Estate Planning: Top 5 things you need to know now
Planning for one’s own demise is as confronting as it is necessary. Here are some pointers on how to make it less of an ordeal; for you, and your loved ones.
Read MoreStrategy
Nine Common Mistakes Investors Make
In this week’s Insights column, AMP’s Shane Oliver argues that many of the mistakes investors make are based on common sense rules of thumb that turn out to be wrong.
Read MoreGreenwashing and Tips to Identify Suitable ESG Products
There has been a marked increase in the demand for Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) /Sustainable style products and this trend looks set to continue, says Russell Investments’ James Harwood.
Read MoreInterest in Financial Advice and Super Surged in 2020
The Coronavirus crisis had a significant impact on the level of Australian interest in financial advice and superannuation in 2020 with an 18% increase in online search interest about financial advice and more than 140,000 mentions of superannuation on Twitter.
Read MoreSeven Key Charts for Investors to Watch
AMP Capital’s Dr Shane Oliver breaks down markets across the spectrum and around the globe in his weekly Insights column.
Read MoreAustralian Financial Advice Industry Faces Similar Issues to UK and SA
Allan Gray Global Advice Landscape webinar identifies seismic shifts in the advice industry
Read MoreCiti Bullish on Oz, UK for the Year Ahead
Citi’s global strategy team said on Friday that global stocks will be flat over the year – but they reckon Australia will be one of two global markets that could do better this year – the other is the UK.
Read MoreMid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook – peak deficit has likely been seen
The key is that the Government has successfully protected the economy, and this has enabled it to rebound faster than if budget support had not been provided.
Read MoreNine Keys To Successful Investing – And Why They Are More Important Than Ever In The Face Of The Coronavirus Shock
Even in good times successful investing can be stressful. For this reason, it’s useful for investors to keep a key set of things – call them rules – in mind.
Read MoreUnderstanding The Pension Loans Scheme
The Pension Loans Scheme enables retirees in Australia to ‘liquidate’ their assets by getting a voluntary, non-taxable, fortnightly government loan using their residential homes as security.1 These loan payments can supplement other retirement income they may have, such as the age pension and superannuation entitlements. The Pension Loans Scheme is essentially a government reverse mortgage scheme.
Read MoreIt’s Not All Gloom And Doom For Dividends
Plato Investment Management’s Managing Director, Dr. Don Hamson says investors must look beyond the headlines when considering their income strategy over the next 12 months.
Read MoreUnderstanding Pre-IPO Investing – How To Generate Returns And Avoid The Pitfalls
Pre-IPO investing has the potential to generate significant returns in a relatively short space of time, however there are many issues to consider that may not be obvious to the regular investor.
Read MoreGovernment Benefits All Retirees Should Know About (Part 2)
We continue our series on the government benefits all retirees should know about. There are a variety of government benefits that you can potentially access in retirement. It’s important to be aware of them and to claim all your entitlements.
Read MoreGovernment Benefits All Retirees Should Know About (Part 1)
There are a variety of government benefits that you can potentially access in retirement. It’s important to be aware of them and to claim all your entitlements.
Read MoreHow Investors Mutual Is Positioning QV Equities In Quality Companies With Sustainable Earnings
Investment Director Anton Tagliaferro outlines how Investors Mutual is ensuring that QV Equities remains soundly positioned in a diversified portfolio of well-established, quality companies with sustainable earnings.
Read MoreA Coming Political Fight Due To The Pandemic? Intergenerational Equity.
The young will want to be compensated for protecting the elderly from COVID-19. But their quest will come with risks.
Read MoreTen Trends That Will Affect Retirement In Australia
There are a number of trends that will affect when you’ll be able to retire in Australia, as well as how you’ll spend your retirement. We’re living in a period of rapid economic, social, and demographic change that is affecting us now and it will continue to affect us well into the future. It seems change is the only constant in these turbulent times.
Read MoreShares Climb A “Wall Of Worry” – But Is It Sustainable?
Shares are vulnerable to a short-term consolidation or pullback. But if we are right, and April was the low in economic conditions, then shares are likely to be higher on a 6 to 12-month horizon.
Read More10 Medium To Longer-Term Implications From The Coronavirus Shock
Shane Oliver takes a look at the medium to longer-term implications from the coronavirus shock of relevance to investors. Some of these will constrain economic growth but the faster embrace of technology is positive for growth.
Read MoreUnderstanding Market Dynamics: Looking Beyond The Headlines
As readers will note I have been particularly bullish the past month despite the barrage of negative news and have shown how economic data like unemployment are poor forecaster of market direction. As I noted to my office colleagues – play the ball, not the man!
Read MoreWhy Super & Growth Assets Like Shares Have To Be Seen As Long-Term Investments
As we’ve seen recently growth assets like shares have periods of bad short-term performance versus bonds & cash. But they provide superior long-term returns which is essential to grow retirement savings. It makes sense for superannuation to have a high exposure to them.
Read More11 Stock Market Crises Over 148 Years: What Does The Data Tell Us?
Should you stick, sell or buy after a crash? Duncan Lamont, Schroders’ Head of Research and Analytics, looks to 148 years of stock market history for potential answers.
Read MoreGood And Bad News For Value Investors
Despite the prevalence of bad news stories and a sea of red across stock screens, Perpetual’s Anthony Aboud argues it’s not all bad news.
Read MoreFrom Bushfires To Coronavirus – Five Ways To Turn Down The Noise Around Investing
Our natural inclination to zoom in on negative news combined with a massive ramp-up in the availability of information is arguably making us worse investors: more fearful, more jittery, more short-term.
Read MoreTop 12 Insights Into Annuities
While lacking the sex appeal of direct equities and the familiarity of property, annuities can play an integral role in solving the funding issues faced by many retirees today.
Read MoreGlobal Equities: Markets And Opportunities
The rationale for investing globally is irrefutable, however, navigating and investing in an unpredictable world is easier said than done. In this video short video Scott Berg, portfolio manager for the T. Rowe Price Global Growth Equity Strategy looks at the industries that excite him over the next 10 years and explains why you should not apply a singular label to all emerging markets.
Read MorePAYS ETF – Boosting Income While Preserving Capital
The Schroder Absolute Return Income (Managed Fund) Chi-X code: PAYS is an active ETF designed to boost income while preserving capital. In this video, Mihkel Kase Portfolio Manager for PAYS details how the fund can help to strengthen the defensive allocation of portfolios and generate reliable monthly income.
Read MoreInvesting In Uncertain Times
Andrew Page of Strawman.com makes the case for index fund investment.
Read MoreCan The Resource & Energy Sectors Supplement Income Needs ?
With a backdrop of low interest rates where should investors seek yield? Informed Investor sat down with Scott Kelly, Portfolio Manager for the DNR Capital Australian Equities Income SMA to find out.
Read MorePensions And Super: A Journey Towards Risk, Choice And Personal Responsibility
Australians are lucky to have arguably the most developed pension system in the world. An important aspect to understand is what caused this choice and what are the trade-offs for this choice.
Read MoreBreaking Down The First Home Super Saver Scheme
In May 2017, the federal government announced their intention to help younger Australians saved for their first home by giving them the ability to build part, or all, of their deposit inside of superannuation. This initiative was appropriately named the First Home Super Saver Scheme.
Read MoreWhy Super And Growth Assets Like Shares Really Are Long-Term Investments
While growth assets like shares go through bouts of short-term underperformance versus bonds & cash, they provide superior long-term returns. It makes sense that superannuation has a high exposure to them.
Read MoreIncome Vs Growth: The Age-Old Question
When deciding to skew your return focus in favour of growth or income, it is critical to look at your tax environment.
Read MoreRise Of The Robots
How can the loss of productivity from an ageing population be reversed? Japan is setting the blueprint for other nations with its ambitious technology policies, providing a case study for The Future of Work.
Read MoreMore 21 Great Investment Quotes
The world of investing can be confusing and scary at times. But fortunately, the basics of investing are timeless and some investors (often the best) have a knack of encapsulating these in a sentence or two that is insightful and easy to understand. In recent years I’ve written several insights highlighting investment quotes I find particularly useful. Here are some more.
Read MoreThe Principles Behind Good Business Succession Planning
If you own or are a part-owner of a business, then an exit strategy is important. Selling the business is not always an option or eventuality and death delivers the need for an outcome.
Read MoreThe Transition to Retirement (TTR) Myth
In the good old days (pre 1 July 2017), strategy 1 (salary sacrifice) previously had some linkage to strategy 2 (TTR pension) because the TTR pension enjoyed tax free earnings. Nowadays, this link is gone.
Read MoreFive Great Charts On Investing For Income (Or Cash Flow)
These five great charts help illuminate key aspects of investing for income (or cash flow): there are alternatives to bank deposits for income; the gap between yields on different assets provides a guide to relative value; shares can provide stronger growth in income with less volatility than bank deposits; a high and sustainable income yield from an investment provides security; and yield is a guide to future returns.
Read MoreSuperannuation Access – When and How
Access to superannuation is a widely misunderstood concept. This article seeks to outline the key conditions that must be met for someone to gain access to what will most like be their largest financial asset outside of their home.
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