In Practice

Map My Plan is the all-in-one ‘digital’ financial planner that does it all. Founded in 2014 by Paul Feeny, Map My Plan is a platform that doesn’t attempt to replace the skill and experience of a financial planner, but intends to service the “80 per cent of unadvised Australians” that don’t have a financial planner…

New retail investors entered the sharemarket in droves over the first six months of the pandemic’s impact. Contrary to widely held views, for the most part, on average, they did very well. Very well indeed. But one has to be careful of averages. They can often mask skews from big single numbers and rarely do…

It seems to be a rite of passage these days, investment bankers heading out on their own to start asset management businesses. Times are good. So good that the Australian market is flooded with boutique investment managers ranging from global equity to small cap strategies seeking to build their careers and profitable businesses at the…

The pandemic but more importantly the economic restrictions used to limit its spread will have long-lasting impacts on the global economy. As Victoria, and with-it Australia, appear to be nearing the end of lockdowns the northern hemisphere is now facing their own, more deadly second wave, with a curfew installed in Paris over the weekend….

Building a financial advisery practice isn’t easy. From regulation to compliance, overheads to staff wages and client reporting to administration, there are so many time-consuming, ad hoc tasks that take up the time of an adviser which could be better spent dealing with clients. The solution? Streamline and automate manual, time consuming processes. And this…

Here’s the fourth instalment of our series on the fascinating ASX cohort of medical device developers. ImpediMed (IPD, 8.1 cents)Market capitalisation: $83.8 millionThree-year total return: -52.7% a yearAnalysts’ consensus target price: 14 cents (Thomson Reuters) You would not know it from the share price performance over the last few years, but Brisbane-based ImpediMed has put…

As much as the industry is improving its professionalism, financial advice remains “cottage.” There are many providers, in many forms, located all across the country. This trend is only accelerating as the major banks and financial institutions finalise their exits from the industry. We all do business and deliver advice in different ways with very…

Dynamic asset allocation (DAA) refers to the process of frequently and significantly adjusting the mix of asset classes in a given portfolio. It sits at the stark opposite end of the strategic asset allocation (SAA) approach implemented by most financial advisers and pension funds, which effectively relies on a set-and-forget allocation with some tinkering around…

While the active versus passive debate rolls on, and on, across the investment world, some active managers have gone to the ‘dark side’, at least partially, by adding more quantitative inputs for new strategies, such as thematic investing. The concept of ‘thematic’ investing, which describes the strategy of identifying sectors of the economy expected to…

I’m not sure about you, but it took me at least a few weeks into the first lockdown to really become comfortable with video-conferencing and engaging with clients in new and unique ways. If you still haven’t embraced the change, perhaps stop reading now…..With the initial hurdle passed, it’s time to move on to the…

Video games have traditionally been associated with laziness, requiring someone to stay at home in a dark room when they could be doing more ‘productive’ things with their lives. How things have changed! The 2019 Fortnite World Championships attracted 40 million entrants chasing a US$30 million ($41 million) prize pool, with the finals televised in…

4DMedical (4DX, $1.58)Market capitalisation: $418 millionThree-year total return: n/aAnalysts’ consensus target price: $1.70 (Thomson Reuters) Imaging company 4DMedical (4DX) surged on to the ASX screens in its August float, at a 100% “pop.” Issued in the prospectus at 73 cents, the shares opened for trade on August 7 at $1.47, and reached $1.70 in August…