Hayden and Dave are taking Aussie FIRE case studies up a notch by inviting a listener onto the podcast to walk through her real-life numbers and decisions.

They’re joined by Renee, an Aussie Fire listener who shares her full financial picture and asks the big question: what should we focus on next?

In this episode they cover:

👉 Renee’s financial position, including income, super, ETFs, and property

👉 Whether to prioritise ETFs, another investment property, or staying the course

👉 How close Renee already is to financial independence

👉 Semi-retirement, and buying back family time

👉 The trade-offs between property debt and lifestyle flexibility

👉 Why compounding (not contributions) is doing most of the work now

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Ask a Question

FI Case Study Request Form

Pearler

Strong Money Australia

Original Aussie FIRE e-book

Strong Money Australia’s audiobook

Disclaimer

Any 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

If you are considering any of the products we spoke about during the show, be sure to read the Product Disclosure Statement & Target Market Determination available from the product issuer’s website before deciding.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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In this episode Hayden and Dave are opening their DM’s to answer some listener questions.

In this episode they cover:

👉 ETF strategy: all-in-one funds vs splitting across ETFs

👉 Coast FIRE and slowing down on the path to FI

👉 Dividends vs growth portfolios near retirement

👉 Cash ETFs and when (if ever) they make sense

Ask a Question

FI Case Study Request Form

Pearler

Strong Money Australia

Original Aussie FIRE e-book

Strong Money Australia’s audiobook

Disclaimer

Any 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

If you are considering any of the products we spoke about during the show, be sure to read the Product Disclosure Statement & Target Market Determination available from the product issuer’s website before deciding.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sign up to Pearler in January and get one free trade per month for 12 months!

Welcome to part two! In part two of this episode, Hayden and Dave are unpacking:

👉 The pressure to get on the ‘property ladder’

👉 Renting vs buying and your long-term goals

👉 The idea that rent money is dead money

👉 Investing in every asset class to be diversified

👉 Maxing out your super

Ask a Question

FI Case Study Request Form

Pearler

Strong Money Australia

Original Aussie FIRE e-book

Strong Money Australia’s audiobook

Disclaimer

Any 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

If you are considering any of the products we spoke about during the show, be sure to read the Product Disclosure Statement & Target Market Determination available from the product issuer’s website before deciding.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’re a young person today, it can feel like you’re playing a new game while still being expected to follow old rules that no longer quite fit. In this episode, Hayden and Dave unpack:

👉 If insurance is actually worth it (plus simple calculations you can use to decide if it’s right for you)

👉 Bucket systems and if they can help you manage your money, spending, and savings

👉 Finding work–life balance while still chasing your goals and dreams

👉 How young people can get ahead in today’s tougher economic environment

👉 Should I work harder when I'm younger, or have fun and spend my money?

👉 Whether you should take a more cautious approach to investing as you get older

FI Case Study Request Form

Pearler

Strong Money Australia

Original Aussie FIRE e-book

Strong Money Australia’s audiobook

Disclaimer

Any 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

If you are considering any of the products we spoke about during the show, be sure to read the Product Disclosure Statement & Target Market Determination available from the product issuer’s website before deciding.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dave and Hayden dive into a fresh round of FI case studies and the life-planning dilemmas that shape our money decisions. They start with a powerful scenario from a migrant listener weighing up a future in Australia versus returning home: cost of living pressures, wage differentials, super portability, exchange rate risk, and what “enough” really means when your FI number has to work across borders. They tease out frameworks for modelling two parallel futures and the emotional load that comes with trying to build stability far from family.

They move into the perennial FIRE fork in the road: kids or no kids, single or coupled. They unpack how household structure changes savings rates, risk capacity, spending floors, and time to FI, while reminding listeners that planning is not about predicting your life perfectly but about building optionality. Whether you are navigating life solo, partnered, expanding your family, or staying child free, they outline how to model scenarios that still get you to a secure and flexible future.

FI Case Study Request Form

Pearler

Strong Money Australia

Original Aussie FIRE e-book

Strong Money Australia’s audiobook

Disclaimer

Any 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

If you are considering any of the products we spoke about during the show, be sure to read the Product Disclosure Statement & Target Market Determination available from the product issuer’s website before deciding.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dave and Hayden tackle four FI dilemmas. They unpack the allure of monthly-income ETFs like HYLD and why payout timing shouldn’t trump diversification, offering simple ways to create your own paycheck with broad ETFs, cash buffers, and planned sells. They explore PAYG tax variations and how to dial down withholding when you’re always due a refund (think negative gearing) to keep cash flowing through the year. They walk through a listener’s rent-or-sell crunch on a former home: equity concentration, CGT timing, leverage vs diversification, and whether to keep, refi, or offload while cheap employer housing lasts. Finally, they look at boosting a spouse’s super when your own cap is maxed: catch-up concessional space, contribution splitting to even balances, the modest spouse offset, and when non-concessional top-ups make sense.

FI Case Study Request Form

Pearler

Strong Money Australia

Original Aussie FIRE e-book

Strong Money Australia’s audiobook

Disclaimer

Any 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

If you are considering any of the products we spoke about during the show, be sure to read the Product Disclosure Statement & Target Market Determination available from the product issuer’s website before deciding.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dave and Hayden unpack one of the biggest questions on the path to financial independence: should you focus on dividend income or capital growth?

• Should you prioritise dividend income or capital growth on the path to financial independence
• How tax, time horizon, and behaviour shape your mix
• What franking credits, CGT discounts, and ETF distributions really mean for your returns

They weigh the pros, cons, and myths, then show simple ways to turn a portfolio into regular income using dividends, scheduled sells, or a blend, so you can choose a strategy that fits your goals, risk profile, and time horizon.

FI Case Study Request Form

Pearler

Strong Money Australia

Original Aussie FIRE e-book

Strong Money Australia’s audiobook

Disclaimer

Any 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

If you are considering any of the products we spoke about during the show, be sure to read the Product Disclosure Statement & Target Market Determination available from the product issuer’s website before deciding.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Dave and Hayden explore two real-life case studies.

First, they discuss whether a couple in their fifties truly needs 25 times their expenses to retire, unpacking how time horizon, risk and the Age Pension reshape the “magic number.”

Then, they dive into a pay down the mortgage or invest in ETFs dilemma, weighing certainty versus growth, and the benefits of debt recycling.

All round, this episode is a chat about tailoring financial independence to your stage of life, goals and mindset.

FI Case Study Request Form

Pearler

Strong Money Australia

Original Aussie FIRE e-book

Strong Money Australia’s audiobook

Disclaimer

Any 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

If you are considering any of the products we spoke about during the show, be sure to read the Product Disclosure Statement & Target Market Determination available from the product issuer’s website before deciding.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.