Welcome back to Talking Returns.

Today, we bring you our first segment of ‘Dear Raymond’ (a chance to hear from you around what you’re pondering in the realm of money matters). Excitingly, we hear from real life human Sophie - Sophie is keen to start investing but wants to understand where to start - from ETF's to apps... we talk about what to consider before you begin your investing journey. Topics covered:

• What is an ETF (not to be mistaken for EFTpos)
• Why have a contingency fund?
• Why do whitegoods seem to die all at the same time?
• Investment markets - a bit about how they work.
• The questions to ask yourself or be asked by your licensed/qualified advisor before you make decisions.
• Scam risks.
• When to get professional advice, what a positive professional advisor/client relationship feels like, and how to find a qualified advisor.

'What in the World' - the current geo-political climate has brought plenty of uncertainty, we talk about the impacts that uncertainty brings the world financially. And we acknowledge how thankful we are to be safe and able to have these conversations, given there are people, communities, countries at war and living in conflict.

EVs - the economics of the electric vehicle movement. Fuel prices spiked due to the Iran war, government's are considering whether or not to continue to incentivising people to get into electric vehicles... we uncover how supply and demand will impact the future of EVs.

Get in touch - we would love to hear from you, to hear what you're pondering, experiencing - we'd love to hear from you! hello@talkingreturns.com

Many Happy Returns!

The Disclaimer: this podcast is information only. It does not constitute professional advice, and you should not make any financial decisions based on our conversations here. The important thing to remember is your financial journey is personal, and it’s essential you seek professional guidance from your own licensed advisor before taking any action. A licensed advisor will be able to provide you with specific guidance and by doing so, you will have access to a range of consumer protections including advice from someone who has the proper educational qualifications, someone who is operating with ethical standards, as well as formal complaints resolution benefits.