How to give your finances a health check
How healthy are your finances? Isn’t it time you put your own financial wellbeing front and centre? You can take control of your financial future quickly and easily, with a …
Getting smart about savings
Saving money doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Some people are wired to save – for others it takes a bit more discipline. But developing good savings habits can do so …
How much super should you have at your age?
Your super balance will most likely play a big part in how comfortably you live in retirement. But depending on how far off retirement is for you, it might be …
50/30/20 budgeting strategy
Having a budget can help you stay on top of bills, pay off debt and save for long or short-term goals. There are many ways to go about it. One …
2023 saw the return of Goldilocks, but what’s in store for 2024 for investors?
Key points The five key themes for 2023 were: better than feared growth; disinflation; peak interest rates (probably in Australia too); lots of geopolitical threats but not as bad as …
Five constraints on medium term investment returns
Introduction Starting in the early 1980s investment returns were spectacularly strong. Sure there were bumps along the way like the 1987 share crash, but Australian balanced growth superannuation funds returned …
Financial freedom: A comprehensive guide to achieving true financial independence
In a world where financial stability plays a crucial role in our wellbeing and future aspirations, the concept of financial freedom stands out as a beacon of empowerment. Financial freedom …
What’s the best age to retire?
There is no magic age at which to retire. But what’s important is to plan for a longer retirement than you may expect. This is in part because research shows …
A real cybercrime story
Australians lost over $3 billion to scams in 2022 alone. With investment scams being the most common, consider these insights so you can better protect yourself from online criminals. This …
Understanding market volatility
Many investors become concerned when volatility occurs in global financial markets – particularly about the impact on their superannuation and other investments. In times like these, it’s important to understand …
Three reasons to err on the side of optimism as an investor
Introduction The “news” as presented to us has always had a negative bend, but one could be forgiven for thinking that it’s become even more negative with constant stories of …
The importance of rebalancing
Investing is more than choosing different assets. It also involves managing your portfolio on an ongoing basis to achieve personal goals. Your starting point In the initial stages of constructing …
Super fund performance and unlisted assets
Differences in the returns of various super funds have primarily been driven by whether the funds are invested in unlisted or listed assets. Super fund returns are always in the …
Should you fix your home loan?
Key takeaways An understanding of the benefits of fixing your home loan, including payment stability, protection from rate hikes and certainty over long term financial planning. The potential drawbacks to …
Seven key charts for investors to keep an eye on
Introduction At the start of this year, we thought shares would have reasonable returns albeit it wouldn’t be smooth sailing given ongoing issues around inflation, interest rates, the risk of …
Seven key charts for investors to keep an eye on
Introduction At the start of this year, we thought shares would have reasonable returns albeit it wouldn’t be smooth sailing given ongoing issues around inflation, interest rates, the risk of …
Factor Investing explained
Global markets are made up of dozens of asset classes and millions of individual securities, making it challenging to understand what really matters for your portfolio. But there are a …
Economic update
October was another difficult month for financial markets, partly reflecting an acceptance among investors that interest rates are likely to remain high for longer than was previously anticipated. Geopolitical risk …