People Behind Finwise

Our editorial team brings together analysts, planners and writers who have worked through several market cycles. We publish plain-language guides on investing, retirement and wealth management without pushing products.

Meet the full team
Finwise team
Senior Analyst

Prof. Travis Mraz II

Finwise team
Retirement Planning Editor

Lazaro Bogan

Finwise team
Research Lead

Dr. Braeden Block DVM

Finwise team

How Finwise Grew from a Two-Person Desk to a National Advisory

We started in 2011 with a single spreadsheet, a shared office in South Laura, and a simple conviction: financial education should come before financial products. Over the years we have kept that order, and it shaped every decision we made.

2011 – The First Client Files

Travis Mraz and Lazaro Bogan opened a small practice focused on retirement planning for public sector employees. No proprietary funds, no commission targets. The first twelve clients came from a local library workshop on superannuation basics.

2014 – Building the Education Library

We published our first plain-language guide on index funds and ETF fees. It was downloaded 4,000 times in the first month. That response convinced us to make free educational content a permanent part of the business, not a marketing afterthought.

2017 – The Advisory Team Expands

Dr. Braeden Block joined to lead research on inflation-protected securities and bond ladders. His work helped us move from generic portfolio advice to structured income planning for clients approaching retirement.

2020 – Remote Consultations and New Guides

When in-person meetings paused, we rebuilt our consultation process around video calls and written action plans. The shift also produced our first complete guide series on passive income and wealth management for mid-career professionals.

2023 – A National Reach with Local Roots

Today Finwise serves clients across Australia while keeping the same editorial standard: every recommendation is explained, every fee is disclosed, and every plan starts with a conversation about what the client actually needs.

Milestones behind Finwise

From a two-person research desk to a team of analysts and educators, our timeline shows the decisions that shaped how we explain markets, taxes and long-term planning.

2016 — First research notes

We started by publishing plain-language breakdowns of ASX-listed ETFs and index funds. No forecasts, just the mechanics: fees, tracking error, dividend treatment and liquidity.

2018 — Retirement income series

Our bond ladder and annuity comparison guides grew from reader questions about sequencing risk. That series became the core of the retirement section.

2020 — Inflation protection module

With rising CPI concerns, we added a dedicated module on TIPS, real assets and how to measure real returns after tax. The calculators are still updated quarterly.

2022 — Contributor network

We brought in three practising financial planners and a tax accountant to review every article. Since then, all guides carry a "reviewed by" line with their credentials.

2024 — Passive income playbook

Based on five years of portfolio data, we published a practical playbook covering dividend ETFs, covered calls and rental income — without promising any fixed yield.

2025 — Open archive

Every past article, spreadsheet and webinar transcript is now freely accessible. We believe financial education should not sit behind a paywall.

The people behind Finwise

We are a small team of analysts, planners and writers who have spent years in financial services before building this portal. Our goal is to make investing knowledge accessible without the sales pressure.

Editor-in-chief

Prof. Travis Mraz II

Travis spent 18 years teaching portfolio theory at university level before joining Finwise. He reviews every article on this site for accuracy, with a particular focus on retirement planning and asset allocation. His weekly column explains complex market movements in plain language.

Senior analyst

Lazaro Bogan

Lazaro worked as a fixed-income analyst for a regional bank, where he built bond ladders for institutional clients. He now writes our guides on ETFs, dividend stocks and inflation protection. He believes in showing the numbers behind every recommendation, including the risks.

Research lead

Dr. Braeden Block DVM

Braeden brings a background in behavioural economics and data analysis to the team. He studies how investors make decisions under uncertainty and translates those findings into practical checklists. His work on dollar-cost averaging and market timing has shaped several of our core guides.

Contributing writer

Meredith Hale

Meredith is a former financial journalist who covered personal finance for a national newspaper. She interviews everyday investors and turns their experiences into case studies. Her articles focus on the human side of money: how families plan for retirement, manage debt and build passive income streams.

Technical editor

Daniel Okafor

Daniel verifies every statistic, chart and reference before publication. He has a background in actuarial science and a habit of questioning assumptions. His role is to ensure that what you read here is not just clear, but also correct and up to date.

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