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War in the Middle East. Rising oil prices. Expensive markets. AI changing everything. With so much noise, what should investors actually do? In this episode of The Purposeful Investor, David Andrew and Aden Wilkins sit down with Apollo Lupescu from Dimensional Fund Advisors to answer the questions coming out of client meetings right now.

Apollo has a gift for making the complex simple, and in this conversation he draws on decades of market data to explain why the right response to uncertainty is almost always the same and what history proves about staying the course.

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Follow Apollo Lupescu:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/apollo-lupescu-78a3b87a

Follow David Andrew:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidandrewfamilywealthadviser/
Capital Partners: https://capital-partners.com.au/team-members/david-andrew/

Follow Aden Wilkins:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aden-wilkins-40b006105/
Capital Partners: https://capital-partners.com.au/team-members/aden-wilkins/

Follow Capital Partners on socials:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapitalPartnersPWA/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/capital-partners-3/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/capitalpartnersprivatewealth/

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Chapters:
(0:00) Introduction & Episode Preview
(1:00) Welcome & Guest Introduction: Apollo Lupescu
(2:00) Win of the Week
(5:00) Middle East Conflict and What It Means for Investors
(7:00) How Markets Process Geopolitical Events
(11:00) What World War II Teaches Us About Staying Invested
(16:00) Why Timing the Market Requires Two Perfect Decisions
(26:00) Building a Financial Plan That Survives the Bumps
(31:00) The Danger of Averages and Bear Markets Explained
(35:00) 4 Strategies to Shorten Your Recovery Time
(43:00) Valuation Explained: Tesla, Toyota and the Magnificent Seven
(52:00) Is It Different This Time? The Chess Board of Investing

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Recorded and produced by Podwave Studios https://podwavestudios.au/

The Purposeful Investor Podcast is a public service provided for Australian investors wanting to make smart decisions with their money, avoid costly mistakes, look after the people they care about, and, have a great life!

We draw on over 30 years of experience from David Andrew and the Capital Partners team.

For more information on Capital Partners' award winning team, visit capital-partners.com.au.

Have a question? Email us ask@capital-partners.com.au.

This episode provides general advice only. We do not consider your personal circumstances when we share this information. Always refer to your financial adviser for advice about your personal circumstances.

Capital Partners Consulting Pty Ltd AFSL 227148 trading as Capital Partners Private Wealth Advisers ABN 27 086 670 788.

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Is the government about to change capital gains tax, superannuation rules, and how trusts are taxed? In this episode of The Purposeful Investor, Capital Partners founder David Andrew and co-host Aden Wilkins unpack everything you need to know about Australia's proposed tax reforms and what they could mean for your wealth. Whether you invest in property, hold assets in a trust, or have money in super, understanding how the four main investment structures in Australia are taxed is one of the most important decisions you can make. As David explains, getting it wrong could cost you thousands of dollars over your lifetime.

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Follow David Andrew:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidandrewfamilywealthadviser/
Capital Partners: https://capital-partners.com.au/team-members/david-andrew/

Follow Aden Wilkins:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aden-wilkins-40b006105/
Capital Partners: https://capital-partners.com.au/team-members/aden-wilkins/

Follow Capital Partners on socials:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapitalPartnersPWA/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/capital-partners-3/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/capitalpartnersprivatewealth/

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Chapters:
(0:00) Introduction & Episode Preview
(1:00) Welcome to The Purposeful Investor
(2:00) Win of the Week
(4:00) Tax Reform: The Big Picture & Henry Tax Review
(7:30) Capital Gains Tax Discount Explained
(8:30) History of CGT Before the 2006 Howard-Costello Reforms
(11:00) Government Spending, Demographics & the Tax Challenge
(16:00) The 4 Investment Structures in Australia
(19:30) Superannuation Deep Dive: Accumulation, Retirement & Division 296
(22:00) Trusts Explained: Asset Protection & Tax Planning
(26:00) Companies as Long-Term Wealth Structures
(30:30) What Tax Changes Are Coming? GST, Bracket Creep & Trusts

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Recorded and produced by

The Purposeful Investor Podcast is a public service provided for Australian investors wanting to make smart decisions with their money, avoid costly mistakes, look after the people they care about, and, have a great life!

We draw on over 30 years of experience from David Andrew and the Capital Partners team.

For more information on Capital Partners' award winning team, visit capital-partners.com.au.

Have a question? Email us ask@capital-partners.com.au.

This episode provides general advice only. We do not consider your personal circumstances when we share this information. Always refer to your financial adviser for advice about your personal circumstances.

Capital Partners Consulting Pty Ltd AFSL 227148 trading as Capital Partners Private Wealth Advisers ABN 27 086 670 788.

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Have you ever wondered why some people make financial decisions with ease while others constantly struggle to strike a balance between living for today and saving for tomorrow? In this episode of The Purposeful Investor, hosts Aden Wilkins and David Andrews are joined by a world-leading expert in behavioural decision-making: Professor Hal Hershfield from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. Together, they dive deep into the fascinating intersection of money and psychology. From the "Future Self Continuity" that dictates our saving habits to the hidden dangers of "Hyperopia" (the fear of spending), this conversation provides a roadmap for successful Australian families who want to maximise their well-being without letting money become an obsession.

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Follow David Andrew:
LinkedIn: Davidandrewfamilywealthadviser
Capital Partners: David Andrew

Follow Aden Wilkins:
LinkedIn: Aden Wilkins
Capital Partners: Aden Wilkins

Follow Hal Hershfield:
UCLA: Hal Hershfield
LinkedIn - Hal Hershfield

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Chapters:
(0:00) Balancing a great life today with a secure future.
(1:30) Meet Hal Hershfield
(4:00) How small environmental changes and psychological motivations drive better decisions.
(5:30) Wins of the Week
(9:30) Why do you feel disconnected from the "you" of 20 years from now?
(14:00) Using narratives to visualise the life you actually want to fund.
(20:00) Are we born with a connection to our future selves, or is it learned?
(25:30) What is Hyperopia?
(30:00) How financial modelling gives families the confidence to enjoy their wealth now.
(35:00) Why spending on travel and family memories creates "investment gains" for the soul.
(40:00) The Optimism Trap
(46:00) Hal’s latest project on understanding what truly matters at the finish line.

Recorded and produced by Podwave Studios

The Purposeful Investor Podcast is a public service provided for Australian investors wanting to make smart decisions with their money, avoid costly mistakes, look after the people they care about, and, have a great life!

We draw on over 30 years of experience from David Andrew and the Capital Partners team.

For more information on Capital Partners' award winning team, visit capital-partners.com.au.

Have a question? Email us ask@capital-partners.com.au.

This episode provides general advice only. We do not consider your personal circumstances when we share this information. Always refer to your financial adviser for advice about your personal circumstances.

Capital Partners Consulting Pty Ltd AFSL 227148 trading as Capital Partners Private Wealth Advisers ABN 27 086 670 788.

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What if wealth wasn’t a race for more, but a plan for enough? We sit down with Brian Portnoy, author of The Geometry of Wealth and founder of Shaping Wealth, to explore funded contentment—the idea that real wealth is the ability to underwrite a life that feels meaningful on your terms. Brian shares how years with elite investors led him to a simple truth: markets reward behaviour more than brilliance. That shift reframes money from a spreadsheet problem to a human one.

We unpack why a low‑cost, globally diversified portfolio often solves most investing needs and how home bias quietly limits growth. We dig into the tension between surviving and thriving. We discuss the two questions behind every plan—am I going to be okay? and how much is enough? —and the role of safeguards like insurance, cash buffers, and estate basics in quieting fear.

Brian also explains the paradox of prosperity: despite unprecedented comfort, constant comparison and social media can erode joy. The antidote is clarity on values, language to express them, and a funding plan that aligns money with relationships, health, craft, and generosity.

We also tackle the nuanced link between money and happiness. Income meaningfully lifts well‑being up to a threshold by reducing insecurity and buying time and choice. Beyond that, reflective happiness grows when spending serves purpose, not status. Expect practical insights for investors and advisors alike: focus on behaviour, diversify globally, cut the noise, and design cash flows that support the life you actually want. If you’re ready to trade the chase for more for a confident sense of enough, this conversation is your blueprint. Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review to help others find the show—then tell us: what does enough look like for you?

The Purposeful Investor Podcast is a public service provided for Australian investors wanting to make smart decisions with their money, avoid costly mistakes, look after the people they care about, and, have a great life!

We draw on over 30 years of experience from David Andrew and the Capital Partners team.

For more information on Capital Partners' award winning team, visit capital-partners.com.au.

Have a question? Email us ask@capital-partners.com.au.

This episode provides general advice only. We do not consider your personal circumstances when we share this information. Always refer to your financial adviser for advice about your personal circumstances.

Capital Partners Consulting Pty Ltd AFSL 227148 trading as Capital Partners Private Wealth Advisers ABN 27 086 670 788.

Ask a question or send feedback

Headlines tell you to act. A plan tells you when to be still.

We sat down with Capital Partners founder David Andrew and Dimensional Fund Advisors Australia CEO Bhanu Singh to unpack how a clear investment philosophy helps you ignore market noise, sidestep FOMO, and make choices that actually serve your life.

We trace the shift from active stock picking and star managers to systematic portfolios built on evidence: markets price information, prices are forward-looking, and broad drivers like size, value, and profitability can tilt expected returns without guesswork.

We also dig into the behavioural traps that cost investors most: loss aversion in selloffs, overconfidence in familiar sectors, and herd chasing during hype cycles like crypto and gold frenzies.

Bhanu explains how rules-based trading, rebalancing, and tax-aware flexibility turn volatility into a feature, not a flaw.

Finally, we explore where systematic investing is evolving: incremental advances in measuring short-term reversals, momentum, and profitability growth, and the high research bar for anything new to make it into live portfolios. The takeaway is simple and powerful: define your philosophy, set the plan, and let the process work. When prices shout, let principles speak.

Enjoyed the conversation? Follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so more investors can find calm in a noisy market.

The Purposeful Investor Podcast is a public service provided for Australian investors wanting to make smart decisions with their money, avoid costly mistakes, look after the people they care about, and, have a great life!

We draw on over 30 years of experience from David Andrew and the Capital Partners team.

For more information on Capital Partners' award winning team, visit capital-partners.com.au.

Have a question? Email us ask@capital-partners.com.au.

This episode provides general advice only. We do not consider your personal circumstances when we share this information. Always refer to your financial adviser for advice about your personal circumstances.

Capital Partners Consulting Pty Ltd AFSL 227148 trading as Capital Partners Private Wealth Advisers ABN 27 086 670 788.

Ask a question or send feedback

We unpack how families can help first-home buyers enter the market without risking retirement, and why honest conversations plus clear numbers beat media noise. Practical steps include guarantors, 5% deposit schemes, rentvesting, and legal safeguards for gifts.

• social pressure and silence blocking helpful family talks
• role of the mortgage broker as long-term advisor
• apartments and location as smarter first steps
• four family help paths: guarantor, gift, silent stake, co-borrow
• using splits, offsets, and timelines to remove guarantees
• 5% deposit schemes and avoiding lenders’ mortgage insurance
• rentvesting to boost borrowing capacity
• legal protection for gifts and fairness across siblings
• savings incentives, living at home, and granny flats
• career trajectory, buffers, and repayment resilience

As you all know, we love it when you leave feedback, share it with a friend, share it with someone in your network, and make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode
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You can contact us at ask@capital.com.au

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The Purposeful Investor Podcast is a public service provided for Australian investors wanting to make smart decisions with their money, avoid costly mistakes, look after the people they care about, and, have a great life!

We draw on over 30 years of experience from David Andrew and the Capital Partners team.

For more information on Capital Partners' award winning team, visit capital-partners.com.au.

Have a question? Email us ask@capital-partners.com.au.

This episode provides general advice only. We do not consider your personal circumstances when we share this information. Always refer to your financial adviser for advice about your personal circumstances.

Capital Partners Consulting Pty Ltd AFSL 227148 trading as Capital Partners Private Wealth Advisers ABN 27 086 670 788.

Ask a question or send feedback

This is one of our most important episodes - ever!

Predictions feel powerful until they're not.

We pull back the curtain on what actually drives long-term investment returns and explore how a systematic, evidence-led approach can help you capture the returns you are owed while avoiding costly traps.

Aden and David sit down with Bhanu Singh, CEO of Dimensional Fund Advisors Australia, to trace the real story of modern investing: from Harry Markowitz’s portfolio theory and the birth of clean market data at CRSP to Eugene Fama’s insight that prices embed information. Bhanu explains how research moved beyond CAPM to the Fama-French model, why small and value stocks have higher expected returns, and how profitability adds a sharper lens to selecting resilient companies. The message is clear and practical: start with the global market portfolio, then tilt deliberately toward proven drivers of returns, all while staying diversified and cost aware.

We also examine the strengths and limits of index funds. Lower fees and broad exposure are wins, but rigid rules can force trades at bad moments. Along the way, we cut through media noise, address behaviour gaps that derail investors, and highlight how better implementation turns good research into better outcomes.

The Purposeful Investor Podcast is a public service provided for Australian investors wanting to make smart decisions with their money, avoid costly mistakes, look after the people they care about, and, have a great life!

We draw on over 30 years of experience from David Andrew and the Capital Partners team.

For more information on Capital Partners' award winning team, visit capital-partners.com.au.

Have a question? Email us ask@capital-partners.com.au.

This episode provides general advice only. We do not consider your personal circumstances when we share this information. Always refer to your financial adviser for advice about your personal circumstances.

Capital Partners Consulting Pty Ltd AFSL 227148 trading as Capital Partners Private Wealth Advisers ABN 27 086 670 788.

Ask a question or send feedback

Markets never move in straight lines and 2025 proved it once again. The first year of President Trump Mk II was always going to be interesting!

As we look to 2026, we dust off the crystal ball for a conversation about markets and investing. David Andrew and Nick Mengola join Aden to look back at markets in 2025 and look to the major trends to understand what might be in store for 2026.

AI sits centre stage for 2026. We explore capex surges, competitive shifts between OpenAI and Google, and how to hold measured exposure without betting the farm on AI.

We discuss the returns of markets and market dimensions of large, value, small and profitability.

If you’re looking for a calm, evidence-led plan for a volatile year ahead, here's your road map: diversify across regions and factors, own enough high-quality bonds, rebalance, and be a prepared (rational) optimist.

Share with a friend who needs a steadier strategy and leave a review to tell us how you’re positioning for 2026.

Show notes:

The Purposeful Investor Podcast is a public service provided for Australian investors wanting to make smart decisions with their money, avoid costly mistakes, look after the people they care about, and, have a great life!

We draw on over 30 years of experience from David Andrew and the Capital Partners team.

For more information on Capital Partners' award winning team, visit capital-partners.com.au.

Have a question? Email us ask@capital-partners.com.au.

This episode provides general advice only. We do not consider your personal circumstances when we share this information. Always refer to your financial adviser for advice about your personal circumstances.

Capital Partners Consulting Pty Ltd AFSL 227148 trading as Capital Partners Private Wealth Advisers ABN 27 086 670 788.