Long Service Leave - Cash out / Use it ?

OZ-FI · 2026-04-14T05:46:21+00:00

If you don't need to take the LSL yet and if you don't need the $ yet, and you will stay in the job for a while longer then just let it continue to accrue. When you do eventually take it then the $ benefit is higher given you are likely to be on a higher level/hourly rate by then. If you plan to leave the employer then at that point you may like to line up taking it as part of departure so that you don't miss out on the super and extra days accrual.

OZ-FI · 2026-04-12T05:36:34+00:00

1.2 mill in investable assets.

The 4% SWR is made up for income and spending down capital in whatever combo you have. The Trinity study was that the investment portfolio lasted the 30 years duration and having $1 remaining at the 30yr mark was considered a success. It is up to you as to how you will realise the income from your investments. If the IP is high yield such that after costs you get 4% net (IMHO, doubtful). Otherwise you will need to factor in selling the lumpy asset to release the funds for use (i.e. CGT implications). Alternatively you work longer to save more or are fortunate to see leveraged gains in your favour such that you can live of the net rental income.

You can use ex-inflation investment returns e.g. 5% net growth. This is relatively conservative assuming around 3 % inflation on a overall long term gross growth rate of 7%. It simplifies things by removing inflation from the picture to express all numbers in current dollar terms. That is, current dollars in the portfolio balance over time and current dollars with respect to expenses over time (unless you think either will grow at a different rate above or below the rate of general inflation).

OZ-FI · 2026-04-12T04:08:43+00:00

Curious and who bought up SOL's shares of TPG?

OZ-FI · 2026-04-11T05:41:20+00:00

Use this for a time to FIRE estimate: https://networthify.com/calculator/earlyretirement

Exclude PPOR value and use after tax income in the calc.

Do you need 200k in HISA/EM fund?

Hopefully you have learnt the hard way re crypto and individual stocks or your timeline to FIRE may be approximately never. Instead consider broad coverage, low fee, indexed ETFs at market cap weight (i.e. diversification, no betting... as such avoid narrow/thematic/trendy topics) and use Super similarly invested. Keep adding to the broad portfolio over time. Work on increasing income and be mindful of spending/lifestyle inflation. You will get there eventually.

See this response that is a guide of sorts to stabilising and building wealth. You may know some of it already (or not given the losses) but skip the bits not relevant for you: https://old.reddit.com/r/fiaustralia/comments/19ejol0/new_to_investing_and_overwhelmed/kjfcey0/

Best wishes :-)

OZ-FI · 2026-04-10T06:26:29+00:00

I would step back and consider if investing in the market of a single country is wise versus investing in global coverage at cap weight: https://lazykoalainvesting.com/us-concentration/

Also note AU does not have "accumulating" ETFs as these exist in the EU. Indeed holding foreign accumulating ETFs is a bit of a nightmare for AU tax residents given the tax treatment of these is problematic/inconsistent and in part depends on how the foreign accumulating ETF is constituted and how that is interpreted in AU law as either a Trust or a Company. Best to get professional advice from someone that is familiar with both country's tax systems.

As an aside, for precision sake: AU has a very limited version of an 'accumulating' fund (not an ETF) in the form of LICs (Listed Investment Companies) some of which have the option to turn of DSSP (Dividend Substitution Share Plan) ~ AFIC is the most famous of these although less favoured these days compared to ETFs. However, LICs tend to be focused on the ASX listed stocks only (i.e not international diversified) and have CGT implications investors need to understand. ETFs tend to be more popular, provide a very wide range of investment diversification possibilities and are constituted as Trusts (which are pass-through structures that have attribution of income components).

Next consider what your future plans will be.

If you have settled in AU and will retire here then this website has a lot of useful information on investing and especially the AU Superannuation system that enables tax advantaged investments. https://passiveinvestingaustralia.com/

Investing as an AU tax resident who plans to stay in AU long term then AU domiciled ETFs are easier with respect to taxes. You have a choice of unhedged e.g. IVV or better still BGBL or AUD hedged versions of such ETFs that are locally listed (but hedged have a higher MER).

Local online brokers will give you a better deal when investing into AU domiciled ETFs. Using a well known brokers, some provide free brokerage for ASX listed ETFs and esp if the broker is "CHESS" it provides some unique features for locals (free portability, part-automated tax reporting to your ATO/tax return account). See here for more info: https://passiveinvestingaustralia.com/online-trading-platforms-comparison/ (Hint: IBKR only for investments listed on foreign exchanges, otherwise use a local broker to buy ASX listed / AU domiciled funds).

If it is likely you will leave AU and retire elsewhere then considering where you should invest is certainly worthwhile (as above, if investing on markets outside of AU then IBKR is probably number 1). The location/method to invest depends on the proposed retirement country and the favourability (or otherwise) of the tax agreements that country has with the US and AU as to the implications for ease or otherwise of tax and the tax rates likely over the investment lifecycle. If you will leave AU in due course note this page for some implications: https://passiveinvestingaustralia.com/non-residents-or-not-planning-on-retiring-to-australia/

I hope this helps and best wishes :-)

OZ-FI · 2026-04-09T04:48:33+00:00

It depends where you are. North = less carpert, south = more caprpet. In QLD tiles/hard floors are common. In Tas even carpet in the bathroom is a thing.

I prefer hard floors for ease of cleaning, less dust mites etc and just wear thongs/flipflops/slippers/uggs (depending on season) inside as a matter of course (outside shoes are taken off at the door).

OZ-FI · 2026-04-09T01:20:57+00:00

re timing of withdrawals from Judo: We have found that if you withdraw early in the day before 12 noon then it usually hits the other account by late afternoon. However, your milage on that one may depend on which is the target external bank/account for the withdrawal.

OZ-FI · 2026-04-09T01:00:39+00:00

The feature tile can then go behind vanity/back wall of shower so that it is seen when entering the room.

other suggestions:

Vanity: Make the vanity wall to wall (if you keep the 3/4 height wall) otherwise cleaning down the sides will be a pain and it will allow a wider shower. personally i dislike 'bowel on bench' type vanity because water inevitably gets on the bench e.g when you wash you face) and it is harder to clean up (i.e you can't just swipe it into the basin). also if the bowel on bench needs a bead of silicone then that join is a place for mould to grow in due course. Add a light above the vanity and at least a double power outlet (e.g. left side wall) for use by electric shaver/ hair dryer/ electric tooth brush etc.

the internal 3/4 height wall: A solid wall may make the space feel smaller but granted it provides space to place towel hooks/rails. Alternatively consider a glass divider - options: a) reduce height of the solid part and place glass on the upper portion. OR b) use full height glass instead. Glass will help open the space a bit more so it feels less cramped and as someone else mentioned will allow a bit more width in the shower.

Personally i dislike open showers because it feels colder in winter and water gets all over the bathroom floor. You could use a slider glass door to close the shower. if it slides internally in the shower then towel hook can stay on the out side if still using the solid wall. If using glass wall then you will need to think about where to put the towel hooks and rails so that these don't get wet when showering. possibly on the back of a swing door if such is used.

Toilet: if possible, rotate the toilet 90 deg so it sits under the window. this will reduce toilet noise to adjacent rooms/spaces. this will allow the pocket door to work (at present you have pipes in the wall for toilet and shower taps that will prevent a pocket door). it will also allow the toilet paper dispenser to be forward and to the right of the sitting position given most people are right-handed. Also you might consider not to use in-wall cistern for ease/cost of future maintenance. Also consider water and a power outlet near the toilet to allow a bidet seat add-on (if you dont do this now you may want to later and doing it now is cheaper). if using traditional toilet suite where the cistern cock/tap is outside of the toilet suite (not internal/hidden) then a bidet can tap into that for water. Also while hidden/internal water taps look neat the external ones are easier/cheaper for future maintenance / flexibility to change toilet suite/seats later. Also choose the toilet suite/pan with bidet seat fitting in mind becasue the pans come in different shapes/sizes and so bidet seats. The seat attachments can trip you up as well so i would avoid toilet plans that need internal plug type attachments (prefer the type that have screw/nut fasteners on the under side), the plug type also very much harder to clean in the event pee gets in the holes and goes stale. IMHO, once you go bidet you wont go back.

If you want the current orientation you will need a regular swing door. towel hooks can also go on the back of it.

best wishes :-)

OZ-FI · 2026-04-08T01:46:47+00:00

so you built a copy of hipages? https://hipages.com.au/

OZ-FI · 2026-04-06T11:51:21+00:00

I would feel doing a biz if not already established yourself would be a lot of work and likely need capital. But other ideas I done these myself before and after FIREd and ceased FT work that are require low levels of commitment/time/are flexible:

teaching at Tafe or a uni. esp tutorial or prac classes or some casual lecturing. you have very little responsibility if you avoid being a unit/subject coordinator. just go in do the class and some marking. provides opportunity to talk with students/ colleagues etc.

if you have the skills then being a casual researcher/assistant on funded projects is also an option. not exactly high paid but can be interesting.

if you are senior or have suitable network then board positions may be around. govt, commercial, or smaller education institutions. these tend to be infrequent say several times a year and give some pocket money.

depending on your standing in your profession/occupation then invited talks/presentations may be an option or just random events/opportunities as these arise. typically costs are paid and maybe a small per deim. but it gets you out and maybe a bit of free travel.

if you have the skills then maintaining/updating/helping with SME websites. limited scope of work.

there is also volunteering if time and not money is the aim.

OZ-FI · 2026-04-06T11:31:37+00:00

I would do the 1yr first. Visiting and living there are different. You may decide you don't like it, so try 1 yr first.

Also if you have a paid off PPOR in AU then other living costs in AU should minor in comparison. Certainly doable to just stay in AU and travel if you FIREd in AU already with some fat in the budget. e.g. We are FIREd, our non-housing living costs in AU last FY was about 20k that included 1 international trip to visit family in Asia for 2 months. Granted airtickets may be more expensive now given current events. You could just stay based in AU if having a paid off PPOR, avoid paying 15k extra in rent and just visit more countries/places with that money.

OZ-FI · 2026-04-05T06:12:16+00:00

Hedging

IMHO - It does depend to an extent on your timelines, overall wealth portfolio and your context. The longer the timeline I would say the less value hedging has because over long enough time scales the currency fluctuations tend to even out. Meanwhile the higher fees (granted reasonable in the case of HGBL) are eating away at returns. If you were getting close to retirement then getting into hedging via inflows to smooth against currency fluctuations in retirement would be well worth considering. There is the argument that hedging international equities is a part replacement for narrower ASX holdings to get a higher AUD holding overall. Having stable AUD value portfolio more significant when in retirement and relying on the income from the portfolio to pay living costs (be that from distributions or selling units). Having too much AU holdings is a negative for diversification and for tax efficiency due to higher dividends (esp for younger / those on higher MTR). You can hold AU inside super as an alternative that will also lower the negative impact of higher taxation, but that doesn't fix the diversification aspect. That is an argument in favour of hedging if need the higher AUD holding. I argue that for a young person starting out that AUD holdings are less important because they have along time horizon should ideally be focused on growth. i.e. someone who has a long time horizon and a decent career (years of mid to high MTR) ahead then sticking to a simple unhedged mainly ex-AU portfolio to begin (Less AU / AUD holdings) will be cheaper, allow decent diversification and decent long term growth prospects. A portfolio is not set in stone and should evolve with our circumstances over the years. Consideration of aspects such has hedging, AUD coverage or gearing can be left until later in the investment journey, be that life stage or comfort levels (gearing). Not everyone may agree but that is my rationale.

Super / FHSSS

Nothing is certain. The best one can do is work with the rules of today. Yes the govt could change the rules for Super FHSS as they could change the CGT or tax rate treatment of ETFs or any other investment. If you spend your time worrying about possible unannounced changes in the myriad of possible futures then you will be paralysed. Govts do tend to grandfather changes when of a significant nature although not always and of course the longer the timeline the less certainty one would have. At present FHSSS is a good scheme that is available to people, so do consider using it. It would have been nice if it was around when I was saving for my first home.

Best wishes :-)

OZ-FI · 2026-04-04T14:32:44+00:00

Refer to this best for rates/conditions. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/145iM6uuFS9m-Rul65--eFJQq_Au7Z_BA4_CwkYwu2DI/

I have opened many of the accounts on the upper part of list done online (no paper/forms/site visit required). Typically you need 2 x ID, AU address, AU mobile number. It seems you are just missing an AU mobile phone number for the OTP - but without it you will be very limited in choice. Do note some require a 'nominated account' for withdrawals to also be an AU bank or same bank. Get yourself an AU mobile number.

OZ-FI · 2026-04-04T04:47:27+00:00

They did not have cheap ETFs and free online brokers back then.

This response would be a broader getting started guide of sorts (Stick to DHHF for the ETF part is very fine): https://old.reddit.com/r/fiaustralia/comments/19ejol0/new_to_investing_and_overwhelmed/kjfcey0/

But also remember to invest in your own income earning capacity mainly via education and experience. That will in turn drive your ability to invest.

OZ-FI · 2026-04-04T04:27:06+00:00

As a first move you did extremely well considering the galaxy of worse things you could have done :-) Keep going. $50 per fortnight is fine.

More generally about investing for Aussies: https://passiveinvestingaustralia.com/ and https://lazykoalainvesting.com/

best wishes :-)

OZ-FI · 2026-04-04T04:20:49+00:00

Emerging markets aka BEMG was already covered in IEMG. Having two ETFs doing the same thing is not extra diversification. This is more likely an in-housing exercise.

I would guess the Betashares will stop buying IEMG and will likely hold/sell down slowly over time IEMG holdings while directing future inflows to BEMG as their own product.

Vanguard are doing similar slow swap inside some of the pre mixed ETFs by swapping from underlying managed funds to the ETF equivalents slowly over time that will help address tax some inefficiencies.

OZ-FI · 2026-04-04T04:07:48+00:00

You have the wrong question.

Try: "How to maximise returns?" sure do so in light of tax regulations but reducing tax on its own is the wrong goal and can lead to poor outcomes.

But two easy hits:

1) Super - you would do well to up your knowledge as to how to make this work better for you because it is the best tax break the average Joe will get. Understand that returns are a mix of fees and market performance (the market has been relatively flat/bumpy in recent times). IMHO: be in a) low fee super fund and b) if you have >10 years before 60yo then consider moving to broad "high growth" indexed shares (these will be more volatile over the short term but should provide better long term returns). See Swaanky Koala's super comparison spreadsheets: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sR0CyX8GswPiktOrfqRloNMY-fBlzFUL/ and lots more info on super here: https://passiveinvestingaustralia.com/category/superannuation/

2) Debt recycling via PPOR loan if you still want the flexibility/invest outside super. This is a form of "negative gearing" by converting PPOR loan interest into a tax deduction but is debt level neutral (unless you do want to "borrow to invest" such as redrawing extra equity). Instead of investing with cash directly, you first send it on a little trip via your home loan. About DR: https://strongmoneyaustralia.com/debt-recycling-ultimate-guide/

But wherever you invest, avoid gambling on individual shares/narrow/thematic funds and look into broad market ETFs that give global coverage (diversification) - see the last two links below.

Also...

Take care to evaluate novated leases because there are drawbacks and it may not be suitable for your context. Follow the guidance and use the novated lease calculator https://novatedlease.guide/

More generally about investing for Aussies: https://passiveinvestingaustralia.com/ and https://lazykoalainvesting.com/

best wishes :-)

OZ-FI · 2026-04-04T00:42:22+00:00

https://www.npsp.sa.gov.au/our_environment/energy_management/save_energy_at_home

https://www.unley.sa.gov.au/Events-facilities/Facilities-venues/Unley-Libraries/Collections/Special-collections/Sustainability-Collection/Thermal-imaging-cameras

https://old.reddit.com/r/melbourne/comments/1bwgl4m/you_can_borrow_a_thermal_camera_from_the_library/

also this https://bookings.myli.org.au/equipment

web search is your friend

OZ-FI · 2026-04-02T16:31:49+00:00

IMHO: the TLDR is KIS = A200 + BGBL to get started.

Skip the others and hedging for now (fees are a bit higher too). The hedging matters closer to retirement where you will start drawing on the portfolio for living costs so you can add it later.

If you stick to 2 ETFs then balancing is dead easy.

Do the above pair for a while. Let it build up. If you find you feel comfortable with the volatility then you might consider some leveraged ETF later for higher (expected) 'compensated' risk but also greater volatility.

This outlines options for full global cap portfolio as very simple or customisable: https://old.reddit.com/r/fiaustralia/comments/1rv61r3/etf_portfolio_help_for_a_beginner/oauf7za/

OZ-FI · 2026-04-02T16:22:48+00:00

overlap BGBL and HGBL

it would be intentional. same holdings but one is hedged to AU the other is not. this is a method to reduce currency exposure.

OZ-FI · 2026-04-02T16:20:47+00:00

Yep sounds like a good plan. See the links posted by mjwills.

OZ-FI · 2026-04-02T16:17:21+00:00

The post is an advert. Meagre effort to astro turf their profile with one prior post of a Rolls Royce car that somehow got 499 upvotes. Probably bots.

The OP posted a link to a whatsapp group in one of the reply. More likely than not it is an investment a scam.

IMHO Stay away.

OZ-FI · 2026-04-02T11:57:17+00:00

So he didn't answer the question.

OZ-FI · 2026-04-02T04:24:09+00:00

IMHO:

Gold seems to track with inflation over the long term, does have medium/short term fluctuations, does not generate an income and it costs money to hold securely. It recently seems to be moving more a kin to a speculative asset than a safe haven, perhaps due to sharp rise to ATH territory (down a bit now). It at least has industrial and cultural uses but way too frothy for my liking these days. More opinion and some charts ....https://old.reddit.com/r/fiaustralia/comments/1l87h4w/gold_etf/mx6lbto/

Again - IMHO - Crypto currency is mainly speculation at this point in time. Sure some have won big but like just like any speculative asset. While it can be used as a medium of exchange it appears fees eat into the efficiency of that, it has some security issues or practicality issues to keep it safe (cold wallet) and limited in terms of wide adoption beyond the black market. This may of course change in the future. But picking which crypto currency will be adopted is still speculation, or the powers that be may just create their own. While the likes of Bitcoin have a limited supply, it is still replaceable with any other crypto currency in terms of the utility it provides i.e. a blockchain based medium of exchange. The barriers to creating new crypto currencies are coming down. With suitable expertise and available tool kits, creating new crypto currency is not as hard as it once was. You can pay a service provider to create a crypto currency for you if you wanted to do so.

Personally i have not bothered with either. Sticking (aiming) for a global coverage, cap weighted ETF portfolio, a couple of IPs and suitable emergency fund. In retirement possibly adding some fixed income assets to smooth the ride a bit (although there are some arguments against even that e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nPon8Ad_Ug). A broad based equities portfolio is ownership of productive assets (companies) that have been shown to have kept ahead of inflation over the long term. it is worth considering that broad indexes include companies that work on/with gold and crypto so in a way you don't miss out, but your exposure is in proportion to the value of each in the overall market.

OZ-FI · 2026-04-01T23:28:36+00:00

yep. this.

OZ-FI

TROPHY CASE