The Barefoot Investor: The Only Money Guide You'll Ever Need

Product Information

My husband and I have been with Christian Super Fund for the past 20 years. Today they sent us a letter saying that they’ve been underperforming and that we should change funds. My husband is 61 and I’m 59. We don’t have much super. Should we be worried about this? So the beginning of this was a bit 'rah rah' motivational for me... with lots about the author's personal scenarios on his farm (there was a fire) and more to do with alpacas and planting trees. Once we got past the metaphorical though, this book got extremely useful, very practical, and it got there fast. Look, I'm sure you could do a lot worse than follow Scott's advice, especially if you don't have any clear financial goals and want to feel more in control of your money. A good chunk of what he suggests is common sense, and I have started implementing some of his suggestions. But as someone not even remotely close to buying my own home yet, I won't even get past Step 3 of his 9-step plan for several years yet. So more than half the book is only theoretically useful at this stage of my life.

Yet what’s also true is that your mother is not “an ordinary Australian” and she does not have a “little nest egg”. She’s got more cheese stuffed in her super than 99.5% of the population!It is an inspiring book, well-written with a wonderful sense of purpose, and most importantly imparts practical and easy-to-implement advice, which is what we are after in the first place. Call your bank and tell them about an 18-month zero interest offer from [insert competitor bank.] You might not have that, but you don’t need to. As long as it gets them to reduce your interest and fees on your current credit card debt, that’s fine. With the best conditions set, you can start using the money from your fire extinguisher account to slowly pay down your debt and get the ball rolling. Lesson 3: Use index funds for long-term, automated growth.

It nails down to scripts to empower you to talk with your bank manager, super-fund manager, insurance brokers etc; and what to look out for in terms of fees and costs on everyday bank accounts/credit cards etc etc. Beating the banker is a key aim, and who doesn't like the idea of that? It sounds like you have an awesome dad. So learn from his wisdom, plan for the worst, and hope for the best. It is highly advised that you have this account with a different bank to prevent you from spending the money in it on things covered by the Blow accounts. However, you can choose to keep it with the same bank as your Blow accounts – you’ll just need to practice a little more discipline.

Jenny, it’s come to my attention that I’m a jerk. I’ve underperformed for so many years that I’m writing to you today to suggest you go on Tinder and find someone who can truly listen, get along with your mother, and meet your needs without being passive aggressive.” First, Vanguard has said they’ll look to lower their fees over time as they grow. I’m inclined to believe them, because that’s what they have a history of doing.