Investopoly
Business & Finance
About
Investopoly is a twice-weekly podcast designed to help you make better financial decisions and build wealth with clarity and confidence. Hosted by Stuart (tax adviser, financial adviser, and mortgage broker) and Campbell (senior financial adviser), each episode delivers concise, practical insights grounded in real-world strategy, research, methodologies, and case studies. You will get two episodes each week: a main episode that deep-dives into a single wealth-building topic, and a Q&A episode that answers listener questions and real scenarios. Send your questions to questions@investopoly.com.auWe also writes a weekly blog, and many podcast topics build on those ideas a...
Episodes
- Ep 407: The investors who obsess over tax often miss what matters more
This Investopoly episode discusses how an overemphasis on tax in investing can lead to missed opportunities and suboptimal returns. It examines the modest impact of capital gains tax compared to factors like gearing, asset performance, and…
- Q&A - Simplicity vs Optimisation: leverage, liquidity, and super strategy
This Investopoly Q&A episode discusses the tension between financial optimization and practical simplicity, addressing listener questions about investment property, leveraged ETFs, and superannuation strategies. It examines scenarios invol…
- Ep 406: The policy risk most property investors are ignoring
This episode examines how policy changes, rising holding costs, and tenancy reform are altering long-term return dynamics for property investors in Australia, using Melbourne as a detailed case study. It discusses the need for new strategi…
- Q&A - The hidden cost of concentration: real scenarios, real trade-offs
This Investopoly episode discusses the challenges of wealth heavily concentrated in property, especially nearing retirement. It examines issues like liquidity constraints, CGT timing, and superannuation optimization, and explores strategie…
- Ep 405: How to construct an ETF portfolio
This Investopoly episode discusses constructing an ETF portfolio, differentiating between all-in-one funds and building your own. It covers the "Forever Test" for index selection, factors driving long-term returns, and strategies for tilti…
- Q&A - Real investor dilemmas: what complex portfolios reveal about strategy and risk
This Investopoly episode explores real-world investor dilemmas, examining how complex portfolios reveal strategic tensions and risk management. It covers navigating leverage, asset concentration, liquidity, and making financial decisions a…
- Ep 404: How to deal with investment concentration risk
This episode of Investopoly discusses investment concentration risk, explaining its meaning beyond just returns to include dependence. It introduces a three-step framework for assessment and explores when this risk is acceptable or should…
- Q&A - Stock research, SMSF rebalancing & the debt recycling vs investment property
This Investopoly Q&A episode addresses listener questions on stock research methods and tools, SMSF rebalancing strategies for growth versus income, and a comparison of debt recycling against investment property. It also covers structuring…
- Ep 403: Lump sum share market investing: risky or rational
This Investopoly episode discusses lump sum investing versus dollar cost averaging, drawing on market research and psychological factors. Stuart explores strategies for investing significant capital, including misconceptions about debt rec…
- Q&A - When good options compete: property, super & the art of the trade-off
In this Investopoly Q&A episode, Stuart discusses financial scenarios including funding a new home, managing a defined benefit pension, and structuring investments for children. The episode also covers loan strategies for business owners a…
- Ep 402: The real risk in retirement: working too long and spending too little
This Investopoly episode discusses the real risk in retirement, which is not running out of money, but underspending during the early, high-health years. It introduces a framework for retirement in two phases and explains how intentional c…
- Q&A - Can you retire early without taking big risks?
This Investopoly episode explores whether early retirement is possible without aggressive risk-taking, examining various listener scenarios and strategies for funding retirement. It also discusses managing timing risk, maintaining flexibil…
- EP 401: Beyond the median: What actually drives property outperformance in Melbourne
In this episode of Investopoly, Stuart challenges the notion of Melbourne property as a poor performer. He investigates what drives outperformance, looking at specific case studies and common characteristics such as structural scarcity and…
- Q&A - When your dream home conflicts with your wealth plan
This Investopoly episode discusses the conflict between a dream home and a wealth plan. Stuart explores funding a home build, managing property portfolios, and optimizing retirement contributions while balancing ambition and financial real…
- Ep 400: CGT discount changes: what property investors should do now
This episode of Investopoly discusses the growing political debate around capital gains tax (CGT) and its implications for Australian property investors. Stuart analyzes potential changes to the CGT discount, compares different CGT systems…
- Q&A - Preparing for retirement: prioritising debt reduction, super contributions, and liquidity
This episode of Investopoly features a Q&A on retirement planning. The host discusses superannuation strategy, debt reduction, and financial independence, addressing listener questions on these topics. Specific scenarios include managing m…
- Ep 399: The Forever Test: Probably the most important concept investors must understand
In this episode of Investopoly, Stuart explains the "Forever Test," a principle for long-term investing. He discusses choosing assets for high average returns over decades, the power of compounding, and practical levers investors can use t…
- Q&A - Bitcoin, debt recycling & the 6-year rule: smart structuring for financial independence
This Investopoly Q&A episode addresses various financial strategies including Bitcoin tax implications, debt recycling, superannuation structuring, and long-term portfolio design. Stuart discusses capital gains tax on Bitcoin, the six-year…
- Ep 398: Why non-bank lenders can significantly extend your investment capacity
This Investopoly episode discusses the differences between traditional banks and non-bank lenders, including their regulation, funding mechanisms, and lending capacities. It explains how non-bank lenders may offer higher borrowing capacity…
- Q&A - Buy the dream home or optimise the structure? Leveraging smartly in your late 30s and 40s
This episode of Investopoly features Stuart answering listener questions about home buying, financial leverage, and structural optimization for high-earning individuals. He also covers when to consider family trusts and SMSFs, and how to e…
- Ep 397: Australian vs International Shares: Why the 45:55 split does not add up
This Investopoly episode challenges the traditional 45:55 split between Australian and international shares, questioning the logic behind a heavy domestic allocation despite Australia's small global market share. It delves into arguments f…
- Q&A - Structuring for smarter retirement: capital losses, property fatigue & the upgrade dilemma
This Investopoly Q&A episode explores strategies for retirement, covering topics such as managing capital losses, transitioning property-heavy portfolios to ETFs, and the upgrade dilemma for primary residences. It also considers the value…
- Ep 396: The AI trade – what can we learn from the dot-com bubble?
This Investopoly episode examines the current AI trade by drawing parallels with the dot-com bubble. It discusses investment strategies, market trends, and historical lessons for investors.
- Q&A - Dream Homes, big incomes & borrowing power: When to upgrade, wait, simplify
In this Q&A episode of Investopoly, Stuart addresses listener queries regarding property and borrowing decisions across various life stages. Topics include managing borrowing capacity, the balance between lifestyle upgrades and long-term g…
- Ep 395: Financial modelling for wealth: advice or sales pitch?
This episode of Investopoly discusses financial modelling in the wealth industry, particularly in property investment, exploring how it can be used as a sales tool rather than a neutral advisory tool. It highlights the importance of scruti…
- Q&A - Too Late or One More Move? Navigating investing, regret, and retirement decisions in your 40s and 50s
In this Q&A episode of Investopoly, Stuart addresses listener questions about investing and retirement planning for individuals in their 40s and 50s. The discussion covers making confident investment decisions, managing regret over past mi…
- Ep 394: Property vs Shares: The hidden incentives behind the advice
This Investopoly episode discusses hidden incentives in financial advice, particularly concerning property and shares. It covers how conflicts of interest, familiarity bias, and business models can influence recommendations, and offers way…
- Q&A - How much debt is too much? net worth, upgrading homes, late starts, and navigating big financial trade-offs
In this Q&A episode of Investopoly, host Stuart addresses financial questions regarding debt levels, calculating net worth, upgrading homes, and planning for retirement when starting late. The discussion focuses on making informed trade-of…
- Ep 393: Does ethical investing generate better or worse returns?
Stuart examines evidence-based approaches to ethical, ESG, and sustainable investing, focusing on risk, diversification, and returns. The episode explains core differences in investment frameworks and how they impact portfolio construction…
- Q&A - Early retirement goals, messy portfolios, and real-world trade-offs: bonds, redraws, SMSFs, and lifestyle shifts
In this Q&A episode of Investopoly, host Stuart addresses listener questions on balancing early retirement goals, managing investment portfolios, and navigating common financial trade-offs. Topics include the role of investment bonds, SMSF…
- Ep 392 : A two-speed property market in 2026: where prices rise (and where they won’t)
Stuart examines the factors driving a two-speed property market in 2026, focusing on the divide between affordable and premium properties. He explores variables such as interest rates, borrowing capacity, and migration to help listeners ma…
- Q&A - Lifestyle upgrades versus financial independence, late-stage property decisions, family trust tax risks, and more
Stuart addresses listener questions on financial strategy, covering topics such as lifestyle upgrades versus retirement planning, property concentration risks, family trust tax implications, and managing superannuation between partners. Th…
- Ep 391: Wealth First Principles # 4: The hidden engine of wealth
This episode of Investopoly explores the importance of cash flow and debt discipline as foundational elements for building wealth. Host Stuart discusses practical strategies for automating savings, managing debt, and avoiding behavioural t…
- Q&A - Kids’ inheritance, ETF vs property, & smarter super
Campbell discusses various financial questions, including managing inheritance for teens, retirement planning, superannuation, and the balance between ETFs and property investment. He provides frameworks for managing debt, retirement incom…
- Ep 390: Wealth First Principles #3: How to build a share portfolio that works
This episode outlines a rules-based framework for building a resilient, low-cost, and globally diversified share portfolio. It covers the importance of index funds, managing volatility, avoiding common investor mistakes, and the role of gl…
- Q&A - Structure First: Using Equity, super tactics & smarter portfolio moves
Campbell addresses investor questions on financial structure, borrowing capacity, superannuation strategies, and investment sequencing. Topics include equity extraction, the role of trusts, capital loss harvesting, and long-term portfolio…
- Ep 389: Wealth First Principles #2: A step-by-step strategy for property investing
This episode outlines a strategic, repeatable framework for property investing, emphasizing finance structures, asset quality, cash flow modeling, and long-term risk management. It provides a guide for making property decisions intended to…
- Q&A - Develop, rentvest or debt-recycle? Structures, tax & capacity
Stuart discusses small-scale property development strategies, the trade-offs of rent-vesting, and the mechanics of debt-recycling to invest in shares. The episode also includes a case study on managing debt and cash flow for high-income ho…
- Ep 388: Wealth First Principles #1: How wealth is actually built – The Wealth Equation
Stuart explains the fundamentals of building wealth through cash-flow surplus, investment efficiency, and time. The episode applies these principles to property planning, covering debt management, tax structures, and long-term asset strate…
- Q&A – Structure First: Super vs flexibility, smart Gearing & reno timing
In this Q&A episode, Stuart discusses strategies for high-earning families, covering the trade-offs between superannuation contributions and maintaining liquidity for flexibility. The episode also explores portfolio management, debt struct…
- Ep 387: Should you be an active property investor if your budget is under $1m
Stuart discusses value-add property investment for budgets under $1 million, focusing on high-value land in A-grade areas. The episode also covers listener questions on simplifying asset portfolios for retirement and navigating rezoning op…
- Q&A – Family property moves, insurance costs & long-term cash strategy
In this Q&A episode of Investopoly, Stuart addresses listener questions on property transfers between family members, income protection insurance costs, and long-term cash flow strategies for high-income households. The discussion emphasiz…
- Ep 386: Which is better: REIT or direct property?
Stuart discusses the differences between REITs and direct property, examining their distinct roles in wealth building. The episode also features a listener Q&A regarding tax considerations for share portfolios held in informal trusts for m…
- Q&A – Asset quality beats timing: apartments, upgrades & borrowing power
In this Q&A episode of Investopoly, Stuart addresses listener scenarios regarding asset quality, including underperforming apartments, property upgrades, and the importance of strategic borrowing. The discussion also covers gearing strateg…
- Ep 385: Should you fix your mortgage - If not now, when?
Stuart discusses the pros and cons of fixing mortgage rates versus maintaining flexibility, and provides advice on superannuation inheritance taxes and investment strategies for a large inheritance. He emphasizes data-driven decision-makin…
- Q&A - Property-Heavy Portfolios, When to Stop Accumulating, and Choosing the Right Next Investment Move
Stuart addresses listener questions on financial topics including superannuation, investment strategies for varying career stages, property selection, and determining investment goals. The episode provides insights on managing high-spend,…
- EP 384: Why relying on property sales data alone could be a big mistake!
In this episode of Investopoly, Stuart explains why relying exclusively on property sales data can lead to poor investment decisions. He discusses the necessity of combining statistical data with local insights, such as planning overlays a…
- Q&A - From first-home buyers to $12m portfolios (& in between): Smart next moves at every stage of wealth
In this episode of Investopoly, Stuart answers listener questions about investment strategies ranging from first-time home buying to managing high-net-worth portfolios. Topics include superannuation fee comparisons, property investment ver…
- Ep 383: The new and improved $3M super cap
Campbell discusses the government's revised $3 million superannuation cap (Division 296) and its implications for high-balance fund holders. The episode also covers considerations for purchasing a principal place of residence and the strat…
- Q&A - Sell, Subdivide, or Supercharge? Navigating Big Money Moves
In this Q&A episode of Investopoly, Stuart answers listener questions covering topics such as property markets, subdividing land, superannuation strategies, investment priorities, debt reduction, and financial advice options.