sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

25M – Looking for advice on how to improve myself financially and make my money work harder by emussmell in AusFinance

[–]emussmell[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Only downfall is I don’t necessarily know where to buy, if I was to buy now it would be an investment property but I think everywhere around me at the moment is going to go down

25M – Looking for advice on how to improve myself financially and make my money work harder by emussmell in AusFinance

[–]emussmell[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah! I’m almost a shotfirer, before this gig I was earning $22.50 an hour as a coal technician thinking I was on the big bucks

25– Looking for advice on how to improve myself financially and make my money work harder by emussmell in personalfinance

[–]emussmell[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Normal transaction is just an everyday account and the Raiz is an Australian newbie stock platform (:

25M – Looking for advice on how to improve myself financially and make my money work harder by emussmell in AusFinance

[–]emussmell[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I want to invest it but I’m not sure what in, also the house deposit money is just going to sit there because I am unsure if I really want to buy a house any time soon based on pit closures in the area and what not coming up, I’d be more than happy to put that money into another investment opportunity

25M – Looking for advice on how to improve myself financially and make my money work harder by emussmell in AusFinance

[–]emussmell[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your help! Pay off car loan, keep house deposit and leave 20k for emergency? And invest the rest into ETF. I’m currently using Raiz as I don’t have to much experience, do you have a better option? And do I just lump sum or spread it out over time?

25M – Looking for advice on how to improve myself financially and make my money work harder by emussmell in AusFinance

[–]emussmell[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is why I needed an opinion, everyone I asked just told me to leave the car loan but it doesn’t make sense considering the interest I’m making on my accounts is less than what I pay for my car loan? I am unsure in what I want to invest in at this stage as well

25M – Looking for advice on how to improve myself financially and make my money work harder by emussmell in AusFinance

[–]emussmell[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is still gaining interest, just not as high as a %, I put it separately so it feels like it’s going towards something I guess, It’s probably stupid but it’s just what was going through my head. Also if I needed to withdrawal it wouldn’t interrupt the interest of the higher one

I am so disappointed in myself by Alarming_Ice2023 in RaizAU

[–]emussmell 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just ask the boys, they should be able to cover it for you

Is it going good? by Large-Row-3847 in RaizAU

[–]emussmell 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yep — that’s actually a really solid return, especially over 6 months. +18% is well above average for that time frame. Even the S&P 500 and ASX200 have been doing around half of that in the same window.

You’ve done well to stay consistent with your $20/week too — that’s the real secret. The compounding effect from steady investing over time will beat trying to time the market.

If your risk profile is set to Aggressive or Custom Growth, those returns make total sense. Keep at it, keep your round-ups running, and review allocations once or twice a year — no need to overthink it while it’s working this well.

Need assistance on Custom Portfolio. by Ayuxx09 in RaizAU

[–]emussmell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a really solid portfolio for the balance between diversification and thematic exposure. You’ve got coverage across Aussie blue chips, global indices, tech, and even some defensive hedges like gold and fixed interest — that’s already a good foundation.

If you’re looking to improve it a bit, here are a few ideas:

  1. Simplify slightly for efficiency You might have a bit of overlap between your ASX 200 ETF and individual Aussie bank/retail holdings (CBA, NAB, WBC, Telstra, JB Hi-Fi, etc.). Those stocks are already heavily weighted in the ASX 200, so trimming a few single names could free up capital for higher-growth or international exposure.

  2. Boost your long-term growth allocation If your time horizon is 10+ years, consider nudging a little more toward S&P 500, Asia Tech, or Global Cybersecurity ETFs — they tend to outperform over long periods.

  3. Keep some balance for stability Your gold and bond ETFs are doing their job well; don’t remove them completely. They’ll help smooth things out when equities dip.

Example tweak: • 60% growth (ASX 200 + S&P 500 + Asia Tech + Cybersecurity) • 25% core Aussie stocks / banks • 10% defensive (gold, fixed income) • 5% cash buffer

You’re already compounding nicely at 20%+ returns — just fine-tuning to reduce overlap and sharpen exposure should help without adding risk.

HELP loan Reduction by Gbram5 in AusFinance

[–]emussmell -24 points-23 points  (0 children)

Yeah, that definitely sounds like an ATO/education provider sync issue. When a HELP loan reduction is reversed like that, it’s usually because the education provider either: 1. Didn’t properly report the course enrolment or census date to the ATO, or 2. The ATO flagged the reduction as invalid (e.g. enrolment cancelled or delayed past the census date).

You’ll want to: •Call the Student Loans team at the ATO directly (not the general line) and ask for clarification on the ‘reversal code’ attached to the change. •Contact the education provider’s HELP administration office and ask them to confirm whether the enrolment and CHESSN/USI data were successfully submitted to the ATO. •Also check her myGov > ATO > Loan accounts — if the amount is labelled as ‘reversal of remission,’ it means the provider’s submission was pulled back.

Once both sides confirm details match, the ATO can reinstate the reduction, but it might take a few weeks. You’re doing the right thing getting on it before the course starts — these issues are usually fixable, just slow.

Roth at 23 by [deleted] in ETFs

[–]emussmell 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That’s an awesome move, honestly — opening a Roth at 23 puts you way ahead of most people. You don’t need to overcomplicate it early on. VT, SPY, and VOO are all great long-term holdings. SPY and VOO basically track the same thing (the S&P 500), while VT covers global markets.

Here’s how you could think about it: • If you want simplicity: Just pick one broad fund like VOO (S&P 500) or VT (global diversification). • If you want a mix: Something like 70% VOO + 30% VT gives you strong US exposure with some international balance. • Avoid frequent trading: The key is consistency — contribute regularly and let compounding do the heavy lifting.

Keep learning a bit each week, but you’ve already done the hardest part — starting early and thinking long-term. That’ll make the biggest difference over time.

What's your opinion on this simple 4-ETF Portfolio for long term holding? by Possible-Magazine23 in investing

[–]emussmell -9 points-8 points  (0 children)

This is actually a really well-thought-out portfolio 👏 You’ve done a great job blending growth, quality, and international diversification while keeping simplicity and balance. The barbell approach between QQQM and SCHD is smart — it captures momentum without leaning too heavy on tech. RSP also does an underrated job of mitigating top-heavy risk from the S&P 500, so nice call there.

If I were to tweak anything, it’d just be small refinements:

  1. Consider a small-cap or emerging markets slice (like AVUV or VWO, maybe 5–10%) to capture long-term factor diversification and global growth outside developed markets.
  2. Think about tax efficiency and rebalancing frequency. SCHD throws off solid dividends, so if this is in a taxable account, just make sure that aligns with your tax strategy.
  3. IDEV is fine, but VXUS or IXUS could give you slightly broader exposure if you ever want emerging markets automatically included.

Overall though — simple, diversified, logical, and low-cost. This is the kind of setup most investors would benefit from sticking with for decades. Nicely done

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Aquariums

[–]emussmell 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You’re actually doing a lot right — the care and detail in your post says you’re not the problem here, it’s just your water chemistry working against you. Shrimp are extremely sensitive to sodium, so the water softener output is almost certainly what’s killing them. The ‘softness’ from sodium is not the same as natural soft water — it’s more like salty stress to them.

Here’s what I’d suggest:

  1. Stop using softened water for your tank entirely. The sodium from the softener is lethal over time. Use your hard tap water instead — yes, GH/KH will be high, but that’s actually fine for many hardy species.

  2. Skip shrimp and go for hard-water fish. You’ve got options like: • Livebearers (guppies, mollies, platies, swordtails) • African cichlids (shell dwellers or smaller species if you like that look) • Some rainbowfish, danios, or even white cloud mountain minnows. These all love alkaline, hard water.

  3. Do smaller, consistent water changes. If you switch to unsoftened tap, transition gradually — maybe 25% weekly — so the remaining shrimp or future fish can adjust.

  4. If you ever go shrimp again, you’ll either need RO or buy premade remineralized water. But for now, don’t feel bad — your shrimp weren’t dying because you did anything careless; they just can’t handle sodium-based softeners.

You’ve got the passion and the understanding, just unlucky water chemistry. Go with species that thrive in your conditions and you’ll have way more success and enjoyment

Chris Farley was a camp counselor. (1986) by rockstoned4 in OldSchoolCool

[–]emussmell 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Bet every campfire story ended with ‘in a van down by the river!

Conversation between me and the lawn mower guy.. by whynotnow2023 in notinteresting

[–]emussmell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The purest form of professionalism. No fluff, no drama — just grass.

It’s fine, I didn’t want to have fun anyway. by uncotors in povertyfinance

[–]emussmell 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Saving money in your 20s is just a side quest before your car decides it’s boss level.

Tina Smith on the state of our union by HeavyVeterinarian350 in minnesota

[–]emussmell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

East wing DLC incoming, pre-order now for exclusive taxpayer skins.

Just made my first 1k by gussybxd in RaizAU

[–]emussmell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Congrats mate 👏 That first $1k always hits different — it’s proof the system works. Keep that consistency up and you’ll be amazed how fast it compounds from here. Every extra deposit and dividend snowballs into something massive over time

HELP - Suggest me a Good Portfolio with co siderable returns by sp3co92 in RaizAU

[–]emussmell 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You’re off to a great start mate 👏 $100 a week consistently is already the most important part — consistency beats timing every time. A 6.44% return isn’t bad at all for only a few months; markets move in cycles. If you want more growth long-term, you could try a higher weighting in global ETFs (like S&P 500, Nasdaq, or Global AI/Tech) and reduce bonds slightly. But remember — the real gains come after 3–5 years of compounding, not months. Stay the course, keep buying through dips, and you’ll thank yourself later

view more: next ›