Plenty of podcasts focus on building wealth – and that’s great, as far as it goes. But focusing just on wealth misses the point.
I believe what most of us actually want is to have choice.
Choice in how much time we give to income-producing activities.
Choice about what those income-producing activities are.
Choice about where we live.
Choice about when we retire.
Choice about the ways we use our money to produce happiness.
In the Financial Autonomy podcast, I explore the different ways you can gain choice – from investing in stocks to becoming self-employed, starting a side hustle, or buying an investment property. I share learnings I’ve gained working with clients for over 20 years as a Certified Financial Planner, and interview others with interesting insights or experiences in gaining choice in life.
You hear inflation talked about like it’s the villain of the economy all the time…. but what is inflation actually doing to your own money? Well, it’s reducing what your savings can buy. It’s eating into your investment returns. And it can leave you years behind where you thought you’d be, without you realising it’s happening.
So, in this episode, Paul breaks down exactly how inflation impacts your wealth, where it shows up in your financial life, and how to tell if your current strategy is keeping pace or falling short. Because if your money isn’t growing faster than inflation, you’re actually going backwards.
In this episode:
• Why your money can be growing and you’re still falling behind • The reason your returns don’t feel like they’re getting you ahead • What inflation is quietly taking from your savings every year • How “playing it safe” could be costing you more than you realise • Why your retirement number might be wrong (and what’s throwing it off) • What inflation is really doing to interest rates, markets, and your plan • The quick check to see if your current strategy is actually working
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GOT A FINANCE QUESTION FOR PAUL?: Send it to paul@financialautonomy.com.au, and it could be featured in his Ask an Expert column each Sunday in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.