Dusty O'Keefe V
Senior editor and lead writer for retirement planning. Dusty spent eleven years as a pension analyst before turning to journalism, and he still runs the numbers on every withdrawal-rate piece himself.
Finwise is built on plain-language financial education, not product pitches.
Finwise started in 2016 as a small newsletter written for family members who kept asking the same questions about superannuation, index funds and how to read a fund fact sheet. That newsletter grew into a reference library used by thousands of readers across Australia. We are not brokers, advisers or fund managers. We are editors, researchers and former finance professionals who believe that good financial decisions come from clear explanations, honest numbers and a calm tone.
Who we write for
Our readers are adults between 35 and 65 who are past the first job and now face real decisions: consolidating super, paying down a mortgage, starting an ETF portfolio, or planning how to draw down savings in retirement. Many have never had formal financial education. Others have some experience but want a second opinion that is not trying to sell them something. We write for both groups with the same level of care.
What we do not do
We do not promise returns, promote crypto, recommend day trading or publish content that sounds like a sales funnel. Every article goes through a review checklist: are the numbers sourced, is the risk described, does the headline overstate what the body can support? If a topic does not pass that check, we either rewrite it or drop it. This is why our guides on inflation-protected securities and safe withdrawal rates read differently from typical finance blogs.
How we work
Our editorial team meets weekly to review reader questions, market developments and gaps in our existing library. Each piece is drafted by one writer, fact-checked by a second person, and reviewed by an editor with a background in financial planning. We update older articles when tax rules or product structures change. The bylines on our author pages belong to real people who take responsibility for what they publish.
Our tone
We use plain English, short paragraphs and concrete examples. When a concept is genuinely complex, such as the mechanics of I-Bonds or the assumptions behind the 4% rule, we say so and break it into steps. We avoid jargon unless we define it in the same sentence. Readers should finish an article feeling more capable, not more confused.