The story of gold: Why it’s valuable, how it shaped Australia, and how to invest today

This week on the Friends With Money podcast, Money Magazine managing editor Vanessa Walker speaks with journalist Ryan Johnson about his April feature “The Story of Gold,” exploring why gold—an outer-space metal delivered by meteorites—became a durable, portable, and a widely accepted form of money.

They discuss gold’s key advantages over other elements, how much exists (about 219,000 tonnes ever mined), and its role in Australia’s history from the 1851 gold rush through to the establishment of the Sydney and Perth mints and the Eureka Stockade.

They explore how currencies were once pegged to gold, why the link ended during the depression and why central banks still buy gold, including the RBA’s 80 tonnes largely stored in London.

01:19 Why gold works

02:57 How much gold exists

03:35 Australia gold rush

05:01 Gold standard ends

06:21 Central Bank gold

07:53 Gold price outlook

09:00 Selling physical gold

10:41 Investing with ETFs

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Defence stocks explained: ETFs, cyclical risks, and ethical investing | Friends With Money

In this week's Friends With Money, editor-in-chief Michelle Baltazar speaks with Alex Jamieson of Jamieson Private Wealth about why defence shares have rallied amid widening Middle East conflict, disrupted shipping lanes, and higher oil prices.

Jamieson explains how “defence” now spans drones, robotics, AI, cybersecurity, and software, and argues rising geopolitical risk and NATO catch-up spending make it a longer-term structural theme, though stocks can be cyclical and require active rebalancing and profit-taking.

01:30 What counts as defence stocks

02:22 Why defence stocks are rallying

04:02 Do you already have exposure

05:46 Cyclical stocks and profit-taking

07:49 Fear trade or structural trend?

09:58 Defence ETFs to consider

11:53 Stock spotlight: DroneShield

13:21 Ethics of defence investing

Podcast Links:

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Third-Party Marketplaces on Woolworths, Big W, Kmart & Bunnings: What Australian Shoppers Need to Know

In this Friends With Money Podcast episode, Money Magazine managing editor Vanessa Walker speaks with journalist Ryan Johnson about the rise of third-party marketplaces and why Australians are often confused when trusted retailers like Woolworths, BigW, Bunnings, Kmart and others sell items supplied by third-party sellers.

They discuss how widespread online shopping is in Australia, how marketplaces benefit retailers through rapid range expansion without holding inventory, and what consumers gain—and risk—through wider product choice.

Ryan shares an example of a BigW marketplace return dispute and outlines common issues such as inconsistent delivery, extra fees, and return complications, plus concerns about lower-quality or unsafe products.

They also explain that Australian Consumer Law guarantees still apply, but shoppers should check who the seller is and escalate unresolved disputes to fair trading agencies or the ACCC.

01:20 How many Australians shop online

02:01 Why shoppers get confused

04:34 Why retailers love it

05:31 Consumer upsides and tradeoffs

06:17 Hidden traps and returns

08:01 Safety and trust risks

09:00 Your rights under ACL

10:04 How to protect yourself

Podcast Links:

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Money Website

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Email Us: podcast@moneymag.com.au

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