Case Study - Darren, 40 (Melbourne)
I look at supply and logistics management of local and multinational companies. My broad experience in this area has been enhanced while working several years for companies as Deloitte, McCormick and Whirlpool.
Where were you financially when you started with Vantage?
I started, like all my colleagues and friends, believing that my financial future was to work hard, pay off my mortgage (hopefully within 10-15 years) then get an investment property and then maybe another. Shares were risky due to the unknown and just about everything else I heard was due to horror stories of people losing money and getting ripped off.
Over the years, Vantage has taught me understand a large range of investments and strategies. Just as importantly, I learned how to minimise tax and access funds beyond anything I could have dreamed of.
Where are you today financially? What have you achieved?
I have consistently (6 years+) had my tax reduced by 50% or more due to investments in tax effective instruments and also given me money to invest in other products. This was wiped out my mortgage and given me an extensive portfolio of products including agricultural, commercial property, shares, warrants, IPOs and hedge funds. I have a risk profile on these that lets me sleep at night, probably more soundly as I know the future is taking care of itself.
Because so many of the investments are virtually self-funding or generating positive cash flow the hardest thing now is to continue to manage and increase the investment levels to ensure I don’t pay more than my fair share of tax (as determined by me).
In a nutshell, I now choose how much of my wage I wish to pay in tax and have everything in place to achieve financial independence ten years earlier and at a higher level than I could have dreamt when I started my journey with Vantage.
