Aussie Firebug

https://www.aussiefirebug.com/the-escape-artist/Today I’m speaking to one of the most popular FIRE bloggers in the UK, Barney from The Escape Artist.Barney is a super interesting guy who is married with three kids, worked in Finance and managed to reach FI at the tender age of just 43. He could have done it much sooner too if he had discovered FIRE earlier in the piece which we get into in the pod.Since I’m now living in the UK, I was particularly interested in what the FIRE community is like here and if there are any major differences in approach. We also have chat about the film that could be a game changer for the entire FIRE community worldwide, that is, of course, the documentary ‘Playing with Fire’ which is premiering in London on the 12th of June! And yes I will be attending the premiere and would love to see some Aussie help me rep the FIRE community if you’re in the area.Some of the topics we cover today include:- Barney’s journey towards financial independence in the UK- What made him start The Escape Artist- How boredom can be the secret to creativity- Why FIRE seems to be more prevalent in the United States vs most other places in the world- The London premiere of ‘Playing with Fire’ which hopes to be a game changer for the FIRE communityAnd much more!

http://www.aussiefirebug.com/matched-betting-bonus-bank/My guest today is Nico who managed to create an online income stream through a technique called matched betting.But don't let the name fool you! Matched betting is not gambling but it takes advantage of the big signup bonuses amongst other things that the betting agencies used to lure people in. The closest thing I can compare it to is signing up for credit card point to use on flights but matched betting is a lot more lucrative and easier IMO.Nico runs Bonus Bank which is a website that helps Aussies with matched betting by finding the best opportunities out there. Make sure you stick around for the second half of the pod as Nico’s story about what life matched betting has enabled him to live is pretty cool and well worth a listen. So let’s jump into the world of matched betting.

www.aussiefirebug.com/my-mate-jimmyAussie Firebug has been discovered!Late last year I woke up to a message from someone who lived in the same town as me saying they knew I was the Aussie Firebug and that my secret was safe with them... I immediately jumped to the worse conclusion thinking maybe my boss had figured it all out 😱. But it ended up being my mate from high school who as it turned out, was just as crazy about all things personal finance and investing as I am!We've had countless chats at the pub multiple times about a whole bunch of stuff since that faithful message. Today's episode is two mates who went to high school together having a good old yarn about financial independence, investing, ETFs/LICs and much more.

If you're new to FIRE or aussiefirebug.com please start with this episode!If you're a veteran you can probably skip this one. I unpack what FIRE is and clear up some common misconceptions. I also go into how Aussie Firebug got started and what's in store for the future!

https://www.aussiefirebug.com/what-is-retire-early-and-why-its-the-most-important-partWhy would anyone want to pull stumps at 30? Wouldn't you get bored? In today's episode, I set the record straight as to what retire early actually means in the context of FIRE and why it's more important than simply reaching financial independence!

https://www.aussiefirebug.com/podcast-nathan-birch/Are you ready to come down the rabbit hole? Investing in his first property at 18, and starting his first business shortly after, Nathan Birch was able to 'retire' at just 24. He has appeared on such programs as 7 news, Sunday Night and Triple J’s Hack and his story is so incredible it’s hard to believe! We delve into so much more than just investing today, Nathan has in his own words, some alternative views about the entire systems that we are born into and some really thought-provoking commentary in regards to money.We cover so many things in today's episode, and it was actually recorded in the middle of last year. I have been working through a backlog to get these episodes out to you guys but it’s just about finding the time. It’s a big one today so maybe grab a coffee, sit back and enjoy. Get excited to exit the Matrix and dive into the brilliant mind of Nathan Birch!

https://www.aussiefirebug.com/you-only-live-once/You Only Live Once!In today's episode, I chat about our decision to move overseas to pursue a bucket list item of ours.Yes, FIRE is important to us, but there are some opportunities that we can't let pass us by before we are 30. YOLO!

Huge Pod to start 2019!I have the man, the myth, the legend, Peter Thornhill himself. Author of bestseller Motivated Money, Peter is famous in the FIRE community for his teachings on dividend investing and why it’s the best strategy for Australians to retire comfortably. And for someone who is currently receiving over $400K a year in passive income via dividends… when he talks, we should listen!In today’s episode we chat about:– Peter’s background in investing– ETFs vs LICs– How Peter invests– Capital gains vs Dividends– International diversification– Labor removing the franking credit refund– Why Peter uses a financial advisor– Debt recyclingand much more

What do you use to track your portfolio's performance? Does your reporting software take into consideration things like franking credits, DRP and currency conversion?Today I have the pleasure of speaking to Doug Morris, the CEO of Sharesight, the best share portfolio tracker for Aussie investors. But Sharesight does a lot more than simply telling you the true performance of your portfolio. There’s a bunch of other useful tools and features available and some of which we are going to cover today.In today's episode we chat about:- How Sharesight can help show your true performance- Tax reports to making lodging your tax return a breeze- Historic share data to quickly see how a theoretical portfolio would have done in the previous decade or twoand much more

Have you ever heard of an investment/insurance bond?These investments, in my opinion, are the best way to invest for children (your own or others).But it doesn’t stop there. Investment bond can offer a legitimate tax effective alternative to the traditional ETF/LIC route that most Aussies adopt in the pursuit towards FIRE.There are a few specific rules that need to be followedIn today’s episode, I chat to Catherine Van Deer Veen who is the CEO of Generation Life, an Australian investment and insurance company that’s been around for 15 years currently managing 1.3 Billion dollars for investors.If you’re thinking about investing for your kids, neeses or nephews or are looking for a tax-efficient alternative investment product, this is the podcast for you!In this episode, we talk about:What exactly is an Investment BondWhat Generation Life can offer to investorsThe specific rules that you must follow in order to reap the full tax benefitsand much more