Pre-order Wealth by Design Here

Golden Rule 6 was simple: invest in the share market using low-cost index funds. Eight years on, that argument has been comprehensively won, arguably too well. Stuart charts the scale of the shift: the ASX ETF market has ballooned from 133 funds to more than 450, and from $36 billion to over $350 billion. Indexing went from contrarian to consensus.

But that very boom created new traps. When everything gets rebranded as an "ETF," the label stops telling you much about what you're actually buying. In Wealth by Design, Stuart tightens the rule from "index funds" to evidence-based investing, a sharper standard for a crowded market.

He explains why not every product wearing the ETF badge deserves your money, and how to interrogate the index sitting underneath a fund before you buy it, since the benchmark quietly determines your returns. He's also candid about two positions he has genuinely reversed since 2018, updating his thinking as the evidence moved.

The episode closes with the five filters every fund in your portfolio should pass, giving you a practical checklist to separate genuinely sound investments from cleverly marketed ones.

My new book is available for pre-order now: Pre-ordering the book will help me get it into bookstores. So please do me a favour - please consider pre-ordering now - links and pre-order bonus are available here: https://prosolution.com.au/book-preorder-bonus

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IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.