Two shows: 'How to salvage your travel plans with Fiona Dalton'
and 'War and sharemarket volatility: what pre-retirees need to know with Diana Mousina'
From Bec’s Desk …
It’s Thursday again. And this week we’ve bumped our pre-planned podcast schedule to bring you two timely, up-to-the-minute episodes relevant to the war in the Middle East and how it might affect you.
First, we recorded a timely conversation with Diana Mousina, Deputy Chief Economist at AMP, about the war’s impact on financial markets, your super and retirement savings, and how to react to the volatility (the key message: don’t panic).
Then we recorded another episode just yesterday with Fiona Dalton, our very experienced travel guru. This one focuses on what you should be thinking about if you’ve got travel booked in the coming months, or are considering booking a trip. We cover the cancelled flights through the Middle East, what’s actually happening with the airlines, and some practical strategies if you’re affected or concerned.
Ultimately, I want you to come away from both episodes with less panic and a clearer understanding of how to navigate what’s happening right now.
I hope you enjoy the shows and get something useful from each of them.
Got thoughts? Share them here.
More on each episode below.
Until next week - Make your Prime Time count - then have an Epic Retirement!
Cheers - Bec Xx
How to salvage your travel plans
The conflict in the Middle East has disrupted airspace across one of the world’s biggest travel hubs, leaving many Australians wondering whether they should cancel their upcoming trips.
In this urgent episode, I speak with travel expert Fiona Dalton to unpack what’s actually happening with global travel right now, who is affected, and what travellers should do before making any big decisions.
Fiona explains why the disruption is largely centred around Middle Eastern transit hubs such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, what options travellers have if their flights are impacted, and why cancelling too early could actually leave you worse off financially.
The key message: stay calm, stay connected to your airline, and don’t rush into cancelling your trip but make sure you understand your options.
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE OF THE PODCAST HERE:
Highlights of the conversation:
Why three major Middle Eastern airports are suddenly at the centre of global travel disruption
The three groups of Australians most affected by the current situation
The one mistake travellers should avoid making right now with their flights
What airlines are doing behind the scenes to keep flights operating safely
Whether you’ll get your money back and how it might pan out
Why cancelling your trip too early could actually cost you more money
How flexible airline policies are changing almost daily
The alternative routes airlines are using to get Australians to Europe
A surprisingly simple “backup flight” strategy some travellers are using
Why travel to Europe itself is still considered safe at this stage
Other incredible destinations to consider if you’re rethinking your plans
War and sharemarket volatility: what pre-retirees need to know
Markets have been on a rollercoaster this week. Oil prices have surged and dropped, the S&P has swung sharply, and headlines out of the Middle East are making investors nervous.
If you’re approaching retirement or already there, seeing your super balance fall hard in a single day then bounce around all week can feel deeply unsettling .
So what’s really going on? And how worried should you be?
In this episode of Prime Time, I speak with Diana Mousina, Deputy Chief Economist at AMP, to unpack the current market volatility, the impact of rising oil prices, and what geopolitical shocks typically mean for long-term investors and people approaching retirement now.
Diana explains why markets often react sharply to global conflicts in the short term but tend to recover over time.
They also discuss what people nearing retirement should focus on right now, how diversification and cash buffers help manage market shocks, and why constantly checking your super balance may be doing more harm than good.
If the headlines have made you uneasy about your investments this week, this episode offers a calm, practical look at what matters — and what doesn’t — when markets get volatile.
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE OF THE PODCAST HERE:
Highlights of the conversation:
Global markets have been volatile this week as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East push oil prices sharply higher, creating uncertainty for investors.
Rising oil prices matter because they ripple through the economy, increasing costs for businesses and acting like a tax on consumers.
Despite the current headlines, history shows that markets usually recover from geopolitical shocks and are often higher within a year.
Superannuation portfolios are built for this kind of volatility through diversification across shares, cash, bonds and alternative assets.
For people approaching retirement, having around two years of cash reserves can help avoid selling investments during market downturns.
Recent super fund returns have been very strong, with several years of double-digit gains, which helps put short-term falls into perspective.
Inflation in Australia is still expected to trend downward, even though higher oil prices could temporarily lift headline inflation.
Media coverage of daily market falls can amplify fear, often without showing the broader context of long-term gains.
Even professional investors feel uncertainty during volatile periods because predicting how geopolitical events will unfold is impossible.
The most practical advice during periods of market stress: stop checking your super balance every day and remember that volatility is part of long-term investing.
It's there now. Probably my fault. Apologies.
Thanks for the travel episode thought I’d share we were to fly out to Paris on the 1st March with Qatar but they cancelled so we will get our money back but they said it could take up to 12 weeks. Lucky for us Flight Centre were brilliant and got us another flight via US but it got cancelled so they got us on to one via Singapore, we arrived only a day late. We also checked our insurance policy and it doesn’t cover war so we wouldn’t get our accommodation pre paid etc so thought we’d still go. It did host us nearly double though with Qantas. Just thought I’d share as we are now enjoying France.