Welcome to our new series: Inside the ETF. In each episode we're diving deep on one ETF to understand what it is suitable for, who should invest in it and how we can analyse it. Over the course of this series we want to better understand the most popular ETFs in Australia and build the skills to analyse any ETF. In this episode we are looking at one of the most popular ETFs in Australia: Vanguard Diversified High Growth Index ETF (ASX: VDHG) —------ Have an investing question? Ask via our...

Financial freedom. Choice. Building the life you want. For many these are the reasons we invest. On today's episode we speak to Natasha Etschmann (aka Tash Invests) about her new book How To Not Work Forever on how everyone can invest their way to financial freedom. Want more Tash Invests? Check out Tash's book, co-authored with Ana Kresina: How to Not Work Forever Follow her on Instagram or TikTok —------ Have an investing question? Ask via our website and we'll answer it on the...

Today's question comes from Emily in Sydney: "Who is Vanguard, Betashares and iShares? How do I actually buy an ETF?" That is what we are answering on today's episode of Get Started Investing. We cover: The role the ETF issuers (Vanguard, Betashares, iShares) play How you can actually invest in an ETFThen we do a live walkthrough of the steps to buy an ETF online —------ Have an investing question? Ask via our website and we'll answer it on the podcast.Join the conversation in the Facebook...

Welcome to our new series: Inside the ETF. In each episode we're diving deep on one ETF to understand what it is suitable for, who should invest in it and how we can analyse it. Over the course of this series we want to better understand the most popular ETFs in Australia and build the skills to analyse any ETF. In this episode we are looking at the biggest ETF in Australia: Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS) —------ Have an investing question? Ask via our website and we'll...

This is the #1 question we get here: what broker should I sign up with? In today's episode we answer the question in detail. We cover: What are the options for investors Factors that you may want to consider when choosingOur 4-point criteria for choosing our brokerThe brokers that meet that criteria in Australia [as of July 2024] —------ Have an investing question? Ask via our website and we'll answer it on the podcast.Join the conversation in the Facebook Discussion GroupOr get put in touch...

We're introducing a new episode type to Get Started Investing, Best ETF for. In these episodes we'll be diving deep into the world of ETFs and unpacking which products are generally suitable for different investing goals. Over the course of the series we'll be covering growth, income and different investing goals. But we had to start the series with a bang. So on today's episode we're asking what are the best ETFs for a house deposit? Let us know what you think of this series by joining the...

In the final episode of our financial check-up we turn our attention to our superannuation funds. Superannuation is one of those things that is easily forgotten about. However, it's likely to be one of your biggest assets later in life, so checking in on it is incredibly important. In this episode check: Have we consolidated our Super (do an ATO check)Check in on our chosen Super fund - how has it performed Are we in the correct investment option?What fees are we paying? Do we have the right...

At Equity Mates we hate fees! Sometimes at surface level they don’t seem like a lot. But the fact is, over a lifetime of investing, fees can significantly eat into your returns.  In today’s episode we continue our financial check-up by reviewing what fees we’re paying, and what fees you should avoid! In this episode we cover: How much are we paying in fees for ETFs and Managed Funds?Are there any cheaper alternatives?How much are we paying in brokerage?  Are there any other platforms, news...

Our financial check-up continues, as we get closer to the end of the financial year. Last episode we looked back, and in this episode we're looking forward into the next year. It's important that your investing strategy matches your investing goals, and in today's episode we unpack our personal investing strategies for the year ahead. In this episode we cover: Does our investment strategy align with our goals?What are we investing in for the year ahead?Are we automating as much of our...

Welcome to the first episode of our 4-part series where we do a health check on our personal finances as we approach the end of the financial year! All will be revealed! In this episode we check: How much did we contribute to our investing and savings goals this year?Is our emergency fund adequate - is it actually 3 to 6 months of living expensesHow are we progressing towards our goals?Our asset allocation - does it align with our goals? Consider how we rebalance  Thanks to Superhero for...

Get paid while you’re walking. Sounds good to be true, right? Well, do we have news for you… It IS true, and in today’s episode, Ren puts it to the test as part of the $100 challenge.  We also look at the inflation of streaming subscription services over the past year - you will be surprised! In this episode we cover: How much Ren actually earned walking 10,000 steps a day for the monthThe streaming services that have hiked their prices the most Links mentioned: https://sweatco.in/ Have a...

As it gets colder here in Australia, many Aussies are preparing to head overseas. And a staple every traveller needs is a good travel card. If you venture online, you'll see heated debate about different travel cards. So we decided to take the 3 most popular travel cards (well, 2 travel cards and 1 alternative strategy) and put them head-to-head. In this episode we compare: Currencies availableExchange Rates and FX Fees Transaction FeesATM FeesAnything else you need to know Hopefully we can...

When's the last time you checked your superannuation? A lot of Australians may not realise it, but they may be sitting on a monster. Our choices made when we're young could be worth thousands or even millions of dollars in retirement. That is why Australian Retirement Trust is calling all Australians to awaken their super. In this episode we cover: The stats about how dis-engaged Australians are with their superWhat we can all do to ensure we're on the right track How we can think about what...

Over on our sister podcast, Equity Mates Investing, we've launched a new segment called Pimp my Portfolio. In a nutshell, we're doing to investing portfolios what Xzibit did to cars (explainer for those not old enough to remember) We get a portfolio from the Equity Mates community, and put it in front of an expert to get their general advice on how the portfolio is constructed and what we could think about to improve it. By doing that we draw out some lessons that we can apply to our own...

In today’s stock market, nearly every asset class, commodity, and global market is accessible through ETF’s. So, the question becomes, how do you choose? In Under the Hood we are looking at some of Australia’s favourite ETF’s and building the skills to analyse them ourselves. Today we are looking at JPMorgan Global Bond Active ETF (Managed Fund) In this episode we cover: The purpose of the ETF (what it seeks to do)Index it tracks / How it is constructed (how it aims to achieve its...

Once a year, history's greatest investor, Warren Buffett, takes the stage in front of 40,000 people and answers questions for 7 and a half hours. That alone is impressive. Even more impressive? He's still doing it at 94 years old. In this episode we cover the highlights from this year's Berkshire Hathaway annual general meeting. We also share some of our biggest Warren Buffett lessons and the timeless wisdom that has made us better investors. If you want to watch the full 7 and a half hour...

The premise of $100 Challenge is simple: $100 invested each month at the market’s average return of 8% for 40 years is $350,000. Little steps over a long period can make a big difference.  So in these episodes we share ways to save or earn an extra $100 each month that we can put towards our investing.  In this episode we are passing the microphone over to the experts and sharing some of the best (and worst) expert advice we've come across. From discount burritos to monthly budgets and Dave...

Are you good with money? It's a hard question to answer and naturally, we instantly start to compare ourselves to other people in our lives. But the question wasn't 'are we better than those around us' it was are we objectively good? Emma Edwards has written the book (literally) on being good with money. In this conversation we unpacked what being good with money means to her and how we can all take the next steps to get better (and hopefully ultimately, good) with money. Links...

A huge moment for us here at Equity Mates - we're celebrating 1,000 episodes of Equity Mates Investing and Get Started Investing. In this episode we take a moment and reflect on the past 7 years. We discuss how we started, the milestones along the way and get into the business behind the podcasts. Reaching 1,000 episodes would not have been possible without the incredible community we've built along the way. So however you engage with Equity Mates, we want to say a massive thank you for...

For years we've been searching for a spend tracking platform that works for us. PocketSmith heard of our search and suggested we give their platform a try. In this episode we share what we learned after connecting our bank accounts to PocketSmith. How much are we spending, are we keeping to our budgets, were there any surprises? Tune in to find out. In this episode we cover: How we set up PocketSmithOur major categories of spendingChanges in our spending over time Any surprises or unexpected...

When's the last time you checked your savings account? After years of not getting a decent interest rate, the rapid rise in interest rates over the past couple of years means there are some great deals out there. In this episode we share the best we could find. If you're not getting 5%, it may be time to move. In this episode we cover: Top 5 savings accounts with no gimmicks Top 5 savings accounts with honeymoon rates Top 5 savings accounts overall Links mentioned: Techt's Savings Account...

For this month's $100 Challenge episode we're going deep on energy bills. We speak to Phil, who wrote in and shared a way he is saving thousands a year on his electricity and gas bills. The premise of $100 Challenge is simple: $100 invested each month at the market’s average return of 8% for 40 years is $350,000. Little steps over a long period can make a big difference.  So in these episodes we share ways to save or earn an extra $100 each month that we can put towards our investing.  Links...

A couple of weeks ago we spoke about how we're investing for 2024. Today, we wanted to get a few expert investors and financial advisors on the phone and ask them how they're investing for the year ahead. In this episode we hear from: Charlie Viola, Pitcher PartnersLuke Larative, Seneca Financial SolutionsAndrew Page, Strawman.comDylan Pargiter-Green, Bold Wealth Are you looking to speak to a financial advisor? Fill in your details and get matched with the right advisor for...

There’s plenty of preconceived ideas about investing that make us think it’s not for us or stop us getting started. So we went out to our Facebook Discussion Group and asked what they believed about investing that they’ve since realised was a myth.  In this episode we chat about:  How much money you need to get started Why investing isn’t as risky as you thinkWhat you need to know to get started Why trying to time the market is wasted energyThe multiple ways to build wealth in the stock...

How many ETFs should I be investing in?  That was the question Chris asked in the Equity Mates Facebook Discussion Group and that is the question we set out to answer in this episode.  If you’re an ETF investor and wondering how to think about building a portfolio of ETFs, this episode is for you.  Links mentioned: 2024 Community SurveyEquity Mates Facebook Discussion Group —------ Want to keep learning? Check out the Rask + Equity Mates investing courses.  We’ve worked with the team at Rask...