How we invest
A diversified foundation, structured for growth and risk tailored to you.
A broad, low-cost Core does the patient work of compounding wealth over time. A deliberate Satellite allocation adds growth potential, while a tailored Cushion reduces downside volatility. Before committing a single dollar, we evaluate historical market scenarios to show you how your portfolio might perform — and fall — during severe market downturns. Future losses may be greater.
Our investment philosophy
MD Private Wealth — The Money Doctor — does not manufacture investment products, just as a doctor does not manufacture medicine. Our role is to understand your situation, then advise which investment mix is appropriate, how much you should hold, and when it should be reviewed.
We do not predict markets, and we do not sell products. Every portfolio we build is shaped around what you need it to do, using three clear working parts: the core, the satellite, and the cushion.
How much core, satellite, and cushion you hold depends on what you want the money to do, when you will need it, and how much of a fall you could live through — financially and personally — without selling at the wrong time.
The part many investment conversations skip is the honest one: before you invest, we show you how far the portfolio could fall. Then, when markets test your patience, we stay beside you. Evidence over forecasts, behaviour over noise, and honesty about the downside — that is the whole philosophy.
Satellite — amplifies the growth
Core — compounds quietly, year after year
Cushion — softens the rough years
Who we help
Wealth strategies for four distinct situations
Wealth management is rarely just about picking investments. It sits where your life stage, your family structure, tax and governance meet. These are the four situations we see most often.
Investors looking beyond traditional super funds
Industry super and default retail super funds often work like a black box: broad choices such as Balanced or Growth, a restricted investment menu, slow portfolio changes, and a fee structure that is hard to see through — none of it easily aligned with your own tax and estate planning.
Breaking the black box
We assess your existing super structure objectively, without pushing an SMSF. Based on the size of the balance and how much control you want, we choose between an SMSF and a wrap platform (retail super).
Refined model portfolios
Model portfolios give look-through management of the underlying assets — global ETFs, direct equities and fixed income — with transparency, low cost and efficient rebalancing.
Whole-of-structure integration
We connect your super with personal income, retained company profits and family trusts, with the aim of improving what you keep after tax.
High-net-worth families and business owners
Following a business exit, a major liquidity event, high professional earnings or years of retained profits, clients face several pressures at once: extracting and deploying capital safely, protecting personal and family assets, passing wealth across generations, and preserving real purchasing power against inflation.
Family trusts and asset protection
Working closely with specialist legal and accounting advisers, we structure family trusts and corporate trustee arrangements to put a legal layer of protection around your wealth.
Systematic estate planning
Multi-generational transfer frameworks designed to minimise future family disputes and reduce the tax erosion that can occur as assets pass down.
Balancing liquidity and long-term growth
Whether the money comes from company cash flow, executive remuneration or a significant liquidity event, we build multi-asset, cross-market portfolios designed for long-term growth and matched to your short- and medium-term liquidity needs.
Cross-border investors and global families
Living overseas while allocating capital into Australia brings its own problems: moving funds across borders, shifting tax residency, foreign investment rules such as FIRB, currency volatility, and managing assets without anyone on the ground.
Cross-border tax and structural compliance
Working from the ATO tax residency rules, and the FIRB requirements where foreign investment is involved, we map a compliant path for inbound capital and offshore holdings, and set out the reporting obligations on each side.
Currency risk and global hedging
Multi-currency allocation and hedging tools to reduce the effect of a single currency falling, with the aim of holding real purchasing power over the long run.
Managed remotely, under Australian regulation
Operating under an Australian Financial Services Licence and ASIC regulation, with transparent portfolios that can be managed remotely while you live overseas.
Pre-retirees and retirees
Moving from the accumulation phase to the pension phase raises two worries at once: a market fall eroding capital just as it is needed, and cash flow failing to keep pace with inflation, healthcare and everyday costs.
A steady transition to the pension phase
Accumulation assets move into an account-based pension. Earnings inside the transfer balance cap — $2.1 million from 1 July 2026 — are untaxed, as are withdrawals from age 60; anything above the cap stays in accumulation and is taxed at 15%.
A sustainable cash flow design
A bucket strategy layers the assets by liquidity so that three to five years of cash flow is covered, reducing the need to sell growth assets in a falling market.
Longevity and inflation
While managing downside risk closely, we keep a measured allocation to growth assets so the portfolio can keep pace with long-term healthcare and living costs.
Our process
A clear, four-step process
Wealth management is not a one-off transaction but an ongoing, structured relationship. Four steps, and at each one you know what happens next.
- 01
Discover
A complimentary 15-minute conversation, by phone or video. We listen to where your finances stand, what matters most and what worries you, and work out whether we are the right fit.
- 02
Design
We analyse your risk profile, tax structures and cash flow needs, and set the strategy down on paper in a Statement of Advice (SOA).
- 03
Execute
We handle account setup, platform migration and SMSF or wrap implementation, then deploy the capital into the agreed model portfolios.
- 04
Review and rebalance
Regular reviews, with rebalancing in response to major life events — retirement, a business exit, a transfer to the next generation — and to what markets have done, so the strategy stays aligned with the goal.
The building blocks
Three building blocks, each with a different job
Different asset classes serve different functions. We build your portfolio from a Core, a Satellite and a Cushion, balancing long-term compounding, growth potential and downside protection.
The Corethe foundation for long-term wealth
Low-cost, globally diversified index funds spread your money across thousands of companies, reducing how much any single company or single market decides your result. The Core is the part that compounds over the long run.
The Satellitegrowth potential, inside strict limits
A controlled allocation to higher-growth themes, and to tools that use gearing internally — borrowing to increase the amount invested — so both gains and losses are magnified. We cap the Satellite so the more volatile part stays inside the risk you have agreed to.
The Cushiondampens volatility, holds liquidity
Fixed income and liquid assets chosen for capital preservation and steady income. The Cushion acts as a shock absorber in a falling market, smoothing the ride and supporting near-term cash flow. A larger Cushion usually means more stability and less long-term growth potential.
Choose your speed
Four portfolios, one philosophy
More satellite means more growth potential — and a deeper fall when markets drop. That is why the mix is chosen around your timeframe and the loss you could carry without disturbing the life the money is for.
Moderate
a smoother ride with a small growth edge
Underlying structure
- Cushion (50%): The largest component — split evenly between Australian Credit (25%) and Absolute Return Credit (25%) — prioritising downside smoothing over peak returns.
- Core (45%): Australian Shares (20%), International Shares (5%), S&P 500 (10%) and Nasdaq 100 (10%).
- Satellite (5%): Deliberately restrained — 3% in internally geared US equities and 2% in global semiconductors — enough to add a growth edge, not enough to drive the outcome.
Portfolio mechanics: Effective market exposure is about 53%. In a market downturn like 2022, this mix models a peak-to-trough decline of about 12.6%.
Balanced
more growth, still a real cushion
Underlying structure
- Core (60%): Australian Shares (30%), International Shares (10%), S&P 500 (10%) and Nasdaq 100 (10%).
- Satellite (10%): 5% in internally geared US equities, which amplifies market moves in both directions, and 5% in global semiconductors, to take part in long-term AI-driven demand.
- Cushion (30%): Australian Credit (15%) and Absolute Return Credit (15%), acting as a risk dampener.
Portfolio mechanics: Effective market exposure is about 75%, balancing long-term capital growth with risk mitigation. In a 2022-style decline it models a drawdown of about 16.4%.
Growth
growth-led, and geared
Underlying structure
- Core (70%): Heavily weighted to equities — Australian Shares (30%), International Shares (20%), S&P 500 (10%) and Nasdaq 100 (10%).
- Satellite (20%): 15% in internally geared US equities, using embedded leverage to increase market exposure, and 5% in global semiconductors.
- Cushion (10%): A minimal defensive buffer — Australian Credit (5%) and Absolute Return Credit (5%).
Portfolio mechanics: Driven by embedded gearing, effective market exposure reaches about 105%. In a 2022-style drawdown it models a fall of about 23.0%. Suited only to long-term capital with no near-term liquidity needs.
Enhanced Growth
boldest — for the longest horizons
Underlying structure
- Core (70%): Concentrated in global equities — Australian Shares (30%), International Shares (10%), S&P 500 (15%) and Nasdaq 100 (15%).
- Satellite (30%): High-conviction growth — 20% in internally geared US equities and 10% in global semiconductors.
Portfolio mechanics: Effective market exposure reaches about 120%. In a 2022-style market fall it models a decline of about 27.6%. It requires real tolerance for large falls, and cash arrangements that will not need touching.
The four risk-level portfolios can be used for money both inside and outside superannuation:
- Outside super: held in an individual, joint, family trust or company name.
- Inside super: implemented through a platform super account or a self-managed super fund (SMSF).
Note: the pre-set options of an industry fund generally cannot accommodate a tailored allocation of this kind.
Historical 10-Year Performance
Higher potential returns, with a greater risk of loss
Modelled growth per year over 10 years, from the history of the underlying investments. The bolder portfolios carry more risk to get there.
9.09%
10.94%
13.39%
15.78%
Moderate
Balanced
Growth
Enhanced Growth
Average growth per year over 10 years, calculated from the actual blended history of the underlying investments. The portfolio descriptions and the 2022 fall reflect the current mix. Past performance is not a guide to the future.
What does that actually mean?
What the stated rate would give over 10 years
Portfolio
$100,000 in Enhanced Growth, compounded at the stated rate for 10 years, models to
at 15.78% a year, the blended 10-year historical rate
This result is calculated from the actual blended 10-year history of the underlying investments and does not guarantee future returns. It assumes a single lump-sum investment with nothing added or withdrawn, and does not deduct platform fees, advice fees, personal tax or buy/sell spreads. Real market returns are not linear and can be highly volatile along the way.
The honest bit
What a fall like 2022 could cost each portfolio
In 2022 inflation climbed to a 40-year high — 9.1% in the US in June — prompting aggressive rate rises: the US Federal Reserve raised rates by 4.25 percentage points over the year, and the Reserve Bank of Australia eight times from May, taking the cash rate from 0.10% to 3.10%. Rapidly rising rates hit shares and bonds at the same time, and technology growth shares were hit hardest: the S&P 500 fell 19.4% for the year and the Nasdaq-100 Index plunged 33.0%. We use this extreme year as the reference for measuring each portfolio's historical maximum drawdown.
−12.6%
−16.4%
−23.0%
−27.6%
Moderate
Balanced
Growth
Enhanced Growth
All four regained their high within .
Modelled by applying each portfolio's current mix to the daily history of its underlying investments from January to June 2022, to illustrate how the ride could feel rather than to predict the next fall. The bolder the portfolio, the deeper the drop — which is why the mix has to match your circumstances.
For context
Ten-year returns beside the big funds, for context
For context only. The MD figures are calculated from the actual history of the underlying investments and use gearing; the super funds publish returns struck after different fees, tax, risk and reporting periods. MD Enhanced Growth in particular uses internal gearing and carries materially higher equity market risk — about 120% exposure — than a traditional ungeared High Growth option. The comparison cannot tell you which option suits you.
MD Enhanced Growthgeared
15.78%
AustralianSuperHigh Growth
9.64%
Australian Retirement TrustHigh Growth
9.83%
UniSuperHigh Growth
10.34%
View all figures as a table
| Portfolio | 1 yr | 3 yr p.a. | 5 yr p.a. | 10 yr p.a. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MD Enhanced Growthgeared | 16.26% | 18.84% | 11.86% | 15.78% |
| AustralianSuperHigh Growth | 11.58% | 10.78% | 7.61% | 9.64% |
| Australian Retirement TrustHigh Growth | 8.03% | 9.21% | 8.61% | 9.83% |
| UniSuperHigh Growth | 10.63% | 11.79% | 7.93% | 10.34% |
MD Private Wealth figures are blended from the actual historical performance of the underlying investments to 31 July 2026 (for the portfolio before the semiconductor allocation was added, and including geared assets). Super figures are each fund's High Growth accumulation net returns (after investment fees and fund-level tax): AustralianSuper and Australian Retirement Trust (ART) to 30 June 2026, UniSuper to 31 July 2026. The portfolios differ materially in asset allocation, use of gearing and risk exposure, so this is not a like-for-like comparison and is for reference only. Past returns and past recovery times are not a promise of, or a guide to, future returns.
Why us
We help you understand the options and choose what fits your circumstances
In a market full of products, what is scarce is not another investment to buy. It is someone on your side of the table, working from evidence rather than a sales list.
We design around you, not products
Your portfolio is built around your life stage, your investment horizon and the fall you could actually live through — never an off-the-shelf, pre-packaged solution.
We name the bad year first
Before a single dollar is allocated, the drawdowns and the worst case are set out in front of you. We do not hide the risk; you go in knowing what a bad year looks like.
We build from evidence, not speculation
A low-cost index core, paired with a deliberately sized growth amplifier. The weights are traceable to the data behind them. No market timing, no guesswork, and no product of the month.
We stay in the room
Returns only compound if you stay invested across whole market cycles. When markets fall hard, we are the steady voice that helps you hold to the plan.
We review proactively
We review the whole picture regularly, not only when markets drop. As your career, your business or your family priorities change, the strategy changes with them.
We keep costs down, and disclosed
Ongoing fees erode long-term compounding. The foundation is built on low-cost index tools, with the extra product layers stripped out and every cost disclosed to you.
Take the first step
Investing that fits the life you are planning for
A complimentary 15‑minute call. We'll talk through your goals, when you'll need the money and the falls you could live with. No cost, no obligation — you decide afterwards whether to go further.
This page provides general information only. It does not consider your personal financial situation, investment objectives or needs, and is not a recommendation to acquire or allocate to any financial product. Investments that use gearing (borrowing) amplify both volatility and the risk of loss; in a falling market their value can fall significantly further than the benchmark market, and the recovery is uncertain. Portfolio figures are calculated from the actual historical record of the underlying investments; past performance and past recovery times are not a guide to, a promise of, or a guarantee of future returns. All product and strategy comparisons are for general reference only; the options differ materially in risk exposure, legal structure, and how fees and tax are disclosed. Before making any investment decision, read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD), and seek advice on your personal circumstances from a licensed financial adviser.