Opinion

This month we were lucky enough to catch up with Ralph Czichon as Australia slowly moves towards a COVID-normal environment. Ralph is a stalwart and industry thought leader having operated for 30 years and now heading PSK Financial Services in Parramatta, NSW. First off, we aim to learn a little more about Ralph: Whilst a…

There have been plenty of reasons to visit a bookie recently, given the Melbourne Cup Carnival and the US election.  Financial commentators provide a rather dull set of probabilities on what the result on the latter could be and a predictable list of winners and losers. One trend that looks set to continue is the…

Gold has an almost mythical quality to it but assessing its true investment value doesn’t need to be shrouded in mystery. Some investors may still shy away from an asset viewed as difficult to accurately price or predict, but perhaps they are focused on the wrong metrics. Understanding the true value of gold is more…

Delivering value in spades It has been a difficult few years for financial advisers following the Royal Commission. The Commission uncovered some long-standing issues that were predominantly associated with the vertical integration of advice and investment management, resulting in a much needed professionalisation and cleanout of the industry. This has continued into 2020 with thousands…

Chris Cuffe first let the industry know, in 2015, what his 10 biggest lessons from years at the top in funds management were. He revisited and updated the list in September 2019 and has now done so once again. But the original list is probably timeless. He also added a few extra tips last week,…

Given the Retirement Income Panel’s work over the past year, super funds need no more motivation to answer the critical question: how can funds deliver an adequate pension to retired fund members? The question, however, can’t be answered without determining what an ‘adequate’ pension is. This ResearchBite considers how a hypothetical fund creating an income-targeted…

“Sustainable” is a trendy word nowadays. It is thrown around in marketing campaigns like a decorative pillow, which looks good, but most of the time feels flat. Companies and brands claim their products are ‘sustainable’ for the buzz and the hype, playing on our generation’s environmental consciousness and demand for products and services that won’t…

The Financial Services Council (FSC) is to now prepare a policy discussion (a ‘green paper’) for the industry and government, to be delivered in 2021, following the release of a major report by Rice Warner proposing sweeping changes to Australia’s financial advice system. The Rice Warner report was commissioned by the FSC and discussed at…

Return of the A$ Corporate Hybrid Market Many of us who are old enough will remember the once-thriving ASX-listed corporate hybrid market as a constant feature of the pre-GFC Australian credit landscape, with the innovatively named Multiplex SITES, Fairfax PRESSES and Dexus RENTS securities (among others) offering returns and features to meet the risk appetites…

Generalising is a dark art. The moment one observes an apparent pattern, idiosyncratic data jumps out. Judging small-cap managers falls into this trap. Firstly, to the organisation. Those that are entirely dedicated to this sector can do well, yet are interspersed are some big shops with banal marketing that challenge this assumption. Boutique is not…

Despite being Australia’s most important trading partner and closest neighbour, Asia remains largely undiscovered and under-appreciated by Australian investors. The region now represents 60 per cent of the global population, has 50 per cent of all consumers and contributes 70 per cent to GDP growth. The immediate Asian growth trend is expected to accelerate as…

The launch early in February this year of Australia’s first unlisted fund to be quoted on the ASX, by Magellan group and its administrator, Mainstream, took a while to sink in, not helped by the dislocation caused by the pandemic crisis. But, as Australia at least, is preparing to get back to business at some…