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‘Tis the season to make forecasts. As we approach the end of the year, newsroom staffing dwindles and editors look for space fillers to keep the readers happy. Yes, here come the investment “outlooks” again. Each year at this time, the financial pages are filled with “investment outlooks” that tell us what we can expect
Read More...What’s the ideal investment strategy? Is now a good time to be in stocks? Should currency risk be hedged? Questions of that kind, often seen in the financial media, tend to confuse means with ends. The answer in every case is “it depends”. Think about a group of friends, dining out at a restaurant, and
Read More...The path to success in many areas of life is paved with continual hard work, intense activity and a day-to-day focus on results. In long-term investment, however, that philosophy is turned upside down. The Chinese philosophy of Taoism has a phrase for this: “wei wu-wei”. In English, this translates as to “do without doing”. It
Read More...In a recent survey, participants were asked to nominate the additional services they would like their financial planner to provide, outside of those that they already provide. The responses were divided into different age categories and the results were fairly predictable. In essence, any respondent who was 41 years and older nominated in the top
Read More...The Federal Budget measure of establishing a $500,000 lifetime non-concessional cap back-dated to 2007 is to be scrapped. Instead, the annual non-concessional contribution cap will be reduced from $180,000pa to $100,000pa. This change is set to commence from 1st July 2017. Individuals under the age of 65 will continue to be able to use the
Read More...Have you noticed the surge recently in people wandering aimlessly and staring at their smartphones? Chances are they’re playing Pokémon GO, the latest craze. It’s an activity eerily close to how some folk see investing. From Tokyo to Frankfurt and from New York to Sydney, tens of millions of people have become obsessed with finding
Read More...There are moments in our professional lives when we realise why we do what we do. The below letter from a client is an example of this. It also highlights the benefits of being properly insured and the role we play as advisors in assisting people through the claims process. Today I want to take
Read More...When news breaks and markets move, content-starved media often invite talking heads to muse on the repercussions. Knowing the difference between this speculative opinion and actual facts can help investors keep their nerve. At the end of June, UK citizens voted in a referendum for the nation to withdraw from the European Union. The result,
Read More...Well you’re not alone. And the sandwich is growing! One notable authority on the subject has categorised three demographic groups affected by this issue: Traditional Sandwich (usually 30s-40s): Caring for/helping ageing parents and raising their own children. Club Sandwich (usually 50s-60s): Those sandwiched between the needs of elderly parents, adult children and caring for/helping with
Read More...Savouring a vintage wine is one of life’s great pleasures. But often overlooked in the joy of consumption is the carefully calibrated journey from grape to glass. Similar levels of care are critical to good investment outcomes. A host of variables can determine whether a wine is great, good, mediocre or undrinkable. These include the
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