Most people don't avoid insurance because they think it's bad. They avoid it because they'll "get around to it later." In this episode of Friday Fundamentals, Shane sits down with insurance specialist Don Glendinning to bust some of the biggest myths surrounding life insurance, income protection and personal cover. They unpack why so many Australians delay getting insurance, what can happen when unexpected events strike, and why even basic cover can be better than having none at all. Whether ...

What if the property that solves your cash-flow problem today creates a much bigger problem tomorrow? 🚨 With property investors reassessing their next move, high-yield apartments and commercial property are attracting attention. But behind the attractive numbers, are buyers asking enough questions about asset quality, vacancy risk and who will eventually buy the property from them? In Episode 620, Lachlan Delahunty from Follio returns to join Ben for a post-budget follow-dis...

Ask most people what financial freedom looks like and you’ll get a number. A portfolio size, a passive income figure, a date on the calendar. Michael Kemp answers it with three words instead: friends, family, freedom. In this week’s Throwback Tuesday snippet, Michael (author of The Ulysses Contract) explains why he sees money as a pool of capital rather than simply a way to buy things... and why the goal is to live off the harvest, not the farm itself. Plus: the 2,300-year-old Greek philosoph...

If a property reaches its advertised reserve price... doesn't it have to sell? Surprisingly, no. In this week's FUNdamental Friday, Shane Pope is joined by veteran auctioneer Glen Coutinho to unpack Victoria's recent auction rule changes and explain why they may be creating more confusion rather than clarity. They discuss: ✅ What happens when a reserve price is published ✅ Whether a vendor is actually required to sell ✅ Why buyers may be misunderstanding the new rules ✅ How auctions are c...

Some properties keep attracting buyers. Others need a discount to get their attention. What separates the two? Is it the renovation? The suburb? The school around the corner? Or could moving just one street over change what you’re really buying? This week, Glen Coutinho, RT Edgar Sales Manager, returns to The Property Couch almost a decade after his first appearance, joining Ben Kingsley and Shane Pope to unpack the lessons that come from 40 years in real estate. From Melbou...

You get paid. You’re careful. You don’t do anything extravagant. Then a week later, you check your bank account and think… where did it all go?! In this week’s Throwback Tuesday snippet, Ben and Bryce unpack the idea of slippage (the small, everyday spending that quietly adds up...) and explain why the answer isn’t necessarily more willpower. 📖 How to Stop Money Slipping Through Your Fingers 🎧 Listen to the original episode 📗 Get Make Money Simple Again free LISTEN TO THE FIRST ...

Is owning more investment properties always better? Not necessarily. In this week's FUNdamental Friday, Ben Kingsley sits down with Lachlan Delhunty from The Folio Group to discuss one of the biggest misconceptions in property investing: The belief that more properties automatically means more wealth. Lachlan shares a real-world example of an investor who accumulated 12 properties across four years, only to discover the portfolio wasn't producing the results they expected. They discuss: ...

Your biggest asset may not be your home or property portfolio. It could be your ability to keep earning an income. But what happens to everything you’ve built if illness, injury or death suddenly takes that income away? In Episode 618 of The Property Couch, Ben is joined by Chemere Brown, Head of Financial Planning at Empower Wealth, and Don Glendinning, Regional Sales Manager at NEOS, to unpack the personal insurance safety net behind your wealth plan. Through real-life claim sto...

Victoria has introduced major changes to the way residential properties are sold, including new reserve price rules for auctions and fixed-date sales. But will the reforms actually make things easier for buyers? In this breaking news episode, Ben Kingsley is joined by Couch Crew regular Ben Thompson (qualified property investment adviser by day and licensed auctioneer on weekends) to unpack the new rules and the unintended consequences buyers need to know about. 📖 Read our full breakdow...

Can Australia continue funding the level of concessions, subsidies and benefits we're currently providing? In this week's FUNdamental Friday, Ben Kingsley is joined by Evan Lucas for a thought-provoking discussion about government spending, welfare, pensions and the growing cost of supporting an ageing population. The conversation explores whether Australia's safety net is targeted in the right places, and whether some government benefits should be better aligned with financial need. They dis...