Opinion

Technology stock valuations are rising, bucking the prevailing market conditions and further inverting the traditional bond/equities relationship. “This shouldn’t be happening”, says Ruffer’s Steve Russell.

Diligence and frugality can lead to wonderful retirement outcomes, writes Alteris Financial Group senior adviser Jaxon King. But if the journey to retirement is bleak, it could sap the joy out of reaching the destination.

Events like the Israel-Palestine and Russia-Ukraine conflicts may shock the world, and they may even influence markets. But history tells us geopolitical risks are always present, mostly factored in, and should never predicate panic selling.

The aggressive sell off in US bonds has prompted many to speculate that interest rates have adjusted upwards on a structural basis. But Ninety One investment strategist Russell Silbertson takes a different view.

When a client posed the question to Wattle Partners adviser Drew Meredith it caught him off guard: “Am I good client?” they asked. “How could I be better?”

When an industry full of Gen X and Baby Boomer advisers is assigned the task of training swathes of largely millennial acolytes, there’s bound to be a few bones of contention according to Brisbane adviser Jaxon King.

A data dependent Fed will eventually need to acknowledge signs of a strengthening global economy, says Neuberger Berman. Bolts of information that sway the central bank will continue to keep market watchers on tenterhooks.

The Future Fund’s decision to take risk off the table resulted in a lacklustre return and criticism from the super sector. But advisers know the journey matters as much as the destination.

It’s up to incoming Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson to restore the Spirit of Australia’s battered reputation after a series of high-profile trust breaches. But getting the Flying Kangaroo back on top will take some guts from the board.

As advisers we tend to forget the incredible position in which we sit, as the stewards of client capital, with the power to determine what types of companies deserve or warrant additional investment. Our advocacy effectively provides capital to these companies to continue to grow and evolve.

From the goldsmiths who paved the way for modern currency, to the zealots pushing bitcoin’s potential, the common denominator holding up the fabric of the entire economic system is trust. But what underpins that trust?

An approved degree doesn’t necessarily make for a better adviser, but if the government wants to get the experienced pathway legislation right it must disclose which pathway an adviser took to accreditation.