Q&A- Can I afford to retire, renovating vs investing, and planning solo

Pre-order Wealth by Design HereThree richly detailed listener situations, three very different crossroads. First, Charles, 51, unemployed, four kids in private school, and a sprawling portfolio spanning a Singapore apartment, an SMSF, regional Queensland property, land parcels and a $500k crypto holding. His question is deceptively simple: in what order should he sell to fund a Melbourne home, and can he actually afford to retire? Stuart untangles the sequencing and confronts the concentration risk head-on.Next, Matt and his wife in Lugarno, sitting on strong equity after a major renovation but facing single-income pressure with a young family and more children planned. Should they pour surplus into the mortgage, or recommence property investing to ultimately pay the home down faster? We weigh the options against cash flow reality.Finally, an anonymous single mother of three, a medical professional on the Sunshine Coast, asks how solo parenting reshapes retirement planning. Should she sell underperforming shares into super, lift her contributions, rethink her growth allocation, or consider property despite constrained borrowing capacity?Honest, numbers-first guidance for anyone wondering whether their strategy genuinely stacks up, and what to prioritise next.Our most popular free guides:Over the years we've written hundreds of articles. These three bring our best thinking together on the topics that matter most right now: choosing a super fund, debt recycling, and navigating the new tax changes.Download them hereMy new book, Wealth by Design, is out now:Buy online or in bookstores. The ebook is available now, audiobook coming soon.Got a question for the podcast?Email us at [email protected] in working with our team?Discover how we can work togetherSubscribe to my weekly blog:Stay connected hereImportantThis podcast provides general information about finance, tax and credit. It doesn't take into account your specific objectives, financial situation or needs, so you need to assess whether it's relevant to your circumstances before acting on it. If you're not sure, speak to a licensed, trustworthy professional.