BLOGS

The Forever Test: The one principle behind all long-term wealth  

forever test

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 …

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Australian vs International Shares: Why the 45:55 split does not add up 

Aussie Shares

For some time now, I have been questioning why diversified portfolios in Australia typically hold almost half of their equity exposure in Australian shares and slightly more than half in international shares.  For example, AustralianSuper’s Balanced portfolio has approximately 25% allocated to Australian equities and around 34% to international equities, while UniSuper’s Growth portfolio holds roughly 31% in Australian equities and 42% in international equities. These …

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The AI trade – what can we learn from the dot-com bubble? 

Dot- Com

AI has quickly gone from tech buzzword to investment obsession, with “the AI trade” now shorthand for backing the companies most likely to benefit from its growth.   But before you assume today’s obvious winners will still look obvious in a decade, it is worth revisiting the last time a world-changing technology captivated markets. The dot-com era offers a surprisingly …

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Financial modelling for wealth: Advice or sales pitch?

Financial model

There are a growing number of businesses offering financial modelling as part of their services, particularly in the property industry i.e. buyer’s agents.   It is not uncommon for buyers’ agents to provide you with a model of how you might build wealth through investing in multiple properties. These projections typically include cash flow and net worth over time, which can make it easier to …

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Property vs Shares: The hidden incentives behind the advice  

incentives advice

Conflicts of interest exist in many parts of the Australian financial services industry. The problem is that not all of them are obvious, especially to people outside the industry.  It is also important to understand that a conflict of interest does not automatically mean someone is doing the wrong thing. Even an adviser who is honest, competent, …

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Do ethical investments produce higher or lower returns? 

Ethical Investing

There is a growing number of ethical investing options available, both as ETFs and within super funds. For most investors, the idea of investing ethically is appealing. The real question, though, is whether choosing ethical options are riskier or produce lower returns over time.  If the risk and future returns are the same, or even better, then I think many more investors …

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A two-speed property market in 2026: where prices rise next (and where they will not) 

2 Speed

If you are thinking about buying, selling, upgrading, or investing in property over the course of 2026, you are probably wondering what property prices will do this year.   In this blog, I revisit the evidence-based factors that matter most: loan volumes, borrowing capacity, interest rate expectations, interstate migration, and where each capital city sits in its cycle.   I also explain why …

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Wealth First Principles # 4: Cash flow and debt management: The hidden engine of wealth 

Cash Flow

When people think about building wealth, the focus usually turns immediately to investment strategies. Which shares to buy? Should I purchase another property? Is now the right time to invest? These questions dominate the conversation. Yet the most important contributor to long-term financial success is not investment selection. It is cash flow and debt management.  The way you earn, spend, save, and …

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Wealth First Principles # 3: Share market investing – How to build a portfolio that works 

Share market investing

This is the third instalment in a four-part Wealth First Principles series. The first two blogs examined how wealth is genuinely created and the role of property. Shares serve a fundamentally different purpose within a portfolio. They provide liquidity, diversification, reliable income with minimal costs, and access to global growth themes that property simply cannot deliver. But investors …

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