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What we often saw was lacking in the client experience was the purpose for why people invested. What goal was it working them towards?

Own Financial Planning work with time poor professionals and business owners in their 40s & 50s, who are unsure of their next steps, gain clarity and confidence with their money. How was implementing a certain investment strategy going to change their lives? That’s what led us to form Own Financial Planning – People & their relationship with Money. Combining Dane Pymble's investment management exp

erience Aadil Abbas' expertise in designing systems and processes for executives of global companies as a management consultant, and also having been the product himself of good goals-based advice, we founded Own Financial Planning. What drives us every day is the satisfaction we get from seeing our clients achieve their financial and lifestyle goals. Our approach is collaborative, both with each other and our clients. Helping to ensure a more personalised and solid financial plan.

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.”

08/12/2025

We just wrapped up a Client Story with Etienne — and it’s a cracker.

Like a lot of people, he was juggling career, personal life and big financial decisions without the clarity or confidence he wanted. Things were fine, but not intentional.

In the video, Etienne shares:

🔹 What life and money felt like before advice
🔹 Why our approach stood out from the pack
🔹 The unexpected value he discovered once we got started
🔹 The three reasons he knew it was time to get help
🔹 The changes he’s now seeing in his confidence, clarity and wellbeing

If you’ve ever thought:

“We’re earning well… but we should be making smarter decisions.”
“I don’t have a clear roadmap — I’m reacting instead of planning.”
“I want to be confident about our future lifestyle, not just hopeful.”
…then Etienne’s story will hit home.

28/11/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our 2nd Annual State of the Markets Workshop last night. It was great to see clients, guests, and so many new faces turning up to stay on the front foot with their financial decisions.

A big thank you to Akhil Patel for delivering a clear, grounded walkthrough of what’s shaping markets right now and what investors should be paying attention to.

For anyone who couldn’t make it — or wants to revisit the discussion — the full recording is now available on YouTube.

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCHQjJMnu2s

Thanks again to everyone who made the night a success. If you’d like to discuss how the current market outlook fits into your own strategy, we’re always happy to chat.

17/11/2025

Delighted to announce we will be hosting world-renowned economist Akhil Patel at our annual State of The Markets Workshop. The theme of this year's event will be "How To Prepare For The End of The Cycle"

Register Here - https://lifefirstadvice.com.au/state-of-the-markets-how-to-prepare-for-the-end-of-the-cycle/

Join us for a live Q&A with Akhil Patel, Director of Property Share market Economics and author of The Secret Wealth Advantage. In this interactive workshop we will break down where we sit in the current market economic cycle, why it repeats, and what it means for property and share market investors alike over the next few years, as we head towards the end of the current cycle.

Akhil’s research points to a major turning point in 2026 for the global economy. This session will help you make sense of the noise and understand how to position your portfolios.

Ideal for investors who want clarity, context, and a level head as the cycle matures.

Date: November 26 7:30pm Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time

https://lifefirstadvice.com.au/state-of-the-markets-how-to-prepare-for-the-end-of-the-cycle/

01/09/2025

What really drives long-term investment returns?

At Life First Advice, we spend a lot of time talking about asset allocation — simply put, how much of your money sits in growth assets (shares, property, infrastructure) vs defensive assets (bonds, cash).

Growth assets aim to grow your wealth over time, but can be volatile year-to-year.

Defensive assets are steadier, but deliver lower returns.

Your asset mix is the single biggest driver of your long-term returns. Whether you invest through super, a family trust, or in your own name — the portfolio allocation is what matters most. Choices like active vs passive, or which managers you pick, have an impact — but it’s marginal compared to the big picture decision of how much is in growth vs defensive.

Long-term average returns after fees (10+ years):

High Growth (90–100% growth assets): ~8–9% p.a.
Growth (70–85% growth assets): ~7–8% p.a.
Balanced (60–70% growth assets): ~6–7% p.a.
Conservative (20–40% growth assets): ~4–5% p.a.

And if we compare that to investment property over the long run:
Capital growth: ~6–7% p.a.
Net rental income: ~2–3% p.a.
Total return: ~9–10% p.a.

So in the long run, investment property and high-growth diversified portfolios have delivered very similar returns. One isn’t inherently “better” than the other — it comes back to your goals, timeframe, and how comfortable you are with risk, liquidity, and concentration.

The important part is having a strategy (not chasing the latest fad), and sticking to an allocation that’s right for you.

👉 At Life First Advice, we help you get the right strategy in place — matching your investments to your goals, values, and lifestyle so you can move towards a work-optional future with confidence. If that sounds like something you want clarity on, let’s chat.

13/08/2025

🚀 Two years in — and we’re outperforming benchmarks.
In this short video, I chat with Aadil about how our asset allocation strategies fit into helping clients build a work-optional lifestyle.

We cover:
• How we design portfolios around your goals (not just market trends)
• The 3 strategies we offer — from simple low-cost index to active, cycle-aware investing
• Key market opportunities we see right now
• How we’re preparing for the inevitable downturn ahead

If you’re a busy professional who could manage your own investments — but would rather spend your time on life, not markets — this one’s worth a watch.

🎥 Watch here: https://lnkd.in/dNr6yVPE

27/02/2025

Post 13: Reviewing Progress & Looking Ahead

The end of the year is a time to reflect on your progress and set your sights on what’s next. Regular reviews ensure your financial plan evolves with your life.

Make this a year of clarity, confidence, and a renewed focus on your goals.

🌟 Ready to make this your best year yet?

26/02/2025

Achieve Balance with a Cashflow Bucketing Strategy via Multiple Offset Accounts

Managing cashflow effectively is key to achieving both lifestyle enjoyment today and financial freedom tomorrow. One of the most powerful ways to do this is through a cashflow bucketing strategy, especially if you have a home loan with multiple offset accounts.

Here’s how it works:

🏡 Offset Buckets: Multiple offset accounts linked to your home loan allow you to allocate money for different purposes while reducing your interest charges.

🔹 Lifestyle Bucket: Cover short-term needs like groceries, entertainment, and travel.
🔹 Savings Bucket: Allocate funds for mid-term goals like holidays, home renovations, or kids’ education.
🔹 Investment Bucket: Direct money toward investments for your long-term lifestyle goals, such as funding retirement or achieving a work-optional lifestyle.

This strategy not only helps ensure you’re making progress on your financial future but also provides clarity on how much you can comfortably spend today without derailing your long-term plans.

We help you go beyond the numbers. Through our goals and values exercise, we work with you to understand what areas of life are most important to you—whether that’s family, travel, philanthropy, or building a legacy—and ensure your buckets are filled accordingly.

Want to find balance between enjoying life today and securing your future? Let’s chat!

Address

119 Willoughby Road
Crows Nest, NSW
2065

Telephone

+611300721631

Website

https://lifefirstadvice.com.au/

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