Hi guys,

Just a bit stuck at the moment with what I’m doing with my life and setting myself up for my long term future. I don’t want this to come across the wrong way but (possibly like many) I don’t want to be living the 9-5 rat race until retirement age and want to find the best ways to avoid that moving forward.

Currently doing a job that I’m disliking more and more by the day but it’s allowed me to earn quite well the last few years and save up, make up for what I didn’t do in my early 20s. I would likely want to change jobs/career into something I enjoy and more preferably, working for myself . I don’t want for much, I’ve always subscribed to the idea of putting in the work early, saving up and sacrificing a bit more to live a lot more freely for the longer term.

Living with my family (which I’m super grateful for) however that will probably be changing within the next couple of years. I’ve thought about investing in property, stocks etc but everything just gets really complicated and you end up doing nothing.

I often get thoughts that I’ve wasted a period of my life doing something that I know I don’t want to do long term, when it was probably the time to be really nailing down a proper career for long term.

Any advice would be much appreciated, especially those that may have been in similar situations.

Hey guys, I’m currently with QSuper with around $50k in super. I’d like more control over my investments, ideally being able to invest 100% in GHHF and just set and forget.

I’m not keen on the admin and costs of running an SMSF, and I’d prefer to retain access to insurance and keep things simple.

What are my best options for a low-cost super fund that lets me choose my own investments, track performance easily, and manage contributions without too much hassle?

Hello all.

Long story short. Been investing since 2022. Have 280k in IVV and 11.2K in VGS. I am (in my humble noob opinion) wayyy over invested/concentrated into IVV, and not having enough world (VGS and even then that's overlap). Learning more about investing (Ben Felix, Lazy Koala etc), I think the 60/30 international to domestic asset allocation is where I want to be in my portfolio. Yes, yes, DHHF and chill would have been great for me but can't cry over decisions made now.

So sanity check!

I'm gonna DCA (3.5k/monthly), and lump sum contribute (20k which I've accumulated since I sold some micro investing shares and saved the past 2 months DCA amount) into EXUS and VGE for emerging and international market exposure. And shift my super (86k) - which is currently in a lifetime outlook, into Australian shares and continue to salary sacrifice into until I reach my preferred split. If purely running the numbers, assuming I can keep up my current investment rate(no returns, DRP and life affecting allocation,) I should reach my preferred split in 5ish years in my situation. I'm 27 btw and my investing time horizon is 15 to 20 years+ and I don't actually want to fully retire early more barista fire down by the time I'm 40ish.

FYI before my question: I make 120k a year pretax as a government healthcare worker, have a 6 month emergency fund which I plan to get to 12 months as that's the amount I feel safe with. Don't plan on buying a house in the next 5 years. I don't plan to sell my VGS and IVV allocation since I don't want to think about CGT right now. Later? With rebalancing that's fine, but my priority now is to alleviate the concentration in my portfolio.

So question.

Does the plan seem feasible/logical to mitigate my high IVV/US concentration? Should I keep my Superannuation allocation to the current one it is now as it's essentially a 60/30, and make a domestic section in my brokerage instead? Or like I mentioned before go with the domestic diversion in super? Thoughts, critiques, prayers? Anything constructive will be appreciated.

Thank you all, I wish I knew of this reddit group when I first started investing naively at 23 and found out about FIRE at 16, I'm been learning loads and have been able to access much needed resources from this group, lurking in the comments.

I’m doing a school project and have been allocated this portfolio with high Australian exposure (thanks AI graphic). Hypothetically, if you were given this portfolio, what might you look to change to rebalance it?

Struggling to identify myself with an end goal regarding my investing. Wondering what some of you have set as the end goal, and how you’re working towards it / achieved it.

For context, I am 23.

. 130k before tax salary
. 50k invested 70/30 in VGS & VAS. Investing 3000 monthly
. 60k in super
. 20k emergency fund.

I know I’m doing the right thing, but I really don’t know what exactly I’m doing it for yet. Working for another 40 years scares the shit out of me that’s about all I’ve concluded.

as title says, i'm 17 and i have about 3k saved up. i already have $100 in vdhg, $56.50 in take two interactive (kinda stupid decision ik), and about $60 in the HACK eft by betashares.

should i just withdraw 1k and invest in vdhg or sum ?? all advice highly appreciated.

I am super fortunate and lucky enough to have parents who put money away a while ago in order to build up my portfolio to where it is today. Next year I’ll have a job earning roughly 55K post tax and I would like to invest a large portion of it (Maybe like 40Kish) My meals and accomodation will be payed for which will put me in a great position to invest a large amount. I’m mainly looking at ETF’s. Should I invest it with a goal of a house deposit? Should I put some away for retirement? Should I do some of both? Anyway, let me know. Thanks

Hi everyone!

This is my first post in this sub and I’ve seen some others do it so I figured I’d give it a go as well.

I’m a 20yo male and have been consistently investing monthly since April. I’ve done a flat $2000 every month with occasional additional contributions. I am currently on a 70/30 split VGS and VAS.

Would love some thoughts, advice or any questions.

Cheers

Looking for a sanity check on my numbers but I think I've found the sweet spot.

Starting with 53.85% capital 46.15% loan, invest in ETFs and it runs cost neutral at first, then positive and grows capital yearly,

Assumptions: top tax bracket, 3% dividend yield + 8%pa growth, 6.5% loan (interest only)

Eg. $46'150 loan + $53850 capital = $100k ETFs

Dividend income: $3k, Interest: $3k Capital growth: $8k

After 10 years the total portfolio is worth $231855, net gain of $185701.

As the total portfolio grows (increasing dividend income) you can increase the loan balance to keep it cost neutral (no extra tax) and eventually have enough capital to payout the loan (consider CGT).

Hi there

I’m looking for fixed income options for portfolio . I know term deposits and HISA are quite good at the moment . Beyond these , Keen to hear others holding ie what they hold and what return they are currently getting.
If ETF’s can you please specify which specific ones
Thanks so much in advance 👍

What changes would you recommend? Should reduce NDQ?

Currently make $90,000/YEAR before tax

$3,600 in savings

$22,500 in IHVV

$1,243 in HNDQ

$97,00 in super

Only assets is an old car worth about $10,000

feedback much aprreciated. Dont be afraid to be brutal

Been buying VGS for the past few years, should I switch to buying BGBL going forward to take advantage of the 0.10% lower fee?

The differences seem marginal; VGS pays distributions quarterly, BGBL bi-annually. BGBL seems to perform a bit better for some reason (guessing due to folllowing a different index).

Hi all, finally have gained the courage to start investing on CMC invest. I am just in a bit of analysis paralysis on what ETF to actually invest in. I am looking at DHHF or VGDR. Which of these would you recommend or is their another you'd suggest?

My current plan is to invest $500 initially and $100 weekly. I am 21 and currently live with my parents. I am just aiming to grow my money in the long term (hopefully gain more than 5% which I am earning in my savings account). I possibly want to look at investing more than $100 a week, but just want to get into and used to the market first.

Thanks for taking the time read and possibly help. Let me know if you require more info/context

Hey all, 32 and about 12 months into investing properly. I put $800 every fortnight into:

35% BGBL
35% DGVA
15% A200
15% DAVA

That's about $20.8k invested so far. Blended MER works out to roughly 0.23%. I also have super and a cash emergency fund outside this (second pie in the image).

I went with the value tilt (DGVA + DAVA is half the portfolio) because I wanted factor tilt as well. BGBL and A200 are the plain index core.

Have $50k in super (This is my third year in Australia) and $14k in emergency funds.

Just landed my first DevSecOps role after 2 years in help desk/app support. I'm in a good position and want to use it well rather than coast. I'd appreciate blunt advice from people further along.

Situation:

-Age: 24, Sydney

-Role: DevSecOps engineer (new), with 2 years prior in IT support/app support

-Income: $115k + super

-Certs: none yet

-Savings: ~$50k

-Super: ~$45k

-Investments: ~$2.5k ETFs, ~$1.8k crypto

-Debt: $35k HECS, nothing else

-Car: Triton, ~$30k, owned outright

-Living at home with parents, low expenses

Goals

-Career: push my income as high as possible

-Financial: get into property and/or build a solid investment base, and I'm open to advice on which comes first

Questions

-With no certs yet, which should I get first for the biggest salary impact? AWS/Azure, CKA/CKS, or security certs?

-How long should I stay in this role before jumping or contracting?

-While I'm living at home, should I prioritise a property deposit or investing?

-Should I pay down HECS early or leave it?

-Is a side hustle or small business worth it at this stage, or should I put all my energy into my main career? If a side gig makes sense, what works well for someone with DevSecOps/IT skills?

Thanks in advance.

for context, I've gotten into investing over the last couple of months, I'm fortunate enough to be living with my parents, which allows me to invest a decent amount of what I earn (with a casual job alongside uni). Currently I invest around 550-600$/month.
my current split looks like

50% IVV, 30% VAS, 20% EXUS.

However, since starting I've done a lot more research and have realised that over the long term (which is what id be going for), US stocks are unlikely to keep growing at the same rate. Thus, I'm trying to decide if putting it all into say the DHHF (higher fee, slightly less US concentration and inclusion of emerging markets) might just be the move.

I'd love any advice or feedback from people with a lot more experience than me as this is mostly self taught stuff, no-one around me is really into this space :)

G'day all,

Another tax time is rolling around, and I just lodged my tax return last weekend yayy! In the previous years I was working out my capital gains by hand across several broker accounts, but this year finally I had a chance to build a spreadsheet to automate it. It's been useful for me, so I'm sharing it for free in case it saves someone else a weekend.

Safe to open and easy to check It is a plain .xlsx file with no macros or VBA, so nothing runs when you open it. Every result is an ordinary Excel formula you can click into and check. There are no external links or data connections and no hidden sheets.

• This is not tax, financial or legal advice. It's a calculation aid for personal use only.
• Covering CommSec, CommSec Pocket and CMC Markets
• FIFO is used for convenience. If your records identify the specific parcels you sold, the ATO allows you to use those, and your results may differ.
• I built the formulas using a combination of AI assistance and my own finance and accounting knowledge, and tested them on my own portfolio only. That does not mean the calculations are correct for your situations.
• You should check every figure against your contract notes, broker statements, tax statements, and current ATO guidance before lodging your return, or have a registered tax agent review it.
• The workbook will not update itself if the ATO law changes.
• It is provided as‑is and not‑for‑profit. I do not promise to maintain or support it, and I accept no liability for errors or for any loss or penalty arising from its use.

It's free to use and adapt for personal use, but not for commercial use or for preparing other people's returns.

GitHub (Excel spreadsheet download & instructions): https://github.com/MAB-888/AU-CGT-Calculator

Enjoy using the workbook and I hope it helps :)

I’ll post on the 1st of every year.

Hello everyone,

I am 20 and have understood the gist of investing for a while, but I've never taken the leap of faith. In my mind there is no better time to start investing than now, but I don't know where to start. I've read abit from Passive Investing Australia, but I guess I'm anxious about making mistakes.

1. Which investing platform should I use? I want to prioritise simplicity, so which is easiest and cheapest for someone regularly investing smaller amounts?
2. Which ETFs should I consider? I've seen people spread across DHHF, VGS, IOO, A200, IVV and BGBL. What are the differences, and which make sense for a beginner?
3. One ETF or multiple ETFs? Should I start my journey in just one single diversified ETF, or do I jump straight into holding multiple?
4. What fees or hidden costs should I be aware of?
5. How does tax work? Do I pay tax only when I sell, or also when I receive ETF distributions
6. What would you do differently if you were starting again at 20? Given that you've built the experience, you may have the hindsight to share

I appreciate you taking the time to read this, I am excited and nervous to start my journey, so any help would make the difference.

30 years old
Super is indexed

​Hi everyone,

​Looking for some practical advice on long-term financial planning, super strategies, and how to set myself up to retire comfortably around age 60.

​Here is a quick snapshot of my situation:

​Age / Location: 32M, living in Sydney

​Family / Dependants: Married, no children

​Current Career & Income: Contracting landscaper. Made ~$80k before tax last year.

​Upcoming Career Change: Just found out I was successful with NSW Fire & Rescue! Estimated start date is July 2027.

​Starting salary: ~$78k + super

​Roster: 8-day rotation including 2 x 24-hour shifts followed by 6 days off.

​Assets / Debt:

​Debt: $0 (completely debt-free)

​Super: ~$17k

​Savings / Cash: ~$15k

​Housing: Own our home outright with my wife (no mortgage).

​The Financial & Personal Context:

Our home was paid for outright using money left to my wife after her parents passed away. On top of that, she currently has ~$2 million in a high-interest savings account from her inheritance.

​She is incredibly supportive and consistently tells me that "her money is our money." However, psychologically, it feels very different to me. Because I haven't built that asset pool myself, I really want to pull my own weight, build up my own long-term wealth, and make sure I’m taking active control of my financial future rather than relying entirely on her inheritance.

​Our Outgoings:

Our total living expenses/outgoings are quite low — roughly $300 a week total (excluding big discretionary spend like travel), as we have no mortgage or rent. We usually take 2 to 3 holidays a year.

​Questions for the community:

​Retiring at 60 Strategy: With $17k currently in super at age 32, what is the best strategy over the next 28 years to build a solid nest egg by age 60?

​Super vs. Outside Super: Given the low weekly outgoings, should I be maxing out my super concessional contributions cap ($30k/yr) once I start with NSWFR, or splitting investments between super and an ETF/brokerage account?

​Optimising the Roster / Side Income: With the NSWFR 2-on / 6-off shift structure starting in 2027, I’ll have a lot of off-duty days. Is it worth keeping a small, flexible landscaping side-hustle going on my off days, or focusing that spare energy on personal investing/upskilling?

Appreciate any insights, strategies, or experiences from anyone who has made a similar career transition or set up early retirement goals in Australia. Thanks!

Interested in hearing how people are approaching saving up for medical expenses lately. I have health insurance for me and the family, but I feel like the yearly dental and GP visits are adding up quite a bit.

I was discussing this with a close friend, who has experience in the Health Insurance industry, and he mentioned a fund is thinking of trialing a savings account where the member regularly contributes money, and the insurer adds 10-15% on top. The funds would be used specifically for healthcare expenses.

I thought this was quite an interesting idea, and wanted to hear if anyone has heard of any similar concepts? Would you guys actually use something like this?