Life First Advice

01/09/2026

You can't compound time later.

We spend a lot of time thinking about how much we need for the future.

But there's another side to the equation.

How much of the present should we sacrifice to get there?

It's a question that becomes particularly relevant in your 40s and 50s.

These can be some of your highest earning years. But they're also potentially some of your healthiest and most capable years.

The goal doesn't necessarily need to be accumulating the biggest possible number by retirement.

It might be having enough.

Enough financial security.

Enough flexibility to reduce your working hours.

Enough freedom to travel.

Enough capacity to help your family.

Enough financial breathing room to make a career or business decision based on what you want rather than what you need to earn.

Good financial planning should consider both versions of you.

Future You, who deserves financial security.

And Present You, who has a life to live in the meantime.

Spend everything today and Future You may pay the price.

But defer everything until tomorrow and Present You can pay a price too.

Perhaps the better question isn't:

“How much can I accumulate?”

It's:

“How much is enough to give me the life and choices I want — and when can I start enjoying some of it?”

28/08/2026

Why remain cautious while markets are continuing to rise?

In our latest Asset Allocation Performance Update, Dane Pymble explains why we have maintained a more defensive position and avoided chasing some of the market’s strongest recent performers.

He also shares our current view on Australian residential investment property and what we are watching for next.

Watch the full update: https://youtu.be/VK6CB1V8ngE



General information only. Past performance is not an indicator of future performance.

10/08/2026

Has inflation really been defeated—or could there be another wave ahead?

In this episode of Life First Insights, Dane Pymble looks at inflation history, interest rates and what they could mean for Australian households and investors.

He is also joined by Rory Sercombe of Own Money to discuss home loans, offsets, refinancing and cash buffers.

Because a strong financial plan shouldn’t depend on one forecast being right.

Watch here: https://youtu.be/75GPgAwQixs?si=NT1QWQSEOyDi2T9q

General information only.

Has inflation really been defeated—or could Australian households b...

29/07/2026

Building a successful business is only half the journey.

The other half is knowing how to convert that business into lasting family wealth.

This year's Budget proposes several changes that could affect business owners—from capital gains tax concessions through to trusts, employee equity and estate planning.

We've summarised the five key changes and what they may mean for business owners in our latest Life First Insights video.

Watch here:
▶️ https://youtu.be/LRVOJcOKbkw

As always, if you'd like to discuss how these changes may affect your own situation, we're here to help.

22/07/2026

Are the rules around building wealth changing?

Capital gains tax.

Employee share schemes.

Trusts.

Estate planning.

Most of the headlines focus on the legislation.

What interests me more is what those changes mean for the decisions people are making every day.

In the first episode of Life First Insights, I explore four proposed changes that higher-income professionals should understand and the conversations worth having before making major financial decisions.

Because every financial decision has a life attached to it.

🎥 Watch here: https://youtu.be/VwxzMr7qnXM

I'd love to hear your thoughts or answer any questions in the comments.

08/07/2026

📢 Superannuation changed on 1 July, and there are a few important updates that could affect your financial planning.

In this short video, I walk through the five biggest changes, including:

✔ Higher contribution caps
✔ Payday Super
✔ The new tax on balances above $3 million
✔ The increase in the Transfer Balance Cap
✔ Super on Government Paid Parental Leave

Whether you're growing your super, planning for retirement or running a business, these changes are worth understanding.

Take a few minutes to watch the video, and if you'd like to discuss how the new rules apply to your own situation, feel free to get in touch.

As always, if you find the video helpful, I'd really appreciate you liking, sharing or commenting—it helps more people see practical financial education.

https://youtu.be/pQXBoanouVY

12/02/2026

🚨 New Super Tax Laws – Why 40-Year-Olds Should Pay Attention (Even If $3m Sounds Miles Away)

The Government has introduced legislation this week to change how large super balances are taxed.

In short:
👉 If your Total Super Balance (TSB) is above $3 million, part of your super earnings may soon be taxed at higher rates.

A lot of people in their 40s read that and think:

“That won’t be me.”

That’s understandable.

But it’s also where compounding quietly does its best work.

A quick reality check on compounding

If you’re 40 today and already have:

• $400k–$600k in super
• Contributing regularly
• And invest reasonably well

You don’t need heroic returns to end up north of $3m in today's dollars (indexed for inflation) by your 60s.

Even moderate growth, applied over 20+ years, can turn “solid” balances into “large” balances.

Which means this is less of a rich person problem and more of a future successful-you problem.

What the new rules look like (high level)

• Extra 15% tax on earnings attributable to balances between $3m–$10m
• Extra 25% tax on earnings attributable to balances above $10m
• Thresholds indexed to CPI
• Mostly based on realised earnings
• Start date now 1 July 2026

No panic required.

But planning required.

Strategy shifts we’re already making for 40-year-old clients

1️⃣ Moving away from “everything into super”

Super remains excellent.

But once you’re on track for $3m+, blindly funnelling every spare dollar into super can become inefficient.

The smarter question becomes:

Where should the next dollar live?

2️⃣ Using Investment Bonds as a parallel wealth bucket

For clients likely to breach future thresholds, Investment Bonds are becoming an important part of the mix.

Why:
• Tax paid internally (max 30% sometimes in the single digits due to their unique accounting treatment)
• No personal CGT after 10 years
• Not counted toward your super balance
• Flexible for retirement, kids, or estate planning

Think of them as a pressure-release valve for super.

3️⃣ Modelling end outcomes earlier

We now spend more time projecting:
• Where your super could land by 60
• When higher tax may apply
• How different structures change the after-tax result

Small decisions in your 40s → very big differences later.

Bottom line
$3m sounds big.
20 years of compounding is bigger.
Good strategy isn’t about beating the system.
It’s about not being boxed in by it.
If you’re in your 40s and building wealth, this is a conversation worth having.

04/02/2026

Most parents don’t want to treat their kids equally.
They want to treat them fairly.
But fairness gets complicated when:
– One child needs a home deposit
– One needs help through uni
– One needs ongoing financial support
Trying to force equal dollar outcomes in these situations often creates tension now… and estate disputes later.
Earlier this week, Dane Pymble sat down with Michael Jaeger from Generation Life - Outthinking today. to discuss how investment bonds can be used while you’re alive to help equalise outcomes between kids with very different needs.
We cover:
✔ Why equal ≠ fair
✔ How bonds can be used as a living estate-planning tool
✔ Preserving flexibility and control
✔ Reducing future family friction
If you’re a parent navigating these decisions, this will be a worthwhile watch.
https://lnkd.in/g3UKwhCd

29/01/2026

A quick update on how our Asset Allocation strategies have performed since inception — and what we’re doing next.

Whilst still early days (2.5 years), I am proud to announce that all strategies are exceeding their respective benchmarks since inception, ranging from 0.4% - 6.95%pa outperformance of benchmarks after all fees.

Over the 6 months to 31 December 2025, performance was supported by strong contributions from several of our preferred themes, particularly Resources, Global Banks, and Small Caps.

Key contributors in the last 6 months have been:

Global X ETFs Copper Miners (WIRE) ETF: +56%
Betashares MNRS ETF: +40%
Perth Mint Gold (Gold bullion ETF): +29%
Betashares Global Banks ETF: +24%
Spheria Asset Management Australian Microcap Fund: +19%
Firetrail Investments Australian Small Companies Fund: +19%
(returns shown are for the 6 months to 31 Dec 2025)

As always, our asset allocation approach is influenced by the long term Property & Share Market Cycles research provided by Akhil Patel & Phil Anderson at Property Sharemarket Economics.

In November, we made deliberate changes to portfolio positioning, moving from overweight growth, to a neutral growth/defensive split relative to benchmarks. This wasn’t about calling the top — it was about respecting risk.

Looking ahead, with volatility expected to rise through 2026, we anticipate continuing to tilt portfolios progressively more defensive as opportunities and risks evolve.

As always, our focus remains on:

sensible diversification
disciplined risk management
positioning portfolios to compound over full market cycles — not just good quarters

Past performance isn’t a guarantee of future returns, but process matters — especially when conditions change. Reach out if you wish to discuss whether our Asset Allocation Solutions may be suitable for you and/or your clients.

27/01/2026

“They were about to make a decision that would’ve cost them ~$500,000.”

An elderly couple in their 70s came to us feeling stuck.

They owned their family home outright — but that was it.

No other assets.
No emergency buffer.
Fully reliant on the Age Pension

The house needed essential renovations, cost-of-living pressures were biting, and they were effectively living pension-to-pension.

They wanted to stay at home…
But financially, it felt impossible.

The tempting solution?
Sell the house and move into a retirement village.

Low maintenance.
Friends nearby.
Some cash freed up for emergencies and holidays.

On the surface, it sounded sensible.

But once we slowed things down and ran the numbers, a very different picture emerged.

The hidden risk no one talks about:

If one (or both) of them needed higher-level aged care within the first few years:
Retirement village exit fees and deferred management costs would’ve wiped out ~$200,000

* The family home — their biggest safety net — would be gone
* Decisions would be made under pressure, not on their terms
* Once you sell, there’s no rewind button.

What we did instead

We modelled every realistic option:

*Sell and move into a retirement village
*Sell and downsize
*Keep the home and borrow against it

We stress-tested each scenario for:

*Age Pension impact
*Cash-flow sustainability
*Flexibility if health changed
*Long-term net worth

The strategy that won?
A structured reverse mortgage:

* Funded essential home renovations
* Created an emergency line of credit
* Had no impact on their Age Pension
* Allowed them to stay in their home with dignity and choice
* Importantly, it kept future options open.

The outcome (5-year view):
~$200k saved by avoiding retirement village exit fees
~$300k better off through retaining the home and future price growth
Interest capitalised — not draining their day-to-day cash flow

Total value of advice: close to $500,000.

Not through risk.
Not through speculation.
Just by avoiding irreversible mistakes and sequencing decisions properly.

The bigger lesson?

When parents are asset-rich but cash-poor, the answer isn’t automatically:
👉 “Just sell the house.”
The right move is often:
👉 “Let’s slow this down, model it properly, and protect future choices.”