Investopoly

Read Full Blog Here
Conflicts of interest are everywhere in financial services, but the most influential ones are often the least visible. In this episode, Stuart unpacks the hidden incentives that can quietly shape whether investors are steered toward property, shares, or a particular strategy, even when advice is well-intentioned.
He explains why conflicts don’t require dishonesty to matter, how incentives can shape beliefs over time, and why familiarity bias plays a much bigger role in advice than most people realise. Stuart also explores the structural differences between property and share investing, and why those differences can influence whether an adviser benefits from ongoing involvement or not.
You’ll learn how confirmation bias, personal success stories, and business models can all colour recommendations, and why certainty is not always a sign of quality advice. Most importantly, he outlines practical ways investors can recognise potential conflicts, ask better questions, and assess whether advice is genuinely balanced and fit for purpose.
If you’ve ever wondered why different advisers can look at the same situation and recommend completely different paths, this episode will help you understand what’s really going on beneath the surface.
My new book out in 2026: To join the pre-order waitlist and get a bonus. More info go to: http://www.investopoly.com.au/book

Do you have a question for the podcast? Email us at [email protected].

If you're interested in working with my team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/prospective-client/

If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform.

Subscribe to my weekly blog: http://www.investopoly.com.au/email

Buy a one of Stuart's books for ONLY $20 including delivery. Use the discount code blog: https://prosolution.com.au/books/

IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.

In this wide-ranging Q&A episode, Stuart tackles some of the most common and confronting questions listeners face as their wealth grows and decisions become less forgiving. A central theme is how to balance aspiration with financial resilience, particularly when large debts, lifestyle upgrades, and long time horizons collide. Stuart explores how to think about net worth in a practical sense, including whether unrealised tax liabilities and transaction costs should be considered, and how to treat the family home in overall wealth calculations.
The episode also dives into the challenge of upgrading to a better home in expensive markets, unpacking when stretching for a higher-quality asset can make sense, and when it risks undermining long-term flexibility. For listeners worried they may have started too late, Stuart addresses whether meaningful progress can still be made in the final decade before retirement, and how to prioritise between paying down debt, investing, and supporting children.
Throughout the episode, Stuart emphasises clear thinking over rules of thumb, encouraging listeners to focus on asset quality, borrowing capacity as a finite resource, and the trade-offs between comfort, growth, and risk. The result is a grounded discussion aimed at helping households make confident, well-structured decisions in the face of uncertainty.
My new book out in 2026: To join the pre-order waitlist and get a bonus. More info go to: http://www.investopoly.com.au/book

Do you have a question for the podcast? Email us at [email protected].

If you're interested in working with my team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/prospective-client/

If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform.

Subscribe to my weekly blog: http://www.investopoly.com.au/email

Buy a one of Stuart's books for ONLY $20 including delivery. Use the discount code blog: https://prosolution.com.au/books/

IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.

Read Full Blog Here
In this episode, Stuart takes an evidence-based look at ethical, ESG, and sustainable investing, cutting through the marketing to focus on what really matters: risk, diversification, and expected returns. We explain the critical differences between ethical exclusions, ESG frameworks, and sustainability themes and why confusion between them often leads to poor portfolio decisions.
Stuart also explores why there’s no universal definition of “ethical”, how that affects fund construction, and why two funds with similar labels can behave very differently. You’ll hear why staying close to the parent index matters, how ethical overlays can unintentionally increase concentration risk, and where ethical investing can clash with factor, value, and geographic tilts.
Finally, he examines the real-world performance data, discusses whether ethical companies may attract more capital over time, and outlines a practical way to invest ethically without abandoning disciplined, evidence-based portfolio construction.
If you want to invest responsibly and intelligently without sacrificing long-term returns, this episode will help you think more clearly about the trade-offs involved.
My new book out in 2026: To join the pre-order waitlist and get a bonus. More info go to: http://www.investopoly.com.au/book

Do you have a question for the podcast? Email us at [email protected].

If you're interested in working with my team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/prospective-client/

If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform.

Subscribe to my weekly blog: http://www.investopoly.com.au/email

Buy a one of Stuart's books for ONLY $20 including delivery. Use the discount code blog: https://prosolution.com.au/books/

IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.

This Q&A episode steps away from headline strategies and focuses on the decisions real households wrestle with once life, family, and fatigue start to matter as much as optimisation.
We begin with a high-income couple in their 30s trying to balance ambitious early-retirement goals with a mixed portfolio of property, an investment bond, and limited super. Stuart unpacks whether tax-deferred structures like investment bonds genuinely earn their place, how to think about adding more property when cash flow is already tight, and when selling an asset is a strategic reset rather than a failure.
From there, the episode shifts to a listener who describes themselves as the “average punter” asset-rich, tired of maximum leverage, and ready to prioritise cash flow, flexibility, and family time. Stuart walks through the risks of late-cycle property decisions, the trade-offs inside SMSFs, and how to consciously transition from accumulation to balance without sabotaging long-term outcomes.
We also tackle a technical but common mistake around redraw and refinancing. Stuart explains how the ATO’s purpose test really works, why refinancing does not magically cleanse debt, and where investors often assume they’ve fixed a tax problem when they haven’t.
Finally, the episode looks at a couple in their early 50s with a substantial property portfolio, asking the right question: not how to maximise wealth, but how to stop working. Stuart discusses sequencing asset sales, funding a future retirement home, and why buying “the next home” too early can quietly derail an otherwise strong plan.
Across all questions, the theme is consistent: good strategy is rarely about clever tricks. It’s about aligning structure, cash flow, and behaviour with the life you actually want and knowing when enough really is enough.
My new book out in 2026: To join the pre-order waitlist and get a bonus. More info go to: http://www.investopoly.com.au/book

Do you have a question for the podcast? Email us at [email protected].

If you're interested in working with my team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/prospective-client/

If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform.

Subscribe to my weekly blog: http://www.investopoly.com.au/email

Buy a one of Stuart's books for ONLY $20 including delivery. Use the discount code blog: https://prosolution.com.au/books/

IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.

Read Full Blog Here
If you’re planning to buy, sell, upgrade, or invest in property in 2026, this episode cuts through the noise and focuses on what actually drives prices. Rather than forecasts or headlines, Stuart unpacks the evidence-based factors that matter most, including lending volumes, borrowing capacity, interest rate expectations, interstate migration, and where each capital city sits in its property cycle.
A clear picture is emerging of a two-speed market. More affordable properties are seeing stronger demand and faster growth, while higher-priced and premium stock is struggling to keep pace. He explores why this split is happening, how serviceability ceilings and years of ultra-low interest rates have reshaped buyer behaviour, and why sentiment is playing such a powerful role right now.
You’ll also hear how relative value and mean reversion help explain why some cities are late in their growth cycle, while others may still have years ahead of them. Stuart discusses which markets appear well-positioned for 2026, where caution is warranted, and why patience may be rewarded in areas that have underperformed for a long time.
Whether you’re an owner-occupier, first home buyer, or investor, this episode provides a clear, data-led framework to help you think more clearly about property decisions in 2026, and beyond.
My new book out in 2026: To join the pre-order waitlist and get a bonus. More info go to: http://www.investopoly.com.au/book

Do you have a question for the podcast? Email us at [email protected].

If you're interested in working with my team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/prospective-client/

If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform.

Subscribe to my weekly blog: http://www.investopoly.com.au/email

Buy a one of Stuart's books for ONLY $20 including delivery. Use the discount code blog: https://prosolution.com.au/books/

IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.