The end of the financial year is closing in fast after what has been a tumultuous period for many in Australia. Despite a reasonably uneventful year for superannuation legislation and policy changes, opportunities abound for superannuants and investors of all kinds. One of the most important roles of a financial adviser is to prompt and…
Prime Minister Scott Morrison took the opportunity at this week’s Liberal Party meeting to confirm that the minimum pension drawdown standards would be reduced for another financial year. The so-called COVID-19 measures were set to apply for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 financial years in light of the financial losses experienced by investors during the pandemic….
Warren Buffett is the first to admit that active investors can’t get it right every time, doing so once again at the Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) annual shareholders meeting last week. The quotes of Buffett are an enigma in themselves, with the man himself suggesting investors adopt an indexed approach, but being among the most…
Media pressure continues to grow on Hamish Douglass and the $100 billion Magellan Financial Group. After years of outperformance the flagship fund has been caught off guard by what Douglass himself described as “the best month in 26 years” that was November 2020. As markets continue to move forward, Douglass and Magellan remained steadfast deciding…
Emerging markets, including China and India, have been among the most popular destinations for investors in recent months, with many attracted to their diversification benefits. There remains a common misconception that these countries are still the “manufacturer for the world,” but the companies that now inhabit these countries, in many cases, have surpassed their developed…
Superannuation research house Chant West, part of the Zenith Investment Consulting group, this week published their quarterly performance update on the industry fund sector. Despite the volatility experienced in March, which spanned both bond and equity markets, returns continue to surprise on the upside in March. Chant West’s research seeks to differentiate between the, at…
May is shaping up to be one of the most important months for dividend-focused Australian investors, with bank reporting season beginning on May 3, with Westpac’s interim result. The unexpected strength of the sector was brought to light this week after two of the three main ratings agencies upgraded their views on the sector, on…
Similar to the Australian Investor’s Association in Australia, the AAII or American Association of Individual Investors, is a significant source of information for self-directed investors of all types. Running a series of events and with a huge following, the association is well positioned to measure the pulse of the industry. According to their latest Asset…
“Am I worried about asset prices rising too quickly? At the moment, I don’t see anything that’s unsustainable”. “I recognise that low interest rates are one of the factors contributing to higher housing prices and that high and rising housing prices raise concerns for many people.” “There are various tools, other than higher interest rates,…
A key plank of the highly touted Your Future Your Super legislation is the ‘performance test’ that will apply to industry super funds and other My Super products. The sector had been somewhat immune from targeted regulation for several years, outside of aggressive questioning from Parliamentary committees and sailed through the Royal Commission ultimately unscathed….
