When I met Paul Benson, host of Financial Autonomy: Financial Independence Through an Australian Lens, in Washington DC, he had a great idea—an impromptu episode without a host. Instead, we’d ask each other random questions that we thought might interest our audiences.
Paul is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) in Melbourne, Australia, who focuses on financial strategies that give his clients choices. This podcast was an opportunity to learn about wealth-building strategies from an expert. BIG thank you to Paul for putting this episode together.
Don’t miss Paul telling the story of his first MLB game, which turned out to be the best game of the season. Also, I give my NFL Super Bowl prediction. Here’s what else we discuss:
A Full-time Travel Lifestyle:
- Living in a different country for 30 days at a time
- What it’s like to travel full-time
- My writing trip to Costa Rica
Real Estate Investing:
- Why Brad chose real estate for the pursuit of financial independence
- Do CFP’s discourage clients from investing in real estate?
- Podcast guest James Lowery from ReThinkTheRatRace achieved FIRE in 3 years
Asset Allocation & Risk:
- How important is asset allocation?
- What is the right asset allocation for a 39-year old who wants to retire a little early?
- When & where to make risky investments with 1% of your paycheck
- Diversification strategy: real estate, equities, bonds, etc.
Compound Interest & Knowledge:
- When your income should skyrocket
- One of the first questions Brad asks coaching clients
- The value of compounding knowledge
Why the Rich Get Richer:
- Using leverage (or not) to achieve financial independence
- A discussion on low interest rates
- Property value appreciation vs. rental yields
- Personal returns are not relative
Happiness:
- The Mindset for Happiness & 7 Habits of Highly Happy People
- Money can buy a lot of psychological well-being & reduce sadness
- “Keeping up with ‘The Jones'” in America & Australia
- Happiness as progress toward worthwhile goals
- Excitement vs. fulfillment
Listen here:
Quotes mentioned:
So it is inevitable that life will be not just very short but very miserable for those who acquire by great toil what they must keep by greater toil. – Seneca, On the Shortness of Life
What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task. – Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning
Books Mentioned:
