The Property Couch Cash Is King (And Why No One Talks About It)
Mar 20, 2026
Polly Chu, a qualified accountant and property investment adviser with KPMG and investment banking experience, stakes her claim: cash is king. She talks about liquidity, GFC lessons, the dangers of overborrowing, COVID-era unwinding and why a 3–6 month cash buffer plus repair provisioning matters. Short, sharp and pragmatic money truths.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Cash Is An Underrated Portfolio Asset
- Cash is an underrated portfolio asset that provides liquidity and peace of mind.
- Polly Chu argues cash should sit alongside property and shares as a deliberate part of your investment mix.
GFC Job Loss Taught The Value Of Cash
- Polly Chu lived through employment uncertainty during the GFC while servicing her first investment mortgage at ~7% interest.
- That experience taught her the practical importance of holding cash buffers when income or markets shock your finances.
Easy Credit Creates Hidden Forced Sale Risk
- Aggressive leveraging during easy credit cycles leaves investors exposed to forced sales and mortgage prison when rates or prices turn.
- Ben Kingsley links easy lending pre-GFC and recent low-rate periods to over-leveraged buyers who lack cash buffers.