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The Long Game — Long-Term Financial Education

The Long
Game.

Financial Education. Simplified.

Understand what you're doing. Understand why you're doing it.

A structured approach to understanding superannuation, passive investing and the principles behind building wealth for the long term.

Important: The Long Game provides general financial information only. It does not constitute personal financial advice, tax advice, or superannuation advice. John Pontikas and JMP Strategic Investments Pty Ltd are not registered tax agents. Superannuation and tax laws change over time, and course content reflects the rules at the time it was written — it is your responsibility to check current legislation and speak with a qualified financial adviser, accountant, or registered tax agent, or your super fund directly, before acting on any information in this course.

Let's be clear about what this is

This is not
trading.

This is not

Stock picking or timing the market

A get-rich-quick system or a signal service

Day trading, active management, or speculation

Something that requires daily attention or expertise

A promise of guaranteed returns

Complicated, time-consuming, or stressful

This is

A structured approach to understanding long-term investing and wealth building

Plain-English education on shares, bonds, ETFs and diversification

Long-term investing principles, including regular investing and compounding

Education on Australian tax concepts and superannuation

Investor psychology, decision-making and an annual review framework

Delivered by a licensed professional with 26 years of experience

How to begin

One payment.
A complete foundation.

One payment gives you the complete Long Game course with ongoing access to the core program, plus 12 months of community access and monthly educational webinars included.

Learn the framework.
Keep your education current.

The core Long Game course is designed around enduring long-term investing principles. You retain access to the course after purchase. Your first 12 months also include the community, relevant educational updates and The Long Game Monthly. At the end of that period, continuing community membership is entirely optional.

Complete program — ten modules plus the bonus module, with ongoing access to the core course
Relevant updates — where meaningful changes affect the educational material, the program can be reviewed and updated as appropriate
12 months of community access included — stay connected with other Long Game participants in an education-focused environment
The Long Game Monthly — 12 months of educational webinars covering markets in context, investor psychology and general participant Q&A

Monthly sessions provide general financial education only. They are not personal portfolio reviews or individual recommendations.

What members say

"After reading The Long Game it completely changed the way I now think about my superannuation. The module gave me a practical approach to making a few subtle changes based on my age profile and the results on my balance at retirement age are incredible. I only wish I'd had access to this information earlier in life – but it's never too late to start."

Vincent, Adelaide SA

Individual results may vary. This testimonial reflects one person's experience and is not representative of every reader's outcome.

"I found it to be a very clear, practical guide on how to build long-term wealth. The explanations around compounding, dollar cost averaging, and tailoring your strategy by age were particularly valuable. I'm definitely planning to implement the strategies in my self-managed super fund."

Rob Equizi, Adelaide SA

Individual results may vary. This testimonial reflects one person's experience and is not representative of every reader's outcome.

"Going through The Long Game helped me understand that time in the market is much more important than timing the market. It gave me the confidence to get into the market and begin my investment journey, with the right portfolio for me. It also motivated me to look into my super and understand how I can maximise it for retirement. I wish I'd had this information earlier."

Amanda — Adelaide SA

Individual results may vary. This testimonial reflects one person's experience and is not representative of every reader's outcome.

"I thought I was across my super. I had merged three funds and been actively monitoring things for years. But this checklist completely changed the way I think about my wealth. It exposed blind spots I did not know I had. The insurance section alone was an eye-opener. I have already changed my investment strategy and I am pushing my provider for a better deal on fees. If you have super, run it through this checklist."

Vito, Adelaide SA

Individual results may vary. This testimonial reflects one person's experience and is not representative of every reader's outcome.

Your employer is already
investing for you.

12%
of your ordinary time earnings is being contributed to super by your employer right now — whether you're thinking about it or not.
Most
working Australians have never checked which investment option their super is in. A default option may or may not be appropriate for an individual's age, objectives, risk tolerance and time horizon.

The Long Game covers superannuation as a standalone module because it can be an important part of long-term wealth for many Australians and deserves deliberate attention. The material is general education only. Superannuation and tax rules change, so current information should be checked with the relevant fund, regulator or an appropriately qualified professional before acting.

The investment option problem

Super funds can offer a range of investment options with different mixes of growth and defensive assets, fees and risk characteristics. The course explains the factors people can consider when reviewing the options available within their existing fund.

Understanding contributions and tax

The tax treatment of superannuation can differ from investing outside super, and contribution rules, caps and individual tax outcomes can vary. The course explains the concepts and the questions to consider, while recognising that personal tax decisions may require professional advice.

Super and your broader investment framework

The course explains how superannuation can be considered alongside other long-term assets rather than viewed in isolation, while recognising that the appropriate structure depends on individual circumstances.

What the course does not do

This course does not recommend specific super funds, advise on whether to switch funds, or provide personal superannuation advice. It provides general education on how super works, the options available, and the questions you should be asking your fund or a qualified adviser.

Ten modules, plus a bonus.
One structured framework.

Module 01

The Power of Compounding

Why time in the market matters more than any other variable, and the mathematics that prove it.

Module 02

Understanding the Instruments

Shares, bonds, ETFs and the differences between active and index approaches — including the role of costs, diversification and long-term evidence.

Module 03

The Australian Tax Picture

CGT, the 50% discount, franking credits, and the US estate tax warning every Australian investor must know before buying VTS or VEU.

Module 04

Building the Portfolio

How portfolio construction works — the roles of asset allocation, diversification, growth and defensive assets, and how investment choices can fit within a broader framework.

Module 05

Dollar Cost Averaging

The mathematics and historical evidence behind regular investing, together with the behavioural challenges investors can face during periods of market stress.

Module 06

Superannuation

How superannuation works, the investment choices commonly available, the role of fees and contributions, and how to review your existing arrangements at a general educational level.

Module 07

Investing for Your Children

Long-term investing concepts for families, including time, structure, ownership and tax considerations that may need professional advice.

Module 08

The Psychology of Long-Term Investing

Common behavioural biases, the emotional pressure created by market cycles, and how a documented decision framework can support discipline.

Module 09

Record Keeping and the Annual Review

The minimum viable record-keeping system, how to run a productive annual review, and knowing the difference between a legitimate change and an emotional one.

Module 10

The Complete Framework

Everything brought together — the core principles, decision framework, review process and your Long Game Investor Commitment.

Bonus Module

Investing Within Your Existing Fund

A practical educational walkthrough of what to look for inside an existing super fund — including investment options, costs, risk and the questions worth asking before making decisions.

Begin Today

The Long Game.
$247 once-off.

Immediate access to the complete program with ongoing access to the core course, plus 12 months of community access and monthly educational webinars included. Financial education in plain language, without unnecessary jargon.

Join The Long Game — $247

$247 AUD one-time payment. No ongoing subscription is required to retain access to the core course.

AUD. Immediate access.

Who is John Pontikas

26 years in financial markets.
Now focused on education.

My career in financial markets began in the 1990s. After gaining experience at a major investment institution — including institutional-level practice at ABN AMRO Morgans — I founded my own boutique advisory firm, JMP Strategic Investments, in 2011.

I've traded ASX stocks, futures, currencies, commodities, warrants, and options across multiple market cycles. I'm a licensed private client adviser and an Authorised Representative (AR 329302) of PGW Financial Services Pty Ltd (AFSL 384713).

I built The Long Game because I kept seeing the same thing — Australians with real wealth in superannuation and managed funds who simply wanted to understand what they owned and what to do about it. Nobody had ever shown them how.

The Long Game is that education. Plain language. No jargon. By a licensed financial adviser.

John Pontikas is a Market Governance Advisor and Director of JMP Strategic Investments Pty Ltd as trustee for JMP Strategic Investments Trust (ABN 20 161 825 667), operating as an Authorised Representative (AR 329302) of PGW Financial Services Pty Ltd (AFSL 384713). With 26 years of financial markets experience including institutional-level practice, all education and advisory services are delivered by a licensed financial adviser.

This course provides general financial information only and does not constitute personal financial advice, tax advice, or superannuation advice. It does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. JMP Strategic Investments Pty Ltd and John Pontikas are not registered tax agents. Nothing in this course should be relied upon as tax advice. Before acting on any information in this course — particularly in relation to capital gains tax, franking credits, superannuation, or the treatment of specific financial products — you should consult a qualified financial adviser, a registered tax agent, or your accountant. Before investing in any financial product mentioned, read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD). Past performance is not indicative of future results.

© 2026 The Long Game — JMP Strategic Investments Pty Ltd. All rights reserved.

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