: why AI disrupts skills rather than whole jobs, and why the alone-at-your-computer work is the exposed bit 👉 The graduate problem: starting uni in a booming industry and finishing in a shrunken one, faster than the industrial revolution ever managed 👉 Whether AI is a bubble, a 20 to 30 year megatrend, or both, and what that could mean for indexing, Aussie property and white collar incomes 👉 Why your best hedge isn't a hot AI stock: keep earning, keep upskilling, and use the cheap intelligence everyone's worried about to your own advantageHappy EOFY from pearler! Sign up in July using the code AUSSIEFIRE for 12 months worth of free trades 💸And for existing customers, sign up to a new pearler product and you'll get 12 months worth of free trades too! 💸Follow us on InstagramWatch on YoutubeAsk a QuestionFI Case Study Request FormPearlerStrong Money AustraliaOriginal Aussie FIRE e-bookDave's books on Amazon and SpotifyDisclaimerAny 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

Would you sell a property that's grown from $280k to $800k, even if it meant a six figure tax bill? In this episode, Hayden and Dave sit down with listener Lachlan to work through a big financial decision: whether to sell his investment property or keep holding on.They cover:👉 The equity Lachlan has built up on his investment property, and what selling would actually cost him in CGT👉 Debt recycling and whether redrawing equity could achieve the same goal without triggering a tax hit👉 Why simplifying from property to shares might reduce stress, even if it's not the highest returning move👉 What semi-retirement within a decade would actually require from Lachlan and his wife's finances👉 The pull of sentimental value and FOMO, and how that shapes decisions that are supposed to be purely financialHappy EOFY from pearler! Sign up in July using the code AUSSIEFIRE for 12 months worth of free trades 💸And for existing customers, sign up to a new pearler product and you'll get 12 months worth of free trades too! 💸Follow us on InstagramWatch on YoutubeAsk a QuestionFI Case Study Request FormPearlerStrong Money AustraliaOriginal Aussie FIRE e-bookDave's books on Amazon and SpotifyDisclaimerAny 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

What if one of the biggest leaks in your budget is sitting in your fridge? In this episode, Hayden and Dave get honest about how much they're actually spending on food right now, and running through some hacks to eat on more of a budget on your path to FIRE.The gap between a $15 and $25 daily food spend might not feel like much. But compounded over 20 years, that difference could be huge.They cover:👉 How much each host is actually spending on food right now (one answer is going to raise some eyebrows)👉 The slow creep of "brand drift" and food waste that inflates your grocery bill👉 Why skipping breakfast might be the easiest budget and health hack you're not using👉 Cheap protein swaps, bulk cooking and home brand experiments worth trying👉 Whether it's worth shopping online👉 How to tell if your food spending actually reflects your valuesWhether you're deep into your FIRE journey or just starting to question where your money goes each week, this episode will make you look at your next supermarket run a little differently.Happy EOFY from pearler! Sign up in July using the code AUSSIEFIRE for 12 months worth of free trades 💸And for existing customers, sign up to a new pearler product and you'll get 12 months worth of free trades too! 💸Follow us on InstagramWatch on YoutubeAsk a QuestionFI Case Study Request FormPearlerStrong Money AustraliaOriginal Aussie FIRE e-bookDave's books on Amazon and SpotifyDisclaimerAny 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

What actually happens to your portfolio when the world feels like it's on fire? In this episode, Hayden and Dave look back at how share markets have responded to major global conflicts, from WWI and WWII through to COVID, and what that history can teach us about investing through periods of fear and uncertainty.They walk through the data most people have never seen: markets that fell sharply in the first six months of a war, only to roar back stronger than before it began. It's a timely reminder that the instinct to act during a crisis isn't always the one that serves us best.They cover:👉 How the US and Australian share markets actually performed during WWI and WWII, including the sharp falls and surprising recoveries👉 What 31 wars across 130 years of market data reveal about how long downturns really last👉 Why war tends to be inflationary in a way that's different to a typical recession, and what that means for share prices👉 How governments have historically intervened in markets during wartime, and where COVID fits into that picture👉 Why 24/7 news and social media might be making market volatility feel worse than it actually is👉 The case for sticking to dollar-cost averaging and diversification even when the headlines are darkAt its core, investing through conflict is a bet on humanity's ability to find its way through. A look at history that might just change how you think about the next crisis, whatever it turns out to be.Follow us on InstagramWatch on YoutubeAsk a QuestionFI Case Study Request FormPearlerStrong Money AustraliaOriginal Aussie FIRE e-bookDave's books on Amazon and SpotifyDisclaimerAny 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