Get Started Investing

Josh spent his early 20s racking up consumer debt. Holidays, nights out and a car he couldn't afford. With his 30s approaching, he decided it was time to turn himself from a debt collecting spender, to an investor. Today at 32 years old he is debt free, investing regularly and his portfolio just ticked over six figures. He joined Jess to share the steps he took to get from there to and now. This is ‘How I Got Started’ a series where Jess sits down with a community member to hear the highs and lows of their journey to investing. These are real stories that we hope will give you confidence that investing is for anyone. Chapters: 00:00 From Debt to Investing 03:37 Early Money Habits 07:40 Paying Off Debt 10:05 The Financial Wake Up Call 12:06 Learning to Invest 14:05 Building His Portfolio 17:54 Inside His Six Figure Portfolio 22:00 His Investing Strategy 25:00 Lessons and Advice Links mentioned: Josh’s book recommendation: I will teach you to be rich by Ramit Sethi Other Links: 🤳 follow along on Jess’…

How do you know when it's time to change your strategy? At just 21, listener Ben is already asking when he should prepare his portfolio for retirement. He's invested entirely in a geared ETF and wants to know what that means for his future. It's something Jess hasn't really considered either. She's investing for the long term, but what should that actually look like as life changes? Jess sits down with financial adviser Melissa Balacharige from Shadforth to explore how your investment strategy might evolve through your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and into retirement. They unpack when to start de-risking, how your portfolio might change as your goals and time frame shift, and whether the 4% rule still works if you're invested in leveraged ETFs. Plus, why getting too defensive too early could be one of the biggest mistakes you make. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 03:10 The Four Percent Rule 07:14 Investing in Your 20s and 30s 12:24 Diversifying in Your 40s 17:30 Managing Retirement Risk 21:21 Staying Disciplined 26:31…

It’s not everyday Jess meets someone whose first investment was a cow. But for 42-year-old dairy farmer Justin, that was the case. Bought with the profits of selling manure by the side of the road might we add! 😆 It’s no secret that farming is a tough, often volatile profession. Justin watched his parents financial life revolve solely around their farm. So when he discovered investing, he saw it as a way to build a life less dependent on the weather. Now, he’s teaching his 14 year old daughter the power of investing too. This is ‘How I Got Started’ a series where I sit down with a community member to hear the highs and lows of their journey to investing. These are real stories that we hope will give you confidence that investing is for anyone. Chapters: 00:00:00 Meet Justin 00:03:00 Wealth Beyond Farming 00:07:46 Early Money Lessons 00:11:08 Learning From Dad 00:15:27 His Investing Turning Point 00:19:47 Building His Portfolio 00:23:35 Teaching His Daughter 00:26:23 Freedom Beyond Farming 00:29:00 Investing…

Should Jess add an active manager to her passive portfolio? After logging into her super and noticing that a portion is actively managed- it got her thinking, should she add active management outside of super too? And she’s not the only one wondering, the equity mates facebook group had a lot to say on the matter! Actively managed fund are now more accessible than ever- out of the 50 new ETFs listed on the ASX last financial year, 28 of them were active. But what actually is an active ETF and How does it compare to a passive one? Jess sat down with financial adviser Amie Baker to find out how active fits into a passive portfolio like Jess’. Chapters: 00:00:00 Active vs Passive Investing 00:03:24 How Passive ETFs Work 0:05:27 How Active Funds Work 00:09:29 What the Research Says 00:12:54 Diversifying Your Portfolio 00:17:33 Choosing Active Investments 00:21:00 Small Caps and Fund Performance 00:24:06 Building a Balanced Portfolio Links mentioned in this episode: Learn more about Amie's take on passive and…

Larissa thought she knew how to invest. She’d read the books, listened to the podcasts and watched her first investments climb. Then it went downhill. What followed was a shift to simple ETFs and an unconventional plan to buy property with her partner; give up renting and house-sit their way to a deposit. (spoiler; it worked!) This year, a break up changed the future she’d been financially building towards. She joins Jess to share how the financial foundations she built in her 20s gave her the freedom to pivot when life changed. This is ‘How I Got Started’ a series where I sit down with a community member to hear the highs and lows of their journey to investing. These are real stories that we hope will give you confidence that investing is for anyone. Chapters: 00:00 Larissas Investing Journey 03:01 Life Money And Early Habits 06:33 Learning How To Invest 09:01 From Risky Picks To ETFs 12:13 Building A Simple Portfolio 16:29 The Unconventional Path To Property 22:12 Rebuilding After A Breakup 26:07 New Goals…

Don't let a lump sum sit in the wrong place. So how should you use it? Save it, invest it, pay off debt, put it in super, or spend it? Jess asks Financial Adviser Tom Hayes from Shadforth to run the numbers on every option. By the end of this episode, you'll know the trade-offs of each, and how to choose what fits your goals. Chapters: 00:00:00 What To Do With A Lump Sum 00:04:16 Where Your Money Came From 00:06:56 Building An Emergency Fund 00:11:53 Paying Down Debt 00:14:00 Superannuation And Tax Benefits 00:18:45 Investing Outside Super 00:24:21 Lump Sum Or Dollar Cost Averaging 00:27:01 Making The Right Choice Links mentioned in this episode: Check out the previous episode on offset accounts here 📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here 📩 Share your investing story with us submit here 🤳 Follow Jess’ investing journey on instagram at getstartedinvesting_ Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered. ———…

You don’t need a high income to invest your way to a better financial future. Today’s guest is proof of that. Ten years ago, while on maternity leave, Leigh decided to get serious about her families finances. Leigh and her husband aren’t high earners. She’s a teacher and her husband’s an electrician- so they don’t have millions coming in the door. But ten years after her investing journey began; their mortgage is paid off, she’s reached ‘Coast FIRE’ and is in a financial position to take next year off work. How did she do it? Jess chats with Leigh to find out. This is How I Got Started, in each episode one community member shares the highs and lows of their investing journey. These are real stories that we hope will give you confidence that investing is for anyone. Chapters: 00:00:00 Meet Leigh 00:02:03 Why Financial Independence 00:04:05 Learning To Save 00:07:37 Discovering Investing 00:09:39 Her First Investments 00:12:09 ETFs And Dividend Income 00:15:17 The Monthly Money Split 00:18:02 Life After Coast…

Is your portfolio diversified, or just complicated? Jess is only five months into investing and she’s already got seven ETFs and a stock. What is each investment actually adding? She’s starting to think maybe she’s overcomplicated things… Then community member Hamish sent in a question about whether it makes more sense to own one diversified ETF or build a portfolio from several ETFs. Jess took it as a sign to get back to basics. So she sits down with financial adviser Glen Hare to unpack how to think about building an ETF portfolio, including How many ETFs is too many? How to spot overlap between ETFs What you gain, and give up, by keeping things simple Three example approaches: one diversified ETF, Australian + global ETFs, and a portfolio built across different regions Chapters: 00:00:00 How Many ETFs? 00:03:38 Has Jess Overcomplicated? 00:08:07 All-In-One ETF Benefits 00:16:08 Avoiding ETF Overlap 00:24:54 Which Strategy Suits You? 00:32:48 The ETF Selection Checklist ETFs Mentioned: We talk about a…

Hayden McLean knows a thing or two about playing the long game. After missing out on the AFL draft twice, Hayden kept going until he earned his place at the Sydney Swans. That same patience has shaped how he invests. At 27, he’s investing with one big goal in mind: creating the freedom to choose what life looks like after football. Hayden joins Jess to share how he went from being a hard-core saver who thought investing was too risky, to dollar cost averaging every month into a building a tech-heavy portfolio. This is How I Got Started, in each episode one community member shares the highs and lows of their investing journey. These are real stories that we hope will give you confidence that investing is for anyone. Chapters: 00:00:00 Hayden McLean On Money 00:04:22 Chasing The AFL Dream 00:08:06 Learning To Budget In Sydney 00:11:00 Discovering Investing 00:14:22 Building A Stock Portfolio 00:18:44 Financial Literacy Beyond Football 00:21:54 Investing For Life After Footy 00:24:00 Why Starting Earlier…

4 months into her investing journey and Jess’ life has completely changed. She’s since bought a house, switched her core portfolio to geared investments, gotten a dog and combined finances with her partner. Safe to say- there’s been A Lot™️ on 🤣. With all that change, she’s got a few questions still playing on her mind. Things like: Should dollar cost averaging be monthly, or weekly? How should you invest in a stocks if you’re not dollar cost averaging into them? Why are her Geared ETFS not performing like she thought they would? Jess sat down with Bryce and Ren to share what her portfolio looks like today and get these questions answered. Chapters: 00:00:00 My Portfolio Check-In: What's Changed? 00:03:40 Buying A House Changed My Money Plan 00:05:20 My Portfolio Is Finally Taking Shape 00:06:30 I Swapped To Geared ETFs... Was It A Mistake? 00:10:00 How Do You Buy Individual Stocks? 00:12:43 Build Your Core Before Chasing Stock Picks 00:14:34 Should Beginners Use Geared ETFs? 00:18:56 Monthly Or Weekly…

Amy has built a $400,000 share portfolio, owns an investment property, and has grown her net worth to $1 million. But just six years ago, things looked very different. She was living pay cheque to pay cheque, had a credit card she didn't really understand, and had no idea where her money was going. So what changed? Amy shares with Jess the choices that turned her financial future around, how she built wealth through multiple income streams and why investing before you feel “ready” is a good way to start. Chapters: 00:00:00 From Paycheck To Paycheck To $1 Million 00:02:43 Growing Up Without Money Lessons 00:06:03 Where All Her Money Was Going 00:08:30 The Conversation That Changed Everything 00:11:00 Facing Her Spending And Building A Budget 00:14:47 Learning To Invest By Making Mistakes 00:17:42 Building Wealth With Property And ETFs 00:21:24 Taking More Control Of Her Super 00:24:00 How Amy Built A $1 Million Net Worth 00:25:20 Managing Money Separately In A Marriage 00:26:25 Her Next $1 Million Goal…

Do you know how much is in your super? Or what it’s invested in? Most Australians know what's in their bank account but superannuation? Not a clue. This lack of attention has a cost- missing out on thousands more at retirement. So today, Jess gives her super a 5-step health check. She'd love for you to do the same alongside her. Walking us through the list is Jen, Head of Technical Services at MLC. Jen explains the small decisions that can make all the difference including; checking your fees, insurances and investment settings. By the end of this episode, you'll know exactly what to check, what to fix, and how to make super part of your financial habits. Chapters: 00:00:00 Is Your Super Working Hard Enough? 00:04:01 Where Is Your Super Actually Invested? 00:08:30 The Hidden Cost Of Playing It Too Safe 00:11:14 How Much Are Super Fees Costing You? 00:14:28 The Insurance You Might Already Have 00:22:22 Who Gets Your Super If You Die? 00:27:00 Is Your Employer Paying Enough Super? 00:29:27 Your 15 Minute Super…

Ryan thought he was doing everything right with his money until a stock tip made his ETF feel like the wrong choice. For years, Ryan followed a very traditional approach to money: work hard, save hard and eventually buy a house. Then he discovered compound interest, started investing and found himself comparing two very different ways to put his money to work. What did that stock investment teach him? And how did it shape the kind of investor he wants to be? Ryan joins Jess to share how he got started investing, what his portfolio looks like today, the sleepless nights that came with his most concentrated investment yet—backing his own business—and why that experience has made the share market feel surprisingly safe. For more regular updates from Jess’ investing journey, follow along on Instagram at getstartedinvesting_. Chapters: 00:00:00 From Saving Hard To Investing Smarter 00:03:30 How Ryan Learned To Think About Money 00:07:00 The Investing Lesson That Changed Everything 00:09:32 His First Stock Tip And…

What if you already had more money to invest... you just didn't realise it? Jess has spent months manually analysing her spending, trying to free up more money to invest. This week, she wants to know if AI can make the process easier. Together with a chartered accountant and financial controller, Isabelle from Mind Her Money, Jess explores how to safely use AI to better understand your spending (including actual prompts you can use), what patterns to look for and how to spot the money that's quietly slipping away without adding real value to your life. Because the goal isn't to stop spending money. It's to stop wasting money on the things you don't value, so you can spend more on the things you do and invest the difference. Plus, Jess puts a "Real Price Tag" calculator to the test to see what one of her regular fortnightly expenses could be worth if she invested instead……… she was shocked! Also, you can now follow Jess’s journey & learnings more closely with regular updates on Instagram at…

Kelly grew up watching her immigrant parents work two jobs, seven days a week, after arriving in Australia with very little money. She thought the only path to wealth was to work harder. Then she discovered investing and realised her money could work just as hard as she did. Before turning 30, she's built a $280,000 investment portfolio and bought two investment properties. Jess sits down with Kelly to unpack the lessons she learned from watching her parents' sacrifices, why she focuses on growing her income as much as her investments (more than doubling it in just a few years), how she uses both property and shares to build wealth and why you absolutely don't need to be rich to get started. For more regular updates from Jess’ investing journey, follow along on instagram at getstartedinvesting_ Chapters: 00:00:00 From Super Saver To Serious Investor 00:03:48 The Money Lessons That Started It All 00:07:43 Buying Her First Property In Her Twenties 00:11:17 Why Saving Alone Was Not Enough 00:14:00 Turning One…

Joint accounts or separate? Split bills 50/50? Invest together or keep it separate? Ask five couples how they manage money and you'll probably get five different answers. After buying her first home with her partner, Jess put the question to the Get Started Investing community and quickly realised there were plenty of different approaches. So she sat down with financial adviser Glen Hare to hear what he sees working best for the couples he advises, and how they navigate everything from bank accounts and budgeting to shared goals, different money personalities (saver v spender) and building a financial life together. Plus, producer Soph calls in from her honeymoon with a question many newlyweds face: should married couples combine their investments, or keep investing separately? Chapters: 00:00:00 How Should Couples Manage Money? 00:03:00 Separate Or Combine Your Finances? 00:07:30 When Separate Money Stops Working 00:12:53 Getting On The Same Financial Page 00:15:15 When One Partner Hates Talking Money…

Gav loves spending money. Watches, skincare, Apple products, travel - give him money and he’ll find something to spend it on. So when he discovered investing, he did what came naturally….he started collecting ETFs. At one point, he owned 27 of them. So how did he go from trying almost every investing app and collecting ETFs “like Pokémon cards” to believing that less is more? Gav joins Jess to unpack the mistakes he made as a new investor, how he’s simplified his approach and the system that lets him invest consistently (while still leaving plenty of room to spend.) Plus, they get into Gav’s decision to invest in geared ETFs and why he’s comfortable with the extra risk. For more regular updates from Jess’ investing journey, follow along on instagram at getstartedinvesting_ Chapters: 00:00:00 From Big Spender To Disciplined Investor 00:03:30 How Gav Caught The Investing Bug 00:06:19 Collecting ETFs Like Pokemon Cards 00:09:38 How 27 ETFs Became A Real Strategy 00:12:30 Why Less Is More With Investing 00:15:00…

Australia or the world - where should you be investing? Jess has both Australian and global ETFs in her portfolio, but lately she’s been seeing more investors question whether Australian shares are worth holding at all…..especially when global markets have been performing so well. And she’s not the only one wondering. Community member Anand recently shifted his portfolio primarily into a global ETF and wants to know: what are the strongest reasons to still invest in Australia? Is going all-global a reasonable strategy? Does holding Australian shares actually make you more diversified? And are we overlooking Australia just because it hasn’t performed as well recently? Ren joins Jess to answer Anand’s question and help her decide whether the Australian ETF in her own portfolio still deserves its place. Also, you can now follow Jess’s journey & learnings more closely with regular updates on Instagram at getstartedinvesting_ Chapters: 00:00:00 Should You Go All In On Global ETFs? 00:02:00 Why Australian Shares…

What would make you finally take control of your money? For 29-year-old marketer Ally, it was watching her mum navigate life after divorce. Seeing someone she loved suddenly have to learn how to manage money from scratch made Ally realise she never wanted to be in that position herself. So she taught herself. Through podcasts, books and hours of research, Ally built the confidence to start investing, buy her first home and prepare financially for her first baby - all without a background in finance. In this episode, Ally joins Jess to share how she overcame analysis paralysis, built an investment portfolio from scratch and the lessons she's learnt as her investing journey has evolved alongside life's biggest milestones. This is 'How I Got Started' a series on Get Started Investing. Every Thursday Jess sits down with a community member to hear the highs and lows of their journey to investing. These are real stories that we hope will give you confidence that investing is for anyone. P.S. In this episode, Jess…

Once you buy a house, where should your next dollar go? Should you build your offset account? Pay down your mortgage faster? Or keep investing? In this episode, financial adviser Sam Hunt from Shadforth joins Jess to unpack one of the biggest financial questions homeowners face. Using Jess's own situation as a real-life case study, they explore the decisions she's now facing after buying her first property. Jess and her partner recently purchased the home together, using equity from the sale of his previous property, and now share a 50/50 mortgage. It's Jess's first time owning a home, and together they're working through how to make the most of every spare dollar. Along the way, Sam explains how offset accounts really work, how much cash homeowners should keep on hand, and how financial advisers help clients decide between investing and paying down debt. Whether you've just bought your first home, you're thinking about buying, or you've had a mortgage for years, this episode will help you feel more…

Most Aussies know Hayden from MasterChef. But away from the cameras, he's gone from growing up with a fear of debt to building businesses, backing founders and investing in property. In this episode, Hayden joins Jess to share how that transformation happened—from working at Woolworths as a teenager to discovering investing later than he wishes he had. He also explains why he's already started an ETF portfolio for his five-week-old daughter, Rosie, determined to give her the investing head start he never had. Talk about getting started early... time in the market, right? 😉 This is 'How I Got Started' a series on Get Started Investing. Every Thursday Jess sits down with a community member to hear the highs and lows of their journey to investing. These are real stories that we hope will give you confidence that investing is for anyone. Chapters: 00:00:00 From MasterChef To Million-Dollar Businesses 00:04:00 Why Hard Work Shaped His Money Mindset 00:09:02 Building A Business From Scratch 00:11:30 Backing Hard…

Everyone says they want to invest in AI... but what should you actually buy? Do you buy Nvidia? An AI ETF? The Nasdaq? Or are you already getting AI exposure through the investments you own? After hearing about AI infrastructure and wondering whether she'd missed the semiconductor boom, Jess found herself asking the same question many beginner investors face: where do you even start? This week, Jess is joined by Owen Raszkiewicz, Financial Adviser at Rask and host of The Australian Finance Podcast, to unpack the different ways investors can get exposure to AI, helping you understand what you're really buying and how to choose the approach that's right for you. Plus, Owen answers a community question from Liam about adding AI exposure to a satellite portfolio. For more regular updates on Jess' journey, you can follow her on instagram at getstartedinvesting_ Chapters: 00:00:00 Where Should You Invest In AI? 00:02:30 You Already Own More AI Than You Think 00:09:22 Picking Your AI Bet Without Guessing 00:16:00…

At 18 years old, in the middle of the pandemic, today’s guest gave herself 4 years to complete the following: Save 150K Graduate with two bachelors degrees Buy an investment property Build a share portfolio Secure a remote job Spoiler - she actually did it and has the portfolio to prove it. Today Jess learns how she got there and where she hopes investing will take her next. This is 'How I Got Started' a series on Get Started Investing. Every Thursday Jess sits down with a community member to hear the highs and lows of their journey to investing. These are real stories that we hope will give you confidence that investing is for anyone. Chapters: 00:00:00 She Set Five Life Changing Goals 00:03:21 The Moment Everything Changed 00:05:34 Turning Lockdown Into Opportunity 00:08:30 The Frugal Habits That Built $150K 00:11:31 From Risky Stock Picks To Smart ETFs 00:17:00 The Million Dollar Investing Plan Links mentioned in this episode: 📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here 📩 Share your investing…

To gear, or not to gear- that is the question... Geared ETFs have had a bit of a moment in the past few years. Plenty of popular ETFs such as NDQ, A200 and DHHF now have “geared” versions. But what does that mean? How do geared ETFs work? And if their long term performance is expected to be better- should you be buying them instead? Today Cam Gleeson, Senior Investment Strategist at Betashares, joins Jess to answer community member John’s question; how he should invest in the geared version of ETFs he already owns? Plus Jess walks though her portfolio and get’s Cam’s take on switching to G200 from A200 and GGBL from BGBL. Chapters: 00:00:00 Why Borrow To Buy Shares 00:02:03 What Gearing Is And Why Investors Use It 00:06:06 Inside A Geared ETF 00:08:30 Should You Switch Or Own Both 00:11:23 Can You Time The Market 00:12:30 Core And Satellite Strategies 00:15:35 How Geared ETFs Work Behind The Scenes 00:18:30 Costs Interest Rates And Fees 00:21:30 What Happens In Bull And Bear Markets 00:25:01 Should Beginners…

PJ has five jobs, so his pay is almost never the same two weeks running. Working in a creative field, pay can be scattered and unpredictable. So how does he invest consistently? Jess learns how PJ, an actor juggling four other jobs, built a percentage-based system that invests a slice of every paycheque no matter when it lands. Plus the lithium stock punt that led him to ETFs and how he uses investing to fuel the pursuit of a dream career. This is 'How I Got Started' a series on Get Started Investing. Every Thursday Jess sits down with a community member to hear the highs and lows of their journey to investing. These are real stories that we hope will give you confidence that investing is for anyone. Chapters: 00:00 Five Jobs And A Masters In Finance 03:05 Growing Up Without Financial Literacy 04:43 A Percentage System For Unpredictable Pay 06:48 The Stock Doubled And So Did His Stress 09:02 Building A Core-Satellite Portfolio 13:44 Consolidating Super Across Five Jobs Links mentioned in this episode: 📩 Sign…

Jess' been seeing the headlines about Anthropic and OpenAI entering the stock market later this year and keeps thinking, “should I buy that?” Looking back on the recent Space X IPO she feels intense FOMO. It made a historic $75 billion in it’s first day on the market. Yes, billion with a B. But how can you decide if something is a good investment, when it’s new to the market? What actually is an “IPO”? And why do companies decide to go public? Bryce joins Jess to explain all this and to answer an important question- is investing at IPO a good investment or just FOMO? Chapters: 00:00:00 What Is An IPO 00:04:08 Who Gets Rich First 00:10:25 Is The Price Right? 00:13:07 The Day One Trap 00:18:50 Winners, Losers And Lessons 00:21:00 Will Bryce Buy Anthropic? 00:23:26 The FOMO Fix Links mentioned in this episode: 📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here 📩 Share your investing story with us submit here 🎟️ FinFest tickets - Buy early bird tickets here Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts,…

For years, Bree hid her credit card debt from the people closest to her. "It's not just really wealthy people that are investing," she tells Jess. "It is everyday people like you and I." Jess gets into how Bree, a nurse and content creator, went from hiding $25K in debt to a fully automated investing system. Plus, what she'd tell her younger self along the way. This is ‘How I Got Started’ a new series on Get Started Investing. Every thursday Jess sits down with a community member to hear the highs and lows of their journey to investing. These are real stories that we hope will give you confidence that investing is for anyone. Chapters: 00:00 The $25K Wake-Up Call 02:23 Gambling Took It All 05:20 Systems Over Willpower 08:11 The Investing Spark 11:20 Start Before You're Ready 15:45 Sorting Out Super Links mentioned in this episode: 👋 Check out Bree on her socials here 📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here 📩 Share your investing story with us submit here 🎟️ FinFest tickets - Buy early bird…

Which is better in the long run- adding extra cash to super? OR to your own portfolio instead? Jess wants to know. Jess’ Superannuation balance is smaller than it should be, for her age. As those who’ve followed her investing journey will know, deciding what to about it- has been tricky for her. And she’s not alone. Community member Matt also wants to know the benefits of over putting extra cash in super over in the market himself. So Julie Bullen, Financial Advisor at Fox & Hare joins the show to run the numbers. Can she convince Jess that she’ll be rewarded in the long run for investing in Super now? Chapters: 00:00:00 Why Where You Invest Matters 00:01:12 Matt's Question 00:02:30 Super Is A Structure, Not A Product 00:05:00 Jess's Super Balance Reality Check 00:06:30 The Case For Contributing To Super 00:08:34 Breaking Down Jess's Money Split 00:10:00 First Home Super Saver Scheme 00:12:30 The Real Numbers On $500 A Month 00:15:00 Flexibility Vs Two Buckets 00:16:34 Can The Government Change The Rules?…

Three months ago, Jess wasn't an investor. That has changed through out the past 12 episodes- in fact, she has a whole new lease on her financial life. Clear goals, a solid portfolio and and the confidence in herself to keep investing. In this final episode of ‘Jess Gets Investing’ Jess sit’s down with Bryce and Ren to reveal her final portfolio; (including her first ever stock pick and a thematic ETF), what she learned from finally getting invested and what is next for Get Started Investing. Chapters: 00:00:00 The Portfolio Reveal 00:02:27 The Three-ETF Core Strategy 00:07:06 Turning Sushi Into Investments 00:09:04 Is This Stock Still A Buy? 00:17:18 The Super Decision 00:20:00 Stop Comparing Your Portfolio 00:23:00 What Jess Wants To Learn Next 00:25:16 The Advice That Stuck Links mentioned in this episode: 📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here 📩 Share your investing story with us submit here 🎟️ FinFest tickets - Buy early bird tickets here 🎧 Listen to the Equity Mates Investing Podcast…

Jess just made her first investing “mistake”. A purchase she made, regretted and then almost immediately sold. She thought starting investing was the hard part! It turns out that staying invested- despite what life or the market throws at you- is the hardest part. To avoid making the same mistake again, Jess wants to automate the investing process. To find out how, she sat down with Jess Brady, a former financial adviser turned money educator and author of Get Growing. They walk through how to set up systems and techniques to help you stay invested long term. Plus friend of the show and thrifty Aussie investor- Bree on a Budget pays Jess a visit! They chat through Bree’s best frugal tips to keep the space in your budget to stay investing consistently. Chapters: 00:00:00 Staying Invested Is The Real Challenge 00:03:03 The Question Every Investment Needs 00:07:12 Automate Investing And Avoid Mistakes 00:11:44 Prepare For The Bear 00:17:21 How Often Should You Check? 00:20:38 When Life Changes The Plan 00:27:38…

Jess wants to venture beyond ETFs to the world of stocks. Eeek- intimidating! After deciding to set up a Core-Satellite portfolio, she is keen to explore adding that some individual companies to the Satellite. But she’s never bought a stock before, let alone analysed a company. So where on earth should she begin? Who better to answer that then a professional investor who picks stocks for a living. Anna Milne, Deputy Portfolio Manager at Wilson Asset Management joins to the show to teach Jess what an absolute beginner needs to know about buying stocks - things like: How to start researching a company. Where to find the information you need. The Red & Green flags to look for. Plus - Jess meets a community member who’ll be a familiar face to any AFL fans- Chad Warner from the Sydney Swans. They chat about how he caught the stock picking bug and what he has in his portfolio. Chapters: 00:00:00 How Do You Pick Stocks? 00:02:10 What Stock Picking Really Means 00:04:19 How Experts Find Ideas 00:07:50 The Research…

Jess has officially started investing! After months of setting goals, learning the ropes and building confidence- she’s finally started a portfolio of well diversified index ETFs. But now she’s wondering…what’s next? Should she look at buying stocks too? Thematic ETFs? Once you've got your foundation in place, how do you build upon it without turning your portfolio into a random collection of ideas you heard online? So Jess sat down with Host and Financial Advisor at Rask, Gemma Mitchell, to find out about the core-satellite approach to investing. And it might just be the perfect way to keep on track with her goals and have fun with her portfolio at the same time. Plus she speaks to community member Alex about how he took things up a notch after setting up a very similar ETF portfolio to Jess. Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:22 What is portfolio construction? 00:05:23 Core vs satellite explained 00:07:36 What can go in a satellite 00:10:01 Fitting a satellite into your DCA strategy 00:14:43 Why we get bored…

Today is the day Jess makes her very first investments!! Bryce and Ren are back to hear what she has decided to buy. She’s spent weeks learning the ropes - working on her mindset, building a budget, setting goals, understanding ETF’s… But hasn’t actually put any money into the market. Until now. Chapters 00:00:00 First Investment And Goals 00:04:03 Cash Versus Super Strategy 00:08:10 Emergency Buffer And ETF Mix 00:11:31 Long Term Growth Projections 00:13:45 Emerging Markets Discussion 00:17:15 Live Trades And Investor Mindset Links Mentioned in this episode: 📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here 📩 Share your investing story with us submit here 🎟️ FinFest tickets - Buy early bird tickets here Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered. ——— Thanks to Betashares Direct for sponsoring this series and helping us keep our content free. Check it out at betashares.com.au/direct Betashares Capital Ltd (ABN 78 139…

Jess has downloaded countless investing apps. You name the broker and she’s probably set up an account. But there’s a catch- she’s never actually used any of them. She sets up the account, gets overwhelmed and doesn’t open it again. To start investing- that has to change. It’s time to choose a brokerage platform; the place where she will buy ETFs. So Jess put together a checklist to help her choose one that suits her needs. Rather than just talk the checklist in theory, she wanted to run a real platform through it. BetaShares Direct, who is supporting this series, agreed to let her do exactly that. Jess sit’s down with Head of Product at Betashares Direct, Matt Fish. Together they walk though her checklist one by one to see how Betashares Directs stacks up. Plus Jess asks all the questions probably also running through your head when using a brokeage app for the first time. There is not one “right” platform, it’s about ensuring you pick one that works for you. You can use this checklist to compare any…

Jess wants to start investing using ETFs. Small problem - there are hundreds on the Australian market - how is she supposed to choose which to invest in? Not to worry, Shani Jayamanne, ETF expert and Investment Specialist at Morningstar joins Jess to explain in simple terms: What ETFs actually are and how they work. How to choose ETFs (including fees, allocation, holdings- explained). The biggest mistakes beginners make with ETFs and how to avoid them. Plus Jess catches up with a long time listener of the show, Cooper, to hear how he got started with ETFs and has used them to revamp his portfolio along the way. Chapters: 00:00 Why ETFs Feel So Confusing 00:03:00 The Easiest Way To Understand ETFs 00:06:30 Cut Through Thousands Of Options 00:10:30 Build A Portfolio That Hits Your Goal 00:15:30 The Cost Mistake To Avoid Early 00:19:30 What A Real Beginner Actually Did Links Mentioned in this episode: 🔍 Shani's Articles - the 3 ETF Portfolio and this report about fees 📩 Sign up to the Get Started Investing…

Now that Jess has set her financial goals, how should she put her money to work so she can meet them? She knows she wants to invest, should she be saving too? What about superannuation? Financial Adviser, Glen Hare from Fox & Hare is back to help Jess figure out her priorities and allocate accordingly. Chapters: 00:00 What Would You Do With Extra Income 00:43 Setting Goals That Actually Work 03:11 Splitting $3k Wisely 10:26 Investing For Long Term Wealth 13:33 Why Super Is More Powerful Than You Think 22:45 Turning Advice Into A Clear Plan 26:37 How Real People Use Their Money Join our community of beginner investors; sign up to the Get Started Investing newsletter here Share your investing story with us Submit here If you want to get in touch with Glen Hare we can put you in touch here Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered. ——— Thanks to Betashares Direct for sponsoring this series and helping us keep our content…

Ever wondered what it's like to meet with a financial adviser? Or how they actually help with your finances? Jess had. So in this episode, she has her very first meeting with a financial adviser; Glen Hare from Fox & Hare. We are keeping this series as real as possible - so Jess and Glen's chat is just how a first meeting with an advisor would happen in real life. This recording was the first time the two had met and Glen takes Jess through the same process as any new client. But before she met with Glen, Jess caught up with community member Andrew. He shared how working with a financial advisor changed his money life for the better and gave Jess some tips on how to approach the first meeting. Chapters: 00:00 Jess Faces First Advice Session 05:15 Listener Andrew Shares His Turnaround 10:25 Glen Maps Jess Money Goals 16:25 Super, Insurance And Big Decisions 22:17 Planning For An Unknown Future 28:26 Dream Life By The Water Join our community of beginner investors; sign up to the Get Started Investing…

Before investing a single cent, you need to get your cashflow sorted. So today we step into the practical side of things; budgeting, savings rates, and the systems that make investing possible. To set up a system she will actually stick to, Jess speaks to Glen James- host of the Money Money Money podcast and former financial adviser. Plus Jess receives some much needed encouragement from listener Phoebe, who shares her story that the dreaded admin of setting up your money right, is well worth it. By the end of this episode, Jess will walk away with a realistic (and surprisingly generous) savings rate and budgeting framework- and you can too! Chapters: 00:00 Do This Before You Invest 02:02 The Financial House Framework 04:48 Why Systems Beat Good Intentions 09:42 Fixing Jess’ Money Flow 12:23 The Budget That Changed Everything 16:01 Setting Up Money Buckets 20:12 Real Example of Chaos to Control 23:05 How Systems Kill Money Anxiety Join our community of beginner investors; sign up to the Get Started Investing…

Jess wants start investing. She’s tried to start before but every time- she freezes, chickens out, or puts it off entirely. So what’s actually holding her back? Jess sits down with Money Coach Karen Eley to unpack the psychology behind her hesitation. They explore how early money experiences, beliefs, and behaviours can shape the way we think about investing - often without us even realising it. Plus, Jess chats with Equity Mates community member Rebecca, who shares her journey from financial avoidance to building consistent investing habits. Proof that change is possible, no matter where you’re starting from. By the end of the episode, Jess will understand what’s holding her back and walk away with practical strategies to finally take that first step. Chapters: 00:00 The Real Reason You Feel Stuck 05:54 You Are Not Too Late To Start 09:54 Knowing Isn’t Enough To Act 13:54 Hidden Beliefs Driving Money Habits 22:15 Why Saving And Investing Feels Scary 29:11 Build Self Trust And Break The Cycle Join our…

Our colleague Jess has been keeping a secret. During a 10 year career in the finance industry, she had never told a soul- until now. Jess has never invested. She wanted to start, she knew how to start (even listened to our 12 Steps to Get Started three times.) But she has not started. So why not start now and document the journey? Over the course of the next 12 episodes, Jess will start investing- in real time. Each week, she’ll speak to an expert who will walk her through the steps, answer her questions and help her take action to get invested. Plus she’ll chat to Equity Mates community members about their investing journey, getting real-world advice from all walks of life. If you’ve been delaying investing or have someone in your life who wants to- this is the sign to start and go on the journey with her. Chapters: 00:00:00 Why Jess Said Yes To This Series 00:03:04 A Finance Career Without Investing 00:07:21 The Lifestyle Shift Boosting Her Savings 00:10:21 The Moment She Backed Out 00:13:09 What It Will…

Congratulations, you’ve made it to the final episode of this series! To wrap up this journey, we leave you with the most important lesson yet- how to get out of your own way by automating your investing. Now you’ve heard these 12 Steps- you have all the tools you need to improve your financial future. It’s time to go forth and use them! If you’ve enjoyed / found value in this series, please join us in our mission to make Australia more financially literate and share it with others. In this episode you will learn: • How your brain stops you being a great investor • Why automation is so powerful • Other tips to remain consistent and focus on what matters • 3 key tips from Patrick O’Shaugnessy, one of our favourite investors Chapters: 00:00 - Beat Your Brain’s Biases 04:27 - Your Future Self Not a Stranger 06:19 - How We Automate Investing 09:03 - Other Ways We Overcome Biases 12:04 - Three Tips To Leave You With 14:04 - You Have The Tools, Now Use Them Links Mentioned: 📖 Patrick O’Shaugnessy Millennial Money…

So far you’ve learnt how to build a portfolio, now we get into the specifics of how to buy shares plus keep it regular and less stressful! You’ll hear our best tips for buying and selling your investments to help stay on track for the long term. In this episode you will learn: • How do I actually buy shares or ETFs? • 3 ways of ordering shares: Market, Limit, Stop • Why we don’t time the market • The power of dollar cost averaging (DCA) • Knowing when to sell Links Mentioned: 📕 Just keep buying by Nick Maggiulli Chapters: 00:00 - Three Types of Buying 7:54 - Never Try to Time the Market 11:07 - Introducing Dollar Cost Averaging (DCA) 13:40 - Buying the Dip vs DCA 15:56 - Three Signs You Should Sell This is Part 11 of our 12 step series sharing everything we’ve learned about investing to help you get started, or to remind you of why it’s so important. ——— Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered. ——— In the spirit of…

Investing with an expert or ‘active manager,' is not something you need to add to your portfolio. But if you do, you have to know why you’re doing it and choose an expert well. We walk you through our reasons for investing with an expert and the 6 factors we use when looking for one. In this episode you will learn: How you can invest with experts Why the experts don’t always get better returns What to look for when choosing an expert How we include expert investors in our portfolio Links Referenced: Morning Star ETF List Chapters: 00:00 - What is Active Management? 06:45 - 6 Factors to Choosing an Expert 11:10 - Do you need one? 13:25 - Active in Our Portfolios This is Part 10 of our 12 step series sharing everything we’ve learned about investing to help you get started, or to remind you of why it’s so important. ——— Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered. ——— In the spirit of reconciliation, Equity Mates Media and…

It's time in this series introduce the world of single stock investing- finding and investing in great companies through the stock market. We’re cranking the investing lessons up a notch and going beyond the basics of ETFs. So how you find a good company to invest in? What do you need to look for? and where? You've probably heard legends of everyday people who invested in the early days of Apple or Microsoft and made millions. It might not always be as flashy as those tales- but investing in companies through the stock market can be a powerful way to build wealth and we think a great way to learn about the world around you. In this episode you'll learn: Why invest in companies? Three ways to narrow down your choices 4 steps to find a great company Key tips when buying individual companies Links referenced: Download our free 4-step stock checklist Other resources we mentioned: https://www.reddit.com/r/SecurityAnalysis/, TIKR, GuruFocus, quartr This is Part 9 of our 12 step series sharing everything we’ve…

What is a portfolio? And how do you create one? Essentially it’s a collection of investments. The financial products you invest in, make up your portfolio. Importantly, it shouldn’t be random- there are simple principles guide building a portfolio. All to make sure it actually works for you and your goals. In this episode you will learn: · What is a portfolio? · What to think about: goal, time horizon, risk tolerance · The importance of diversification · How we approach our portfolios: Core & Satellite · Other ways to construct a portfolio This is Part 8 of our 12 step series sharing everything we’ve learned about investing to help you get started, or to remind you of why it’s so important. Chapters: 00:00 Setting a Portfolio Goal 04:02 Time Horizon 06:22 Risk Tolerance 08:22 Importance of Diversification 11:01 Core and Satellite 13:26 Other Ways to Build Portfolios 15:20 What is Rebalancing 17:01 Make it Easy For Yourself ——— Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want…

Introducing the simple investor’s best friend… the index ETF. You don’t have to be an expert on financial markets to be an investor. In fact, it’s arguably easier today than it’s ever been to invest and most of that is thanks to our friend; index ETFs. In this episode you will learn: What we would buy if we were starting again today What is an index Different indexes around the world How you can buy an index: ETFs Why an index is all you need Chapters: This is Part 7 of our 12 step series sharing everything we’ve learned about investing to help you get started, or to remind you of why it’s so important. ——— Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered. ——— In the spirit of reconciliation, Equity Mates Media and the hosts of Get Started Investing acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and…

Once you’ve decided what to invest in, how do you actually make an investment? If you're investing outside of superannuation, you’ll need to use a broker. But which broker should you use? It’s one of the most frequent questions we get from people starting their investing journey. There are so many of them available, it can be hard to know where to start. But no need to stress, that’s why we’re here and making this series! In this episode you’ll learn: · The two ways every person can invest · What is a broker? · The 4 factors we use when choosing a broker (and why they matter): · Which brokers we use This is Part 6 of our 12 step series sharing everything we’ve learned about investing to help you get started, or to remind you of why it’s so important. Chapters: 00:00:00 The First Choice Every Investor Makes 00:02:21 Super Or Outside: Your Two Options 00:05:05 Why You Need A Broker 00:06:41 The Four Broker Rules We Use 00:11:20 Avoid Dodgy Fees And Products 00:15:40 Brokers That Tick The Boxes ——— Want more…

You can invest in all kinds of things through the stock market. You might have heard a few of them thrown around like; Stocks, Bonds or Property. They’re called different Assets or Asset Classes. So how choose which is right for you and how do these assets make you money? That’s what we’ll cover in part 5 of our 12 step series sharing everything we’ve learned about investing to help you get started, or to remind you of why it’s so important. You will learn: · What is an investable asset? · The most common forms of investments · How you can access them all through the stock market · How do you actually make money from any of these assets? (2 ways) · Why we prefer stocks over all the other assets This is Part 5 of our 12 step series sharing everything we’ve learned about investing to help you get started, or to remind you of why it’s so important. Chapters 00:00:00 What Is An Investable Asset? 00:02:15 The Four Most Common Investments 00:04:53 ETFs are like Bundles 00:06:31 Two Ways Investments Make Money…

How do you actually invest? Well there's no one “right” way to do it; there are different styles which suit different goals and appetites for risk. The first three episodes of this series covered the foundations you need to get sorted before you can start investing. Now, it’s time to tackle how to make an investment. In this episode we cover what’s actually happening when you invest in the share market and how to know which investing style is right for you. You will learn: · What is the share market · What is a share and what does it mean to own one? · The different styles of investing This is Part 4 of our 12 step series sharing everything we’ve learned about investing to help you get started, or to remind you of why it’s so important. Chapters 00:00:00 Why Investing Beats Letting Cash Sit 00:04:44 Owning Small Pieces Of Big Brands 00:08:10 Hands-On Or Hands-Off Investing 00:11:39 Three Hands-On Styles Explained 00:18:58 Finding A Style That Suits You ——— Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts,…

The single most influential factor in growing your long-term wealth, is the amount you’re able to save. Maximise your ‘savings rate’, then put that money to work by investing it and your future self will thank you. So, how do you do that? In this episode you will learn: How much money you need to start investing Why the most powerful factor is your savings rate Bryce’s approach: Rule of 3’s Ren’s approach: Pay yourself first This is Part 3 of our 12 step series sharing everything we’ve learned about investing to help you get started, or to remind you of why it’s so important. Chapters: 00:00:00 The Money Habit With the Biggest Impact 00:01:58 Investing Isn’t Just For High Earners 00:02:58 This Is the Part You Can Control 00:05:28 How We Each Stay Disciplined 00:11:30 Find the Spending That Trips You Up 00:14:50 Saving Now Equals Freedom Later ——— Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered. ——— In the spirit of…