Investopoly
Episodes
What if the property prices drop further after I buy? I will feel like a fool!
08 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
No one wants to buy at the peak of the property market! Imagine if you buy a property and then a month later property values fall and it takes more th...
Value investing: what is it, why it works and how to do it
31 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
You must have a robust methodology for selecting the right share, property or bond to invest in. If you select the right asset, your investment return...
We're in a credit crunch - here's 5 strategies to deal with it
23 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
There has been a lot of commentary in the media about the “credit crunch” that we are in at the moment. Why is the credit crunch going to impact y...
How many investment properties do you need to fund retirement?
17 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How many properties do you think you need to own to generate enough wealth to fund a comfortable retirement? Most people think they need more than 3 p...
How to structure your will, testamentary trusts, avoid fights and what else to do
11 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The two certainties: death and taxesThere are two unfortunate certainties in life; death and taxes. And, unfortunately, tax cannot be avoided (legitim...
Asset protection: when to be concerned and what to do
04 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The last thing you want to happen is that you work hard throughout your whole career, invest successfully and then lose a large amount of your wealth ...
Does minimising your taxes impair your ability to borrow?
26 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Paying minimal tax probably appeals to most people. And as tax is often our biggest lifetime cash outflow, it might seem logical that minimising it is...
Specific risks facing property investors at the moment and 4 tactics to mitigate them
20 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Significantly tighter credit, the potential abolition of negative gearing and increase in the capital gains tax rate, falling property prices, new apa...
Stories about how tax and financial advice are so interrelated
13 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
According to the ATO, over 70% of people engage the services of a tax agent/accountant. However, according to Blackrock, only 15% of Australians have ...
How to not get ripped off. Questions to ask before you pay for a financial plan
06 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Over the past few weeks I have seen a couple of financial plans produced by firms that have experience in providing advice on investing in residential...
Do Bill Shorten's policies spell the end for property investors?
30 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
All the clowning around in Canberra last week is likely to have increased Shorten’s chances of winning the next election. Given the ALP’s proposed...
Why you should never contribute your own cash into a property investment
23 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I typically strongly recommend to property investors to never contribute any cash into an investment property acquisition. I’m not suggesting that y...
ATO crackdown on work related deductions and business expenditure
14 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Whilst historically ATO audits were targeted at big business and the wealthy, this has changed. Now more than ever, individuals, business and self-man...
What makes a better investment? A house or apartment?
09 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, I highlighted some evidence that indicates investment-grade apartments in Melbourne are perhaps intrinsically undervalued. The topic of thi...
Evidence is mounting that investment-grade apartments are positioned to appreciate
02 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I wrote this blog in February suggesting that I thought investment-grade apartments were intrinsically under-valued. Well, according to Jarrod McCabe,...
New data: Interest rates, super returns and more
26 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Some interesting information and data has been released this week which I would like to discuss with you.Variable mortgage rates will probably rise so...
Are you a spender or saver?
18 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Are you a spender or saver? Do you find it hard to stick to a budget? Do you find it difficult to save towards a goal? For some people, saving money c...
Should you make additional super contributions?
12 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Employers must contribute 9.5% of your salary (up to a maximum of $20,050 p.a.) into super. But should you make additional super contributions? This i...
Should you switch your investment loan to principal and interest?
05 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Over the past two years lenders have been incrementally increasing interest rates on investment loans and loans with interest only repayments (as oppo...
What's more important? Minimising tax or building wealth?
27 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tax is most people’s largest lifetime expense! Therefore, it is not difficult to understand how taking proactive steps to minimise your taxes can pr...
Do You Need To Worry About Money? Not If You Do Four Things...
22 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Financial stress is a terrible thing. I’m sure everyone reading this blog has stressed out about money at some point in their life. But the thing is...
Will the banks stop you from building wealth?
15 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Over the past couple of years there have been many changes that have dramatically reduced your borrowing capacity. The Financial Services Royal Commis...
End of financial year financial and tax planning (2018)
07 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Over the last few weeks we have been working closely with our advisory clients assisting them with end of financial year tactics. I provide a list bel...
Not all super funds are created equal... so, here's what you should do
31 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The Productivity Commission released its draft report this week into the efficiency of the Australian superannuation system. Its findings are concer...
If you invest in the wrong assets, you'll pay twice as much tax
25 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The ultimate aim of investing is to build wealth. Current and future tax liabilities can have a significant impact on your ability to build wealth. Si...
16 financial life hacks guaranteed to save your time and money
16 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I discuss some of the financial life hacks that my blog subscribers have shared with me. A list of these life hacks and related links ...
The Royal Commission and the financial landscape: Who to trust and when
08 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I know. You have probably seen lots of news about the Royal Commission and the financial advice horror stories. I don’t plan to rehash anything that...
Don't be fooled by average returns - it's compound returns that count!
01 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A few clients this week have asked me if it’s a good idea to invest a large sum in the share market at the moment (for a variety of reasons e.g. as ...
Updated: Ensuring your loans are structured correctly
24 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
You loan structure can have a big impact on your success as an investor. How you structure your loans can influence on your interest rates, borrowing ...
Holiday homes aren't as bad as you might think. Surprised?
17 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I am a big believer in having balance when it comes to managing money. That is, it makes no sense saving ever dollar and always “going without”. A...
How do you get better value for money from your income protection insurance?
11 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I discuss how do you get better value for money from your income protection insurance?I discuss:the importance of coverthe key feature...
One simple rule to avoid all financial advisor horror stories; go independent (here's 5 tests)
03 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We have all read the horror stories in the newspapers or seen them on television: Mum and Dad put their trust in a financial advisor. The advisor ‘s...
Evidence-Based Investing reduces risk and maximises returns
29 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Evinced-based investing (EBI) is an approach that you can use to invest in either property or shares (and other asset classes). This process makes inv...
Why you don't need a financial plan
20 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It stands to reason that not everyone needs a financial plan or relationship with a financial planner. There might be various reasons for this. Howeve...
How bad does an investment property need to be to warrant selling it?
14 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
If you sell a dud investment property, you may have to pay capital gain tax (CGT), selling costs and then stamp duty again when you reinvest… it can...
Share investing: Four common mistakes that result in zero profits (or worse, losses)
10 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Mistake # 1: The absence of a methodology – most investors make ad hoc investment decisions. How can you expect to win the game if you have no game-...
Part 2: Save tax through successful loan structuring
09 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How you structure your loans can have a large impact on the tax you pay, your risk, your ability to build wealth, your cash flow and your general fina...
Part 1: Save tax through successful loan structuring
09 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How you structure your loans can have a large impact on the tax you pay, your risk, your ability to build wealth, your cash flow and your general fina...
What is the difference between investing and speculation? Evidence-based investment stratgies reduce risk.
06 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In my experience, novice investors can talk themselves into believing that an investment exhibits less risk than what it actually does. They think th...
The 'opportunity' cost of private school fees and an alternative to consider
28 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Parents always want their children to have the best education. For some people, that means sending their kids to a private school. Of course, private ...
Investment-grade apartments have under-performed. So, is now the time to buy?
20 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In Melbourne, investment-grade apartments have not appreciated in value very much in the past three to five years when compared to houses – as illus...
The pursuit of 'quality' advice
14 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to almost anything you buy, you have to weigh up three considerations: price, service and quality/features. Almost always, you can&apo...
What type of property is classified as "investment-grade"?
12 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Investment-grade properties should double in value every 7 to 12 years on a perpetual basis. This equates to a 7% to 10% annual compounding growth ra...
A typical investment strategy life cycle
12 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What is more important to do first? Contribute into super or buy an investment property? How will investing in property help you fund retirement? What...
The top 3 mistakes people make when investing
12 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I believe that very few investing mistakes are the result of random bad luck. Most mistakes are predictable and preventable. And there are some mistak...
Why you should avoid off-the-plan apartments like the plague
12 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I’m sure you have seen the glossy ads espousing various benefits such as stamp duty savings, rental guarantees, discounts and incentives, state-of-...
A simple solution for Australia's share market diversification problem
11 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When you compare the Australian market to the US, the difference is frightening. The Australian market is very concentrated (a handful of companies d...