Get Started Investing

How do you know when it's time to change your strategy?At just 21, listener Ben is already asking when he should prepare his portfolio for retirement. He's invested entirely in a geared ETF and wants to know what that means for his future.It's something Jess hasn't really considered either. She's investing for the long term, but what should that actually look like as life changes? Jess sits down with financial adviser Melissa Balacharige from Shadforth to explore how your investment strategy might evolve through your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and into retirement.They unpack when to start de-risking, how your portfolio might change as your goals and time frame shift, and whether the 4% rule still works if you're invested in leveraged ETFs.Plus, why getting too defensive too early could be one of the biggest mistakes you make.Chapters:00:00 Introduction03:10 The Four Percent Rule07:14 Investing in Your 20s and 30s12:24 Diversifying in Your 40s17:30 Managing Retirement Risk21:21 Staying Disciplined26:31 Preparing for Retirement30:34 Leveraged ETFs and Key TakeawaysLinks mentioned in this episode:Find Shadforth's investing playbook here❓ Send your investing questions here and Jess will get them answered!📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here📩 Share your investing story with us submit here🤳 Follow Jess’ investing journey on instagram at getstartedinvesting_Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.———Thanks to MLC for sponsoring this series and helping keep our content free.If you’re the type of person who spends weekends comparing ETF’s, keeps an eye on crypto, and never misses an episode of Equity Mates, here’s one investment you may be overlooking – your super.MLC knows it might not seem as exciting as picking your next investment, but thanks to tax advantages and decades of compound growth, it could end up being one of the hardest working investments you own. See how your super could be working harder with MLC at mlc.com.auDisclaimer: Products issued by NULIS Nominees (Australia) Ltd as trustee of MLC Super Fund. General information only. Read the PDS & TMD available at mlc.com.au and consider if it’s right for you.———In the spirit of reconciliation, Equity Mates Media and the hosts of Get Started Investing acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today.———Get Started Investing is a product of Equity Mates Media.This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice, and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional.The hosts of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares group but maintains editorial independence.Equity Mates Media operates under Australian Financial Services Licence 540697.

It’s not everyday Jess meets someone whose first investment was a cow.But for 42-year-old dairy farmer Justin, that was the case. Bought with the profits of selling manure by the side of the road might we add! 😆It’s no secret that farming is a tough, often volatile profession. Justin watched his parents financial life revolve solely around their farm. So when he discovered investing, he saw it as a way to build a life less dependent on the weather.Now, he’s teaching his 14 year old daughter the power of investing too.This is ‘How I Got Started’ a series where I sit down with a community member to hear the highs and lows of their journey to investing. These are real stories that we hope will give you confidence that investing is for anyone.Chapters:00:00:00 Meet Justin00:03:00 Wealth Beyond Farming00:07:46 Early Money Lessons00:11:08 Learning From Dad00:15:27 His Investing Turning Point00:19:47 Building His Portfolio00:23:35 Teaching His Daughter00:26:23 Freedom Beyond Farming00:29:00 Investing With Irregular Income00:31:30 Advice for BeginnersLinks Mentioned:Get Started Investing book - Buy hereHow many ETFs episode should you have? hereOther Links:🤳 follow along on Jess’ investing journey on Instagram @getstartedinvesting_.📩 Share your investing story with us submit here📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here🎟️ FinFest tickets - Buy early bird tickets hereWant more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.———Thanks to Ubank for sponsoring this series.Ubank is a digital bank designed to help you understand your money, with tools that can help you do better day-to-day.You can download Ubank from the App Store or Play Store and sign up in just a few minutes.Products issued by Ubank, which is part of NAB. This info is general so consider what’ right for you. For TMDs, visit ubank.com.au———Get Started Investing is a product of Equity Mates Media.This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice, and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional. The hosts of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares group but maintains editorial independence.Equity Mates Media operates under Australian Financial Services Licence 540697.

Should Jess add an active manager to her passive portfolio?After logging into her super and noticing that a portion is actively managed- it got her thinking, should she add active management outside of super too?And she’s not the only one wondering, the equity mates facebook group had a lot to say on the matter!Actively managed fund are now more accessible than ever- out of the 50 new ETFs listed on the ASX last financial year, 28 of them were active.But what actually is an active ETF and How does it compare to a passive one?Jess sat down with financial adviser Amie Baker to find out how active fits into a passive portfolio like Jess’.Chapters:00:00:00 Active vs Passive Investing00:03:24 How Passive ETFs Work0:05:27 How Active Funds Work00:09:29 What the Research Says00:12:54 Diversifying Your Portfolio00:17:33 Choosing Active Investments00:21:00 Small Caps and Fund Performance00:24:06 Building a Balanced PortfolioLinks mentioned in this episode:Learn more about Amie's take on passive and active investing in an article she has put together here.Episode with Dave Allen talking about red flag system hereMorningstar Active Passive Barometer here📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here📩 Share your investing story with us submit here🤳 Follow Jess’ investing journey on instagram at getstartedinvesting_Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.———Thanks to MLC for sponsoring this series and helping keep our content free.If you’re the type of person who spends weekends comparing ETF’s, keeps an eye on crypto, and never misses an episode of Equity Mates, here’s one investment you may be overlooking – your super.MLC knows it might not seem as exciting as picking your next investment, but thanks to tax advantages and decades of compound growth, it could end up being one of the hardest working investments you own. See how your super could be working harder with MLC at mlc.com.auDisclaimer: Products issued by NULIS Nominees (Australia) Ltd as trustee of MLC Super Fund. General information only. Read the PDS & TMD available at mlc.com.au and consider if it’s right for you.———In the spirit of reconciliation, Equity Mates Media and the hosts of Get Started Investing acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today.———Get Started Investing is a product of Equity Mates Media.This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice, and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional. The hosts of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares group but maintains editorial independence.Equity Mates Media operates under Australian Financial Services Licence 540697.

Larissa thought she knew how to invest. She’d read the books, listened to the podcasts and watched her first investments climb. Then it went downhill.What followed was a shift to simple ETFs and an unconventional plan to buy property with her partner; give up renting and house-sit their way to a deposit. (spoiler; it worked!)This year, a break up changed the future she’d been financially building towards.She joins Jess to share how the financial foundations she built in her 20s gave her the freedom to pivot when life changed.This is ‘How I Got Started’ a series where I sit down with a community member to hear the highs and lows of their journey to investing. These are real stories that we hope will give you confidence that investing is for anyone.Chapters:00:00 Larissas Investing Journey03:01 Life Money And Early Habits06:33 Learning How To Invest09:01 From Risky Picks To ETFs12:13 Building A Simple Portfolio16:29 The Unconventional Path To Property22:12 Rebuilding After A Breakup26:07 New Goals And Investing LessonsLinks:🤳 follow along on Jess’ investing journey on Instagram @getstartedinvesting_.📩 Share your investing story with us submit here📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter hereWant more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.———Thanks to Ubank for sponsoring this series.Ubank is a digital bank designed to help you understand your money, with tools that can help you do better day-to-day.You can download Ubank from the App Store or Play Store and sign up in just a few minutes.Products issued by Ubank, which is part of NAB. This info is general so consider what’s right for you. For TMDs, visit ubank.com.au———Get Started Investing is a product of Equity Mates Media.This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice, and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional. The hosts of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares group but maintains editorial independence.Equity Mates Media operates under Australian Financial Services Licence 540697.

Don't let a lump sum sit in the wrong place. So how should you use it?Save it, invest it, pay off debt, put it in super, or spend it? Jess asks Financial Adviser Tom Hayes from Shadforth to run the numbers on every option.By the end of this episode, you'll know the trade-offs of each, and how to choose what fits your goals.Chapters:00:00:00 What To Do With A Lump Sum00:04:16 Where Your Money Came From00:06:56 Building An Emergency Fund00:11:53 Paying Down Debt00:14:00 Superannuation And Tax Benefits00:18:45 Investing Outside Super00:24:21 Lump Sum Or Dollar Cost Averaging00:27:01 Making The Right ChoiceLinks mentioned in this episode:Check out the previous episode on offset accounts here📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here📩 Share your investing story with us submit here🤳 Follow Jess’ investing journey on instagram at getstartedinvesting_Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.———Thanks to MLC for sponsoring this series and helping keep our content free.If you’re the type of person who spends weekends comparing ETF’s, keeps an eye on crypto, and never misses an episode of Equity Mates, here’s one investment you may be overlooking – your super.MLC knows it might not seem as exciting as picking your next investment, but thanks to tax advantages and decades of compound growth, it could end up being one of the hardest working investments you own. See how your super could be working harder with MLC at mlc.com.auDisclaimer: Products issued by NULIS Nominees (Australia) Ltd as trustee of MLC Super Fund. General information only. Read the PDS & TMD available at mlc.com.au and consider if it’s right for you.———In the spirit of reconciliation, Equity Mates Media and the hosts of Get Started Investing acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today.———Get Started Investing is a product of Equity Mates Media.This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice, and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional. The hosts of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares group but maintains editorial independence.Equity Mates Media operates under Australian Financial Services Licence 540697.

You don’t need a high income to invest your way to a better financial future. Today’s guest is proof of that.Ten years ago, while on maternity leave, Leigh decided to get serious about her families finances.Leigh and her husband aren’t high earners. She’s a teacher and her husband’s an electrician- so they don’t have millions coming in the door.But ten years after her investing journey began; their mortgage is paid off, she’s reached ‘Coast FIRE’ and is in a financial position to take next year off work.How did she do it? Jess chats with Leigh to find out.This is How I Got Started, in each episode one community member shares the highs and lows of their investing journey. These are real stories that we hope will give you confidence that investing is for anyone.Chapters:00:00:00 Meet Leigh00:02:03 Why Financial Independence00:04:05 Learning To Save00:07:37 Discovering Investing00:09:39 Her First Investments00:12:09 ETFs And Dividend Income00:15:17 The Monthly Money Split00:18:02 Life After Coast Fire00:20:00 Paying Off The Mortgage00:22:14 Teaching Kids About Money00:24:17 Building Financial SecurityLinks:🤳 follow along on Jess’ investing journey on Instagram @getstartedinvesting_.📩 Share your investing story with us submit here📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here🎟️ FinFest tickets - Buy early bird tickets hereWant more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.———Thanks to Ubank for sponsoring this series.Ubank is a digital bank designed to help you understand your money, with tools that can help you do better day-to-day.You can download Ubank from the App Store or Play Store and sign up in just a few minutes.Products issued by Ubank, which is part of NAB. This info is general so consider what’ right for you. For TMDs, visit ubank.com.au———Get Started Investing is a product of Equity Mates Media.This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice, and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional. The hosts of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares group but maintains editorial independence.Equity Mates Media operates under Australian Financial Services Licence 540697.

Is your portfolio diversified, or just complicated?Jess is only five months into investing and she’s already got seven ETFs and a stock. What is each investment actually adding? She’s starting to think maybe she’s overcomplicated things…Then community member Hamish sent in a question about whether it makes more sense to own one diversified ETF or build a portfolio from several ETFs. Jess took it as a sign to get back to basics. So she sits down with financial adviser Glen Hare to unpack how to think about building an ETF portfolio, includingHow many ETFs is too many?How to spot overlap between ETFsWhat you gain, and give up, by keeping things simpleThree example approaches: one diversified ETF, Australian + global ETFs, and a portfolio built across different regionsChapters:00:00:00 How Many ETFs?00:03:38 Has Jess Overcomplicated?00:08:07 All-In-One ETF Benefits00:16:08 Avoiding ETF Overlap00:24:54 Which Strategy Suits You?00:32:48 The ETF Selection ChecklistETFs Mentioned:We talk about a handful of ETFs in this episode so here is a list, in order of appearance to help you follow along if you need it! From Hamish’s Question:Betashares Global Share ETF (ASX: BGBL)Betashares Diversified All Growth ETF (ASX: DHHF)iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV)Betashares Global Shares Ex US ETF (ASX: EXUS)Vanguard FTSE Asia ex Japan Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAE) From Jess Portfolio:Betashares Global Share ETF (ASX: BGBL)Betashares Wealthbuilder Global Geared Complex ETF (ASX: GGBL)Betashares Australia 200 ETF (ASX: A200)Betashares Wealthbuilder Aus200 Gear ETF (ASX: G200)Betashares MSCI Emerging Markets Complex ETF (ASX: BEMG)Global X AI Infrastructure ETF AUD (ASX: AINF)Betashares Welathbuilder Nas100 Gear ETF (ASX: GNDQ) Others:Vanguard Diversified High Growth Index ETF (ASX: VDHG)Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS)Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)Links mentioned in this episode:📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here📩 Share your investing story with us submit hereWant more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.———Thanks to MLC for sponsoring this series and helping keep our content free.If you’re the type of person who spends weekends comparing ETF’s, keeps an eye on crypto, and never misses an episode of Equity Mates, here’s one investment you may be overlooking – your super.MLC knows it might not seem as exciting as picking your next investment, but thanks to tax advantages and decades of compound growth, it could end up being one of the hardest working investments you own. See how your super could be working harder with MLC at mlc.com.auDisclaimer: Products issued by NULIS Nominees (Australia) Ltd as trustee of MLC Super Fund. General information only. Read the PDS & TMD available at mlc.com.au and consider if it’s right for you.———In the spirit of reconciliation, Equity Mates Media and the hosts of Get Started Investing acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today.———Get Started Investing is a product of Equity Mates Media.This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice, and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional. The hosts of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares group but maintains editorial independence.Equity Mates Media operates under Australian Financial Services Licence 540697.

Hayden McLean knows a thing or two about playing the long game.After missing out on the AFL draft twice, Hayden kept going until he earned his place at the Sydney Swans. That same patience has shaped how he invests.At 27, he’s investing with one big goal in mind: creating the freedom to choose what life looks like after football.Hayden joins Jess to share how he went from being a hard-core saver who thought investing was too risky, to dollar cost averaging every month into a building a tech-heavy portfolio.This is How I Got Started, in each episode one community member shares the highs and lows of their investing journey. These are real stories that we hope will give you confidence that investing is for anyone.Chapters:00:00:00 Hayden McLean On Money00:04:22 Chasing The AFL Dream00:08:06 Learning To Budget In Sydney00:11:00 Discovering Investing00:14:22 Building A Stock Portfolio00:18:44 Financial Literacy Beyond Football00:21:54 Investing For Life After Footy00:24:00 Why Starting Earlier MattersLinks:🤳 follow along on Jess’ investing journey on Instagram @getstartedinvesting_.📩 Share your investing story with us submit here📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here🎟️ FinFest tickets - Buy early bird tickets hereWant more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.———Thanks to ShopBack for sponsoring this series.Did you know you can earn cashback on in-store shopping? 💸Check the ShopBack app for bonus cashback on eligible items at participating stores, buy them, then scan your receipt, done.Download the app and use code GETSTARTED20 to get a $20 cashback bonus after earning your first $10.———Get Started Investing is a product of Equity Mates Media.This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice, and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional. The hosts of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares group but maintains editorial independence.Equity Mates Media operates under Australian Financial Services Licence 540697.