Money Over 50

AUDIO FIXED You can’t have everything! Be realistic with your goals Do you ever feel like you’re trying to do a thousand things at once, and not really doing any of them well? Ali knows the feeling. Life is busy, but the more we try to do everything, the less we do them well. Sometimes we need to take a step back and think about what it is that matters to us the most. In this episode Ali gets personal about what’s important to him, and how you can, too – in order to achieve your financial goals.   For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Did you know that on the 1st of July 2024, you’ll be able to contribute more into your superannuation and take advantage of Australia’s best ‘tax shelter’? The reason for that is that superannuation contribution caps are increasing on the first day of the new financial year. In this episode, Michael and Ali discuss the contribution caps and exactly how much they are increasing by, and how you can take advantage of this year’s as well as future years’ contribution caps.   For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

For many people, getting their finances on track is high on the priority list. And to do that, they realise they need professional help. But how do you know which financial adviser is right for you? In this episode, Ali discusses what you need to consider and what you need to be aware of before selecting a financial adviser. For more information, please visit ww.mo50.com.au

If you held an investment for 15 years, would you prefer it to make nominal returns of 12.5% per annum, or 20.3% per annum? The answer may seem simple, but is a lot more complex than most people realise. In this episode, Ali and Michael discuss the ‘silent killer’ also known as inflation, and how it affects your investments and purchasing power. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Alice, a regular listener, asks a question about what would happen if her and her partner were to sell their primary place of residence (PPR) and use the downsizer contribution to add $300,000 super.  In this episode, Michael and Ali discuss Alice's question, and downsizer contributions. They discuss what a downsizer contribution is, its eligibility requirements, some advantages (such as boosting your super without affecting your contribution limits!), and other important things to know about making downsizer contributions. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Sue, a regular listener, asks a question about her husband’s 0% taxed super income stream and how they could make the most out of this money. She would like to know what investments, if any, she can make to increase their financial position. In this episode, Ali and Michael discuss Sue’s question and what would happen if her husband were to return to part-time work after retiring. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

When you retire, your superannuation balance can become a 0% taxed super income stream. This is essentially the same as a tax-free trust fund. Australia has one of the highest income tax rates in the world; however, it is also one of the most generous when it comes to your retirement. In this episode, Michael and Ali discuss your super income stream, and the eligibility criteria you need to meet in order to receive it! For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

It's February 2024 and Michael & Ali are back with new Money Over 50 Podcast episodes! In this episode, Michael & Ali unpack a recent question they received from podcast listeners Paul and Renae. They discuss the yearly concessional contributions cap, the difference between concessional contributions and non-concessional contributions, and what carry-forward opportunities mean for you.   Click here to watch Ali explain Carry-forward concessional contributions, as discussed in this podcast episode.  This example has been provided for general explanatory purposes only and is factual information.   For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

In this episode, Ali discusses 4 potential options for a new retiree who doesn't have enough to retire on (Centrelink Age Pension, adjust lifestyle, downsizing your home, and semi-retirement). People may also find other options out there, or may even use a combination of these to achieve their retirement goals.   For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Have you ever gone on a diet or started a new fitness plan? Chances are you found it painful at the start. Financial plans can be much the same. The good news is, the pain is only at the beginning! In this episode, Ali shares his expertise on starting a new financial plan, including how to build new habits and get rid of old ones in order to build yourself a better lifestyle. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Do you see yourself as a retiree, or a pensioner? Turns out, there’s quite a difference! Self-talk and self-identity are more important than you may realise. In this episode, Dallas and Ali discuss the implications of how you may see yourself at different ages, and what this means for your finances. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

It’s not uncommon for the government to make changes to our superannuation rules, and a few new things have come into effect since the 1st of July 2023. In this episode, Ali discusses three significant changes to superannuation that everyone should be aware of, especially those nearing retirement. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

What are you afraid of when it comes to money and security? And have you discussed this with anyone, or really taken the time to sit down and think about it carefully? In this episode, Ali and Dallas discuss how and when to say your fears out loud, and what it means for your wealth and financial planning.   For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

In this episode, Ali explains his thoughts regarding travel after coming back home from a trip in Europe. He explains that even though he did enjoy his travels, he's gained a much larger appreciation for home and believes that finding enjoyment in the small things can be a lot more rewarding in life.   For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

This is a repeat of Listener Favourite: 275 Knowing you don't need to work makes work better Sometimes, you need to put your happiness before your job. Easier said than done, right? But if you’re close to retirement and you’re extremely unhappy in your job, perhaps it’s time to let it go. But how do you make that call, and how do you know if you’ll have enough money to retire with? In this episode, Dallas and Michael discuss why money isn’t everything (yes, they are still financial advisers!), why it’s okay to give yourself a break, and how to navigate big decisions about work and retirement. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

This is a repeat of our recent Listener Favourite Episode: 303 You can compare things but you can't compare experiences It is human nature to compare ourselves to others. In fact, we compare everything – material possessions, the size of our homes. Experiences, however, are harder to compare, but often bring us more joy. In this episode, Michael and Dallas discuss what studies have already shown us: that spending money on experiences is better than spending money on material possessions; and why it is good for us financially, too. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

This is a repeat of Listener Favourite: Episode 247 Why my kids won't get an inheritance    Dallas discusses with Michael his thoughts on the planning of providing an inheritance to children. There is no right or wrong answer on whether you should leave an inheritance, however, there are a few things to take into account when planning for this. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

This is a repeat of our Listener Favourite episode 271 A moral guide to minimising taxation   Tax evasion or tax minimisation – what’s the difference? According to Kerry Packer’s famous speech during a parliamentary hearing, a lot. And if you’re not trying to minimise your tax, there might even be something wrong with you, according to Packer. In this episode Michael and Dallas discuss the difference between the two, and why you should be trying to do one of them (hint: it’s not the illegal one).  For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

This is a repeat of listener favourite episode 297 When to take advice. Do you like taking advice from other people? Or do you listen half-heartedly before doing the exact opposite of what they have suggested? In this episode, Michael and Dallas delve into when, and from whom, you should take advice – and why an ‘expert in all areas’ is really an expert in no areas. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

This is a repeat of Listener Favourite of episode 218 3 simple things (in retirement planning).  In this episode (from all the way back in 2021), Michael and Dallas sat down and discussed how simple it can be to get ahead financially, but also how hard it can be to not make an error through panic. Michael uses a real-life example of investing at the worst possible point in time (i.e. right before the Global Financial Crisis), explaining how keeping to the plan and not panicking creates a positive outcome.  For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

This is a repeat of episode 248 The best way to avoid panicking in a downturn is not to panic! One of the quickest ways to derail your retirement or investment plans is to PANIC! It might be hard not to react, but panicking at the sight of downturns can undo all of your hard work. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

This is a repeat of Listener Favourite: Fridges with ice makers Bringing you another Listener Favourite this week - Fridges with ice makers! When you were a kid, do you remember visiting friends’ fancy houses and comparing them to your own? For Dallas, the epitome of a fancy house was one that had an ice maker. If one of his friends had a house that featured one of these, in his eyes, they had really “made it” in life.  As an adult, Dallas is now contemplating becoming one of these people. Yes, he wants a fridge with an ice maker, because – well, they’re pretty cool. So should he spend the money on it, and when? And is it really worthwhile? This episode is not about fancy fridges or rich friends – it’s about making thoughtful financial decisions. Dallas and Michael discuss what and when to spend your money on (and when to hold onto it, instead). Spoiler alert: when it comes to your money, financial advisers are not always as frugal as you may think!   For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

This listener favourite episode is all the way back from April 2020; but is still relevant today! In this episode, Dallas and Michael discuss owning residential property in retirement, and highlight the many negatives that come with owning this type of asset. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Whether or not you are a fan of horses, this tale about our equine friends will have you thinking about your money in a different way. In this episode, Dallas and Ali discuss Red Boom and Sky High, two horses that have very different strengths. How we compare them depends on what metric we use, as with our cash and investments. So how does your money metric compare? Giddy up – let’s find out! For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Did you know that there is a maximum age limit for making personal contributions to your superannuation fund? That age is 75, but there’s a twist to this rule. In this episode, Dallas and Ali discuss the twist, and exactly how late you can contribute to your super fund (to the day!). So if you’re in your 70s (or not far off!), this podcast is for you. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

July 1st, 2024 is just over a year away, and it’s an important date for the financially savvy.  In this episode, Dallas and Ali discuss the yearly concessional contributions cap and what the carry forward opportunities mean for you. Making the most of this opportunity doesn’t just boost your tax savings; it also increases your retirement savings, too. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

You may or may not have heard that from 1 July 2024, there are going to be tax cuts. What does that mean? How does that affect you? And most importantly, is there anything you can be taking advantage of before the changes? In this episode, Dallas and Ali sit down and discuss these questions, and give an example on how the current tax brackets can be used to increase your tax return. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

This is a repeat of one of our listener favourites. If you wanted to lose weight, would you sit on the couch eating donuts, or have a salad and do some exercise? The answer is simple, yet many people don’t achieve their goals. Often, we want things to happen right away. This is instant gratification. And like losing weight, saving money and preparing for retirement is a long game.  In this episode, Dallas and Michael discuss the difficulties of investing in the long term – and why some people succeed while others don’t. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

This is a repeat of one of our listener favourites In our industry, it is common to see investors become fearful that bad times will last forever. There will always be forces at play that will work against this. Things will never get as bad you think they will, and if they do, there's nothing we can do about it. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

This is a replay of one of our favourite episodes. Jerry Seinfeld is a hero when it comes to comedy. In our eyes, he can do no wrong! But when it comes to stocks, his strategy on the show is slightly more like gambling than investing …  In this episode, Dallas and Michael discuss how you can be smarter than Jerry when you invest, and why a diversified portfolio is less volatile than a term deposit. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

What do you consider to be the worst-case scenario when it comes to your retirement? Running out of money? Outliving your partner? Whatever fears people may have, many don’t tend to think they will live long enough to see their 80s or 90s, anyway. But the fact is, it’s very common for at least one person in a couple to live for 30 years or more after they’ve retired. In this episode, Dallas and Ali discuss the implications of this phase of their clients’ lives. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

If your partner or spouse decided to go and buy a new car for themselves, how would you feel? Would you want to upgrade your own vehicle, too? In this episode, Dallas and Ali discuss why only one member of a couple should get a new car at any one time, and how this impacts their savings.  For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

People often underestimate the power of compounding. Coupled with consistency, it’s how some people build a healthy retirement fund. It’s not that they’re just ‘good with money’ or that they have a higher income than most – rather, it’s a combination of consistency and compounding when it comes to their financial decisions. In this episode, Dallas and Ali discuss how and why this is the case (and why Ali could’ve been a professional Muay Thai boxer in another life!) For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Buying a house is something that many people see as a milestone; something to aspire to. A place to call home and provide you with security. But once you’ve done the hard yards, bought the house and moved in, will you really be as happy as you anticipated? In this episode, Dallas and Ali discuss a recent property purchase by a Money Over 50 financial adviser, and how it really made him and his wife feel.  For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

How does a $9,000-tax return sound? Getting a lump sum of money at the end of the financial year can come in handy for those large, unexpected expenses you haven’t accounted for. In this episode, Dallas and Michael discuss how you can leverage your concessional contribution cap to get a significant tax return and pay less income tax, and how to set up your bank accounts with the most effective structure. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

It is human nature to compare ourselves to others. In fact, we compare everything – material possessions, the size of our homes. Experiences, however, are harder to compare, but often bring us more joy. In this episode, Michael and Dallas discuss what studies have already shown us: that spending money on experiences is better than spending money on material possessions; and why it is good for us financially, too. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Fact: volatility is something we should all WANT to have! Only high volatility brings high returns – without it, we are virtually guaranteed very low returns on our hard-earned money. In this episode, Michael and Dallas discuss returns from the sharemarket versus returns from term deposits and junk bonds, and why some dodgy companies will try to tell you that you can have high returns without volatility. For more information, visit www.mo50.com.au

If you’re about to retire, you might feel pressure to be more conservative in your investments. One way to do this is to move your money from super to cash. This is not always a good thing, though – especially if you have kids. In this episode, Dallas and Ali discuss the ‘buffer’ of money you should have in your retirement and why moving everything into a term deposit won’t serve you well in your golden years. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

If there is a significant age gap between you and your partner (five or more years), there are 5 things you need to be aware of that will affect your retirement planning and finances.  In this episode, Dallas and Ali discuss Centrelink, account-based pensions and your super, and how to ensure that you are getting the most out of your money. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

It never feels good to lose something important in our lives. This is certainly true when it comes to our money – we don’t want to see its value going down, and yet it’s unavoidable due to volatility when it comes to investments. In this episode, Dallas and Ali discuss our perceptions of losing money, how loss aversion affects us and what you can do about it so that you don’t make any hasty financial decisions. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

If you have a home loan and can draw from it, that’s a good thing, right? Not necessarily. While having your income be paid directly into your loan account can reduce your interest, the negatives of doing this well and truly outweigh the positives. In this episode, Michael and Dallas discuss what the negatives are, and why you are better off having your salary paid into your bank account, instead. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Do you like taking advice from other people? Or do you listen half-heartedly before doing the exact opposite of what they have suggested? In this episode, Michael and Dallas delve into when, and from whom, you should take advice – and why an ‘expert in all areas’ is really an expert in no areas. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Warren Buffett, well-known investor of over 70 years, has said that to invest successfully you only need to own three companies. In this episode, Michael and Dallas argue against this statement and why this strategy won’t work for everybody. They also discuss the role of hindsight when it comes to investment success. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

We can get caught up in a million different things when it comes to retirement planning, when there are only two numbers that actually matter. In this episode, Michael and Dallas discuss what they like to call the red numbers and the green numbers, and why they are the most important numbers once you have retired. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Over the last decade, we've come to realise that people who check their super balance frequently are also the ones prone to panic when it comes to market volatility. So how can you avoid this? In this episode, Dallas and Michael discuss how often you should check your balance, and why setting the bar at the highest mark is not a good idea. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Have you ever embarked on building a 9,000+ piece Lego display? This is Michael’s current project with his young son, Richie: building a giant model of the Titanic. For Michael, instead of ripping his hair out, there’s only one way to build the ship – brick by (Lego) brick.  If you want to improve your financial standing, you can apply the same philosophy – take small steps, one at a time. In this episode, Michael and Dallas discuss what those initial small steps should be. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

What do you see yourself doing when you retire? Going on holidays? Fishing? Taking mid-afternoon naps on the couch? All of those things sound amazing, but could you do them for 33 years straight? In this episode, Dallas and Michael will get you thinking about the many years of retirement that we are lucky to get these days. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Have you ever thought about when you’re going to die? It’s probably not something most of us think about often. Yet when we have meetings with clients, many are quick to tell us they’ll be dead by 80. The statement can lead to some awkward laughter; however, the reality of how long you’re likely to actually live and how much money you’ll need might seem more grim than the thought of dying before 80. There’s nothing grim about this episode, though – listen to Dallas and Michael discuss how life expectancy affects retirement. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Are your investments diversified? Isn’t it better to invest in big companies like Amazon and Netflix instead of just the top 500 companies of Australia or the world? In short, no. In this episode, Michael and Dallas discuss why diversifying your portfolio is healthy, and whether or not you should diversify across asset classes, too. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

How much would you spend on a pair of pyjamas? In this episode, Dallas confesses to Michael a moral dilemma about buying himself a lavish new pair of pyjamas, and whether the comfort they provide him in bed make up for the uncomfortable feeling of parting with his hard-earned cash. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

From the Russian invasion of Ukraine, to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, to the steep spike in inflation – these are uncertain times. But then, are times ever certain? In this episode, Dallas and Michael discuss the difference between looking at headlines and looking at history, and how it impacts your financial decisions. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

How does your cash dictate your behaviour? What is the amount that you are not willing to go under when it comes to your bank balance? Is it $100 or $100,000? Michael and Dallas discuss why knowing this very specific number is important, and how it can change your financial outlook and behaviour. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Michael and Dallas spend a lot of time discussing a variety of topics, not just in this podcast, but with (and for) their clients, too.  In this episode, find out why discussions about trade-offs are the most intriguing to our financial experts, as well as to our clients! For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Have you ever met a millionaire? If so, what were your perceptions? Were they nice? Do you think they ripped people off to get to the position they’re in now? In this episode, Michael and Dallas discuss perceptions of money and millionaires, and how to respond when you get asked to attend the lavish wedding of your second cousin’s daughter’s wedding in Fiji (unless you have unlimited time and money, in which case you should probably go!). For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Are you neglecting yourself lately? Maybe it’s time to stop. We’re not talking about self-care – facials, massages, holidays … although if that’s your thing, nobody is going to stop you. We’re talking specifically about giving money to adult children, and how it may be impacting you negatively if you choose to do this. In this episode, Michael and Dallas discuss clients who give money (or food, or rent) to their adult children, and why this might not be such a good idea. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Aren’t shares risky? What if my money disappears? What if markets crash or companies go bankrupt? These are some of the questions we get from clients, listeners, friends and family. Today’s episode is dedicated to the sharemarket, and Michael and Dallas ask: Do you have any idea how long shares have been around for? Tune in to find out, and to learn about the first-ever publicly listed company. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Did you know that in 1925, Woolworths had just five supermarkets? Fast forward almost 100 years and they have over a thousand. Because of this, the price of their shares has gone up. But company expansion isn’t the only reason for increasing share prices. There are four reasons why share prices are always increasing. In this episode, Michael and Dallas discuss what the four reasons are, and how they impact investors. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Imagine you’re being chauffeured across the French countryside, and you’re biting into a freshly baked, crusty white baguette. Now add some Brie cheese … and pair it with a glass of local wine – the type that makes you want to swirl your glass around and breathe in deeply. Are your eyes closed in pure joy yet? We love the way that a lot of French people live their lives, enjoying the simple things and not focusing solely on their financial future. In this episode, Michael and Dallas discuss why some things are more important than others, and how enjoying the simple things might help your financial outlook over the long term.

If you were to draw a line representing the day you retire, how would the space before it and after it look? How would your feelings towards your super balance, cash and investments differ before and after this event?  In this episode, Michael and Dallas discuss why the first year of your retirement always feels the most volatile, and what you can do when you reach this significant milestone.  For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

When Michael visited China with his mother and met a hundred-year-old farmer, he had no idea that they would end up discussing economics. Then again, given Michael’s line of work, we shouldn’t be all that surprised that’s where the conversation headed! The farmer had some interesting points about communism and why, in his opinion, it’s good in theory but not practice. In this episode, Michael and Dallas discuss communism versus free markets, and how free markets serve us as consumers. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Have you ever looked out over a city skyline and got lost in thought about all the houses in the distance, wondering what the people inside are doing, and thinking how each night the city looks so peaceful and calm and yet the following morning those people will be up and about getting on with their daily lives again? This was the case for Dallas last week when he went up to Castle Hill in Townsville to look out over the city. Except, of course, his daydreaming didn’t last very long – he was driving around slowly, trying to get his four-month-old daughter to sleep. In this episode, Dallas and Michael discuss how, even during bad times in the sharemarket, the world still keeps moving, and things aren’t as dire as they seem. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

What makes prices fluctuate? Why is petrol so expensive right now? Do companies ever run out of shares? Why do some countries ration supplies? In this episode, Dallas and Michael answer all of these questions and more, looking at the impact that supply and demand has on our everyday lives. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Do you own a commercial property, or thought about using the incoming rent from one when you retire? While rentals can bring in a good income, there’s a big difference between commercial and residential rental income. And it’s important to know how that difference will affect you once you have retired. In this episode, Dallas and Michael discuss drawing an income from rent during retirement, and whether commercial or residential is the better option. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Sometimes, you need to put your happiness before your job. Easier said than done, right? But if you’re close to retirement and you’re extremely unhappy in your job, perhaps it’s time to let it go. But how do you make that call, and how do you know if you’ll have enough money to retire with? In this episode, Dallas and Michael discuss why money isn’t everything (yes, they are still financial advisers!), why it’s okay to give yourself a break, and how to navigate big decisions about work and retirement. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

We need to talk. That sounds a little awkward, doesn’t it?  If you have a partner and you want to have a discussion about your finances, perhaps start with a slightly less scary phrase! That said, it can still be a very difficult topic to approach with your partner, especially if they think they have everything under control and are used to taking care of the financial side of things. But could it be time for you to take over? Is it your turn? In this episode, Michael and Dallas discuss how to approach this conversation, and why it’s imperative that you do it sooner rather than later. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

What does MC Hammer and your superannuation have in common? You guessed it – you can’t touch either of them!   Well, that is, until you are of retirement age. In this episode, Dallas and Michael will not only get a catchy song in your head, they’ll also discuss why not being able to touch your superannuation is an advantage rather than a hindrance.    For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Do you have a financial adviser or a financial salesperson? And what exactly is a chameleon adviser?   In this episode, Michael and Dallas discuss what chameleon advisers do and why you should avoid them. Who is actually telling you the truth and giving you good advice when it comes to your money?   For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Tax evasion or tax minimisation – what’s the difference? According to Kerry Packer’s famous speech during a parliamentary hearing, a lot. And if you’re not trying to minimise your tax, there might even be something wrong with you, according to Packer.   In this episode Michael and Dallas discuss the difference between the two, and why you should be trying to do one of them (hint: it’s not the illegal one).    For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

In this episode Dallas and Michael visit why it is important to Diversify. By diversifying we mean spreading your eggs in more than one basket!  Michael and Dallas discuss the benefits of investing your money in the market, ensuring it is well spread across the top major companies, hence minimising potential losses, whilst still making returns.      For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

It’s easy to see retirement and work as being black and white – you’re either working or you’re not. But when you retire, things don’t have to be that way.    In this episode Dallas and Michael discuss why working during your retirement can be a good thing, how to balance it, and some things you could do to earn money that you may have never considered before.   For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

How much can you REALLY work during retirement without paying a cent in tax?   Many people know that their account-based pension is a tax-free income. But you can also earn a significant amount of money by working part time to boost your bank balance once you’ve retired. In this episode, Dallas and Michael respond to a listener's question and discuss SAPTO (Seniors and Pensioners Tax Offset), super and income tax.   For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Jerry Seinfeld is a hero when it comes to comedy. In our eyes, he can do no wrong! But when it comes to stocks, his strategy on the show is slightly more like gambling than investing …    In this episode, Dallas and Michael discuss how you can be smarter than Jerry when you invest, and why a diversified portfolio is less volatile than a term deposit. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

If you had a choice between going out for a nice dinner once a week and having a new car every three years, which would you choose? What about if you had to choose between going on a three-month holiday around the world and getting a full renovation on your house, including brand new furniture? In this episode, Dallas and Michael discuss how you can use your money as a medium to buy possessions or experiences. You’re in the driver’s seat. Which would you choose?

You may earn a ton of cash and still be broke in retirement. How is that possible? Well, your retirement wealth depends not just on the money you make, but on how you transfer those hard-earned bucks into experiences and possessions.   People have different ways of viewing money. But money is simply a “medium for transferring work and enterprise into possessions and experiences”. In this episode, Michael and Dallas discuss why your income isn’t the only thing dictating how wealthy you will be in retirement.

When you were a kid, do you remember visiting friends’ fancy houses and comparing them to your own? For Dallas, the epitome of a fancy house was one that had an ice maker. If one of his friends had a house that featured one of these, in his eyes, they had really “made it” in life.  As an adult, Dallas is now contemplating becoming one of these people. Yes, he wants a fridge with an ice maker, because – well, they’re pretty cool. So should he spend the money on it, and when? And is it really worthwhile? This episode is not about fancy fridges or rich friends – it’s about making thoughtful financial decisions. Dallas and Michael discuss what and when to spend your money on (and when to hold onto it, instead). Spoiler alert: when it comes to your money, financial advisers are not always as frugal as you may think!

If you are married or in a long-term relationship, then your money is all in ‘one bucket’. According to family law (and Centrelink), you and your partner don’t have separate money – regardless of who earns more.   However, there are ways that you can benefit from paying less tax based on how you treat certain assets and whose super you put more money into. Don’t worry – it’s all legal! In this episode, Dallas and Michael explore how to keep as much of your taxable income as possible, and why your money is really all in one bucket.

Need to send money overseas? Or going travelling? Are you prepared to lose thousands in currency conversion fees, and happy to keep the big banks in business, who – for far too long – have controlled international transfers? As you can see by our excessive use of questions, we’ve been looking for a cheaper way to deal with overseas money transfers for a very long time. In this episode, Dallas and Michael discuss who to use and why (we’ll show you how to save thousands, literally). For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Do you keep your car neat, clean and polished? Or do your kids, pets and habits stop it from keeping its new car smell and appearance beyond its first week? Don’t worry – we understand. Surely, if you bought a brand new car, you’d look after it better. Right? Well, actually, you probably wouldn’t! In this episode, Dallas and Michael discuss how possessions affect us as people, and us as decision-makers – and how advertising fuels us to make purchases that won’t necessarily fulfil our needs.   For more information please visit www.mo50.com.au

Predictions and projections we make about money are always wrong. In fact, they are wrong from the minute they’re produced. So why do financial advisers use them, if they’re never right? In this episode, Michael and Dallas look at why projections are important, and how to use them even when we know they will be incorrect. For more information please visit www.mo50.com.au

On average, we see a drop in company prices of about 30% every 5 years. If you’ve listened to us for a while, you’ll know we often talk about not panicking when this happens. But why is this important, and exactly how important is it? In this episode we discuss how not preparing for a drop in the share market is like not listening to the lifeboat drill on a cruise ship. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t end well.

If you wanted to lose weight, would you sit on the couch eating donuts, or have a salad and do some exercise? The answer is simple, yet many people don’t achieve their goals. Often, we want things to happen right away. This is instant gratification. And like losing weight, saving money and preparing for retirement is a long game.  In this episode, Dallas and Michael discuss the difficulties of investing in the long term – and why some people succeed while others don’t.

What happens when your finances are on track and you’re getting your 8% rate of return? Is it time to spread your eggs and diversify further? Or perhaps buy a property? Is being invested in super really enough – and what if my fund goes broke?  In this episode, Michael and Dallas discuss these questions in relation to those close to retirement. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

Do you remember when Mcdonald's ice cream cones were 30 cents? Dallas and Michael certainly do. But if you were to go and buy one today, you’d be handing over 75 of your hard-earned cents.  In this episode, Dallas and Michael discuss how bigger expenses in life (though potentially less enjoyable than a Maccas soft serve cone) go up with inflation, and exactly what this means for you and your retirement planning. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

We've all had a stock tip for some speculative company before, with some being winners and some losers... But should we be basing our retirement strategy on this?  For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

In financial planning, it is almost impossible for you to be absolutely precise in what the future will look like. For example, there is no way to figure out what inflation will be each year in the next 10 years. However, we do know that it will likely increase, therefore, we must include this in our calculations to help prepare for the future. You will never be exactly right, but heading in the right direction using the information at hand is absolutely important. For more information, please visit www.mo50.com.au

For all listener questions/feedback, please contact the team at podcast@mo50.com.au This episode is another update on the financial world during the Covid-19 pandemic. You can see the pattern in our terminology; seeing the low market values as an opportunity instead of issue, can do wonders for your retirement planning.

For all listener questions/feedback, please contact the team at podcast@mo50.com.au Adding half a million dollars to your retirement savings may seem like a foreign thought during times like these (Covid-19). However, we'll discuss why having a well thought out and executed plan can help you achieve that.

For all listener questions/feedback, please contact the team at podcast@mo50.com.au Moving your super into cash may feel like a safe move because you avoid the worries caused by volatility, but in reality, it opens up a whole new risk and can have a negative impact on your  retirement savings.

For all listener questions/feedback, please contact the team at podcast@mo50.com.au The Australian market is still on sale for those wanting to invest, now sitting at 23% under it's previous high. On top of that, the S&P 500 (top American companies) is down by only 17% even though they have a large and very serious threat with Covid-19.

For all listener questions/feedback, please contact the team at podcast@mo50.com.au In this episode Dallas and Michael discuss owning residential property in retirement, and highlight the many negatives that come with owning this type of asset.

For all listener questions/feedback, please contact the team at podcast@mo50.com.au This 3 part series involves Dallas Davison interviewing Michael Hogue on his experience through times of significant market drops. The final part of this series focuses on the recovery from the GFC (2009 to now).

For all listener questions/feedback, please contact the team at podcast@mo50.com.au Just recently we had done a podcast talking about the volatility caused by Covid-19 where the market was 35% down from the top; it is now at 25% down from the top. Yet we still can't predict whether it has hit the bottom or not, all we know is that there is still a "discount" on shares at the moment and it may be a great time to start planning for your future.

For all listener questions/feedback, please contact the team at podcast@mo50.com.au This 3 part series involves Dallas Davison interviewing Michael Hogue on his experience through times of significant market drops. The second part of this series focuses on Michael's experience during the Global Financial Crisis (2007-2009).

For all listener questions/feedback, please contact the team at podcast@mo50.com.au This 3 part series involves Dallas Davison interviewing Michael Hogue on his experience through times of significant market drops. The 1st part of this series focuses on the boom years (2001 to 2007).

For all listener questions/feedback, please contact the team at podcast@mo50.com.au We're in a stressful time due to Covid-19, and the thought of retirement planning might be pushed to the back of your mind with so much going on. However, it might actually be a really good to establish or enhance your retirement plan.

For all listener questions/feedback, please contact the team at podcast@mo50.com.au This is the first update of our weekly financially-related Covid-19 discussions. This episode's focus is on how a different mentality regarding the market price drops caused by Covid-19 can become an advantage to your retirement savings.

For all listener questions/feedback, please contact the team at podcast@mo50.com.au During periods of high volatility and uncertainty, it's understandable why some people want to reduce that pain by pulling their money out into cash and reinvesting it when things settle down. Unfortunately, this a quick way to crystallise your losses, therefore, losing retirement savings in the process

For all listener questions/feedback, please contact the team at podcast@mo50.com.au Volatility is a part of every day life... When it comes to investing, it becomes apparent even more. But just as there are highs, there will be lows, it does not mean you have done something wrong

For all listener questions/feedback, please contact the team at podcast@mo50.com.au The old fashioned 'cash' method of payment for certain expenses might be a massive help with your bad spending habits. The convenience of technological advances, such as tap and go, blinds you from seeing yourself blow your budget out, but visually watching your cash go down is an excellent way to cap your expenses.