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 feared; and AI hit the big time. This boosted shares and helped bonds with solid superannuation fund returns. 2024 is likely to see positive 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 an average 14.1% pa in nominal terms and 9.4% pa in real terms (i.e. after inflation) between 1982 and 1999. And that was after taxes…
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 is the ability to make life choices without being constrained by money considerations. It goes beyond just having a comfortable income; it embodies the power…
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 we’re now living longer than ever. According to the Australian Government Actuary (AGA), factoring in improvements in life expectancies over the last 25 years, half…
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 is a story where scammers created a website and emails that looked legitimate. What was the scam? An example from Colonial First State (CFS) A…
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 the causes of market movements and how to minimise your risk. Why do markets move so much? Markets are influenced by many things – industrial,…
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 disasters, conflict, wrongdoing, grievance and loss. Consistent with this it seems that the worry list for investors is more threatening and confusing. This was an…
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 a portfolio of diverse investments, it is likely you will have made a deliberate decision about how much money to hold in different asset classes.…
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 spotlight around the end of the financial year. This is when funds publish their annual performance results and send statements to members, and when researchers…
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 consider when choosing to fix, such as missing out on rate drops, higher initial repayment rates and restrictions on the level of additional repayments. When…