Ep.128: Building Wealth and Enjoying Life are Not Mutually Exclusive, with Manoj Abichandani

In this week’s episode of the Geared for Growth podcast, host Mike Mortlock continues his conversation with Manoj Abichandani, discussing the role of super funds in building intergenerational wealth. This week they turn their attention to commercial property and the relative returns of commercial versus residential investment.

Manoj begins by sharing a story from a particularly profitable period of his life in the late 1990s, leading up to the Y2K crisis, during which he invested heavily in residential apartments. However, when the IT bubble burst, the influx of money abruptly stopped, forcing Manoj to sell his properties. He emphasises the critical importance of knowing when to sell and illustrates how many investors who held on too long faced bankruptcy as a result. He also explains his views on why paying tax is a good thing, and why investors shouldn’t shy away from having a hefty tax bill.

Mike notes that Manoj’s high-income position is somewhat unique and asks him to provide advice for those earning between $100,000 and $150,000. Manoj then discusses the advantages of salary sacrificing into superannuation and how to invest wisely once you’ve accumulated a sufficient cash balance. He gives clear examples of what to look for in investments and highlights the yields that commercial property can offer.

Manoj reassures listeners by setting realistic goals within a super fund to support a comfortable lifestyle. Manoj underscores the importance of investing time into self-education and engaging the services of experienced property specialists to ensure investors have the best available information.

In this insightful and engaging episode, Manoj shares his unconventional views on prioritising super fund growth over paying off a home loan. He explains his reasoning in detail, underscoring that life is meant to be enjoyed and that there is a way to balance living well while still getting ahead—just as he has done.

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In this week’s episode of the Geared for Growth podcast, host Mike Mortlock continues his conversation with Manoj Abichandani, discussing the role of super funds in building intergenerational wealth. This week they turn their attention to commercial property and the relative returns of commercial versus residential investment.

• Manoj’s move into the commercial sector
• Why it can be good to have a large tax bill
• The importance of self-education and reading to grow your investing knowledge
• Why Manoj believes you shouldn’t pay off your home loan and what to do instead
• Why banks are happy for you to pay off your home loan faster
• A guide to buying the right property investments inside your super fund
• How much money you really need to live a comfortable life

“In 2001 when the IT bubble burst we had a situation where there was no money coming in to finance all of these (apartments) so I had to sell and there’s a problem, a lot of people don’t sell and if they don’t sell they can end up being bankrupt” 32:09

“Learning to sell is the key, it’s not only learning how to buy it’s when to sell” 32:47

“Once that money sits there you have to look for properties, not which are going to grow, the properties which are going to give you 6%, 7%, 8%, now unfortunately those things are not available in the cities, I’m talking about the top five cities” 36:30

“You want to read. Like I said it’s not a weekend thing. You want to take a day off, you know take a day off in your life, this is a job you know this is something that you need to, like me I’ve read every book out there. Anybody writes a book, I go buy it” 39:40

“Some people who have done well will tell you that they have a crystal ball but it’s actually not a crystal ball, it is their capacity to take a risk and it’s not a risk it’s a calculated risk” 45:07

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