Collins Financial Group

Most people invest at the transactional stage and never move past it.

Money comes in, you direct it straight into assets, those assets throw off some income and growth. Meanwhile the private bad debt is still sitting there. It works, but it's a transaction mentality, buying things that may not even fit the bigger picture.

There's a more strategic level. Better outcomes on wealth, on debt, on tax efficiency. The first step is moving away from buying assets just because you can, and toward buying the ones that fit the strategy.

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Disclaimer:
This information is general advice. We have not considered your objectives, personal or financial circumstances. You should consider the appropriateness of the advice for your circumstances before making any decision. You should seek the assistance of an authorised financial adviser before making any decision regarding any strategies mentioned in this communication. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, it is not guaranteed. It is based on our understanding of regulations and laws as at the publication date. As these are subject to change you should talk to a professional adviser for the most up-to-date information. To the maximum extent permitted by law, no person including Matrix Planning Solutions nor its related entities, employees or representatives accepts responsibility for any loss suffered by any person arising from reliance on this information. Collins Financial Group Pty Ltd ABN [52 101 436 2020] Corporate Authorised Representative No. [244269] Matrix Planning Solutions AFSL No. [238256] ABN [45 087 470 200]

Once you're earning over $300k as a family, piecemeal advice stops cutting it. You need an integrated plan, and it's worth picturing it as a pyramid.

At the top sits the goal, financial independence. At the base sits wealth protection, the insurance most people skip. Because the one thing that can sink a wealth strategy is the main income earner no longer being able to work.

In the middle are the five pillars. Cash flow, tax, debt, investing, and untapping the lazy equity in your home. All of it in one system, not five separate decisions.

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Disclaimer:
This information is general advice. We have not considered your objectives, personal or financial circumstances. You should consider the appropriateness of the advice for your circumstances before making any decision. You should seek the assistance of an authorised financial adviser before making any decision regarding any strategies mentioned in this communication. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, it is not guaranteed. It is based on our understanding of regulations and laws as at the publication date. As these are subject to change you should talk to a professional adviser for the most up-to-date information. To the maximum extent permitted by law, no person including Matrix Planning Solutions nor its related entities, employees or representatives accepts responsibility for any loss suffered by any person arising from reliance on this information. Collins Financial Group Pty Ltd ABN [52 101 436 2020] Corporate Authorised Representative No. [244269] Matrix Planning Solutions AFSL No. [238256] ABN [45 087 470 200]

My honest tier ranking of the books that shaped how I think about money.

Think and Grow Rich, S tier. Old school, but the foundations of mindset and dreaming big are unmatched. Rich Dad Poor Dad, A. Brilliant on treating your finances like a business. The Five Types of Wealth, B, because it gets that wealth isn't just money, it's health and relationships too. The Snowball, C, great fundamentals on disciplined investing but a heavy read. The Barefoot Investor, D. Solid on cash flow basics, not built for creating true wealth.

Bonus, our own CFG Goals Journal for mapping out your top 101 goals.

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Disclaimer:
This information is general advice. We have not considered your objectives, personal or financial circumstances. You should consider the appropriateness of the advice for your circumstances before making any decision. You should seek the assistance of an authorised financial adviser before making any decision regarding any strategies mentioned in this communication. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, it is not guaranteed. It is based on our understanding of regulations and laws as at the publication date. As these are subject to change you should talk to a professional adviser for the most up-to-date information. To the maximum extent permitted by law, no person including Matrix Planning Solutions nor its related entities, employees or representatives accepts responsibility for any loss suffered by any person arising from reliance on this information. Collins Financial Group Pty Ltd ABN [52 101 436 2020] Corporate Authorised Representative No. [244269] Matrix Planning Solutions AFSL No. [238256] ABN [45 087 470 200]

When people get a financial plan, they think they have to manage every part of it. My view is the opposite.

You focus on one thing at a time. When you're at work, you focus on the work, on generating the income. When you're not, you focus on your lifestyle and your discretionary spending. That's it. That's all you carry.

Everything else gets automated. Our clients can see how it's tracking on the CFG Wealth Portal, but I don't want them living in the app. Take away the distractions and let the system do the work, month after month.

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Disclaimer:
This information is general advice. We have not considered your objectives, personal or financial circumstances. You should consider the appropriateness of the advice for your circumstances before making any decision. You should seek the assistance of an authorised financial adviser before making any decision regarding any strategies mentioned in this communication. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, it is not guaranteed. It is based on our understanding of regulations and laws as at the publication date. As these are subject to change you should talk to a professional adviser for the most up-to-date information. To the maximum extent permitted by law, no person including Matrix Planning Solutions nor its related entities, employees or representatives accepts responsibility for any loss suffered by any person arising from reliance on this information. Collins Financial Group Pty Ltd ABN [52 101 436 2020] Corporate Authorised Representative No. [244269] Matrix Planning Solutions AFSL No. [238256] ABN [45 087 470 200]

A client came in this week. Family income over $350k. His words: the money comes in, then it goes out, and at the end of the month there's nothing to show for it.

No plan. So we set one up like a business. The whole salary flows into a primary cash hub, ideally the mortgage or an offset. Then we work out the discretionary spending, the groceries, dining, the day-to-day, and that gets paid into a separate working account every week. A set amount. Pay yourself.

No sacrifices on lifestyle. Just structure. The lumpy income takes care of itself once the system's in place.

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Disclaimer:
This information is general advice. We have not considered your objectives, personal or financial circumstances. You should consider the appropriateness of the advice for your circumstances before making any decision. You should seek the assistance of an authorised financial adviser before making any decision regarding any strategies mentioned in this communication. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, it is not guaranteed. It is based on our understanding of regulations and laws as at the publication date. As these are subject to change you should talk to a professional adviser for the most up-to-date information. To the maximum extent permitted by law, no person including Matrix Planning Solutions nor its related entities, employees or representatives accepts responsibility for any loss suffered by any person arising from reliance on this information. Collins Financial Group Pty Ltd ABN [52 101 436 2020] Corporate Authorised Representative No. [244269] Matrix Planning Solutions AFSL No. [238256] ABN [45 087 470 200]

This is where most people get stuck on the very first step.

Money comes in. Tax comes out. What's left goes straight onto the home mortgage. I call that bad debt, not because there's anything wrong with owning your home, but because the interest isn't deductible and it doesn't generate any income. It takes money away rather than giving it back.

Paying down the private debt as fast as possible feels productive. And it's only the first stage of a full strategy. There are other levels worth considering.

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Disclaimer:
This information is general advice. We have not considered your objectives, personal or financial circumstances. You should consider the appropriateness of the advice for your circumstances before making any decision. You should seek the assistance of an authorised financial adviser before making any decision regarding any strategies mentioned in this communication. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, it is not guaranteed. It is based on our understanding of regulations and laws as at the publication date. As these are subject to change you should talk to a professional adviser for the most up-to-date information. To the maximum extent permitted by law, no person including Matrix Planning Solutions nor its related entities, employees or representatives accepts responsibility for any loss suffered by any person arising from reliance on this information. Collins Financial Group Pty Ltd ABN [52 101 436 2020] Corporate Authorised Representative No. [244269] Matrix Planning Solutions AFSL No. [238256] ABN [45 087 470 200]

People obsess over how their super is performing. They're often looking at the wrong thing.

Super is really a tax structure. Performance matters, but it's secondary to this: it's the most tax-effective place to hold your future investment money. Taxed at 15% while you accumulate, versus up to 47% in your own name. After 60, zero tax on income and capital gains.

The catch is access. You can't touch it until 60. So in your 30s it may not be the primary vehicle. In your 50s, it often should be. The right answer depends on your stage of life.

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Disclaimer:
This information is general advice. We have not considered your objectives, personal or financial circumstances. You should consider the appropriateness of the advice for your circumstances before making any decision. You should seek the assistance of an authorised financial adviser before making any decision regarding any strategies mentioned in this communication. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, it is not guaranteed. It is based on our understanding of regulations and laws as at the publication date. As these are subject to change you should talk to a professional adviser for the most up-to-date information. To the maximum extent permitted by law, no person including Matrix Planning Solutions nor its related entities, employees or representatives accepts responsibility for any loss suffered by any person arising from reliance on this information. Collins Financial Group Pty Ltd ABN [52 101 436 2020] Corporate Authorised Representative No. [244269] Matrix Planning Solutions AFSL No. [238256] ABN [45 087 470 200]

Mortgage vs investing. Which one should you actually focus on right now?

The mistake I see most is people picking one. They throw everything at the mortgage, knock a few years off a 30-year loan, and miss out on decades of compounding because they started investing too late.

You can do both. There are ways to fast-track the mortgage and build wealth at the same time, by being smarter with how money and tax work for you. Not by working harder or living on less.

Don't pick one. Bring them together as a holistic strategy.

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Disclaimer:
This information is general advice. We have not considered your objectives, personal or financial circumstances. You should consider the appropriateness of the advice for your circumstances before making any decision. You should seek the assistance of an authorised financial adviser before making any decision regarding any strategies mentioned in this communication. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, it is not guaranteed. It is based on our understanding of regulations and laws as at the publication date. As these are subject to change you should talk to a professional adviser for the most up-to-date information. To the maximum extent permitted by law, no person including Matrix Planning Solutions nor its related entities, employees or representatives accepts responsibility for any loss suffered by any person arising from reliance on this information. Collins Financial Group Pty Ltd ABN [52 101 436 2020] Corporate Authorised Representative No. [244269] Matrix Planning Solutions AFSL No. [238256] ABN [45 087 470 200]

I've had clients on a million dollars of family income who are no better off than someone on $150k. Same problem every time. No plan. Whatever comes in, goes out.

When your income jumps through a promotion or a bonus, lifestyle creep quietly eats the lot. You move from $250k to $350k and nothing actually changes about your future.

Manage your personal finances like a business. Know your profit and loss, your assets and liabilities, and track it. When the income grows, stick to the plan. Make a few tweaks, sure. But it's not what you earn, it's what you do with what you earn.

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Disclaimer
This information is general advice. We have not considered your objectives, personal or financial circumstances. You should consider the appropriateness of the advice for your circumstances before making any decision. You should seek the assistance of an authorised financial adviser before making any decision regarding any strategies mentioned in this communication. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, it is not guaranteed. It is based on our understanding of regulations and laws as at the publication date. As these are subject to change you should talk to a professional adviser for the most up-to-date information. To the maximum extent permitted by law, no person including Matrix Planning Solutions nor its related entities, employees or representatives accepts responsibility for any loss suffered by any person arising from reliance on this information. Collins Financial Group Pty Ltd ABN [52 101 436 2020] Corporate Authorised Representative No. [244269] Matrix Planning Solutions AFSL No. [238256] ABN [45 087 470 200]

Manual investor vs automatic investor. The difference is enormous, and most people are stuck on the wrong side of it.

The manual investor watches stocks daily, tries to time the entry, treats it like gambling. It's stressful and it eats time you don't have.

The automatic investor works out the end goal first, then invests a set amount every single month into the strategy. Up months, down months, they keep buying. Time in the market, not timing the market.

99% of people who come to me have no idea what their end number even is. Start there. Then automate.

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Disclaimer
This information is general advice. We have not considered your objectives, personal or financial circumstances. You should consider the appropriateness of the advice for your circumstances before making any decision. You should seek the assistance of an authorised financial adviser before making any decision regarding any strategies mentioned in this communication. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, it is not guaranteed. It is based on our understanding of regulations and laws as at the publication date. As these are subject to change you should talk to a professional adviser for the most up-to-date information. To the maximum extent permitted by law, no person including Matrix Planning Solutions nor its related entities, employees or representatives accepts responsibility for any loss suffered by any person arising from reliance on this information. Collins Financial Group Pty Ltd ABN [52 101 436 2020] Corporate Authorised Representative No. [244269] Matrix Planning Solutions AFSL No. [238256] ABN [45 087 470 200]