I believe most people spend too much of their lives trying to reduce perceived financial risk. The opportunity cost of this approach is very high and puts lifestyle goals at risk. Too much focus on risk reduction Many people buy a home and then focus on repaying debt. They then upgrade their home and once…
According to Cotality, since its daily index began at the start of 2010, Melbourne house values have risen by around 4% p.a., which is only about 1.3% p.a. above inflation. But of course, not every property has delivered such a mediocre result. That begs the real question: which types of properties have outperformed over this period, and what…
There is one investment principle that, if you truly understand it, will help you make the smartest financial decisions and create the most wealth in the long run. I know that sounds like hyperbole, but I assure you, it’s not. I cannot overstate how important this principal is. The most important investment principal is… The principle is simple: buy the investments with the strongest past evidence and fundamentals to…
If you have been looking at property price data from the past five years, be careful. This period has been shaped by a perfect storm of unique, one-off factors, and it does not necessarily reflect the long-term fundamentals that drive sustainable growth. My concern is that some investors may rely on this recent data and…
There’s more property data available to investors today than ever before, much of it free, and it can significantly improve investment decision making. Analysing how a property’s value has changed over time (i.e. its compound annual growth rate across multiple decades) and comparing it to comparable properties in close proximity, is an essential part of investment due diligence. However, it’s equally important not to become too data driven….
The Senate committee reviewing the CGT discount released its final report yesterday. Commentators are now suggesting the government could reduce the CGT discount for property investors and potentially cap negative gearing to two or three properties. Let’s look at the impact a change to the CGT discount could have. Why is CGT under the microscope? The government…
Over the past decade, I have written over 150 blogs about property investing. That’s enough content to fill four books! I’m always trying to publish thought-provoking and practical blogs that sometimes challenge conventional wisdom and empower investors to make better financial decisions. While each property investing blog that I write is important on its own,…
It is very common for people to make an initial investment e.g., buy a parcel of shares or an investment property, but fail to make any further investments for many years or decades. Why does this happen? What is paralysing their ability to make investment decisions? Perhaps you don’t have enough time We use lack…
I recently appeared as a guest on The Australian newspaper’s Money Café podcast, where we discussed the FIRE moment. The acronym stands for Financially Independent, Retire Early, which involves living as frugally as possible, and investing as much as possible so that you can afford to retire as soon as possible. A listener that works in the mental health…
Towards the end of each year, many people start thinking about their financial position and what they want to improve in the year ahead. It is a natural time to step back and take stock. The problem is that most people focus on tactics – the next investment idea, a new budgeting app, a different…
