Up until the 1980s the dominant theory was that financial markets were efficient. In other words, all relevant information was reflected in asset prices in a rational manner. While some think it was the Global Financial Crisis that caused faith in the so-called “Efficient Markets Hypothesis” (EMH) to begin unravelling, this actually occurred in the…
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Pleasingly, global share markets fared well in October and recovered most of their lost ground from September. Locally, the S&P/ASX 200 Index re- turned 6.0%. The sharp reversal in sentiment was typical of this year; market volatility has picked up meaningfully over the past few months, resulting in substantial swings in equity prices. Fixed income…
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From time to time, market movements may cause your super balance to fall. While this can be alarming, you’ll find that it usually recovers in due course. However, if you feel like you need to make some adjustments to your super, here are three things to think about first. Consider how comfortable you are with…
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If you want to protect your family and assets, it’s worth documenting what you’d like to happen if you can’t make your own decisions later in life or if you pass away. If you’ve got people in your life who you love and assets you’d like to be distributed in a certain way, you might…
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When it comes to investing, you have two options – inside or outside of super. Super, being a longer-term investment designed to fund your retirement, comes with a number of advantages such as being lightly-taxed (which can mean, more money to invest in your financial future) but does have some constraints including not being able…
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If you’ve recently split from your partner or are simply wondering what might happen if you do, you’ll need to keep your financial wits about you. A division of assets and debts, whether they’re held separately or together, may be on the cards. Here are some of the things to be aware of when it…
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Is money the key to happiness? Numerous research reports and studies agree having more money can lead to improved wellbeing, but only up to a point. It seems that once your personal income cruises past roughly the six-figure mark, you can’t expect to get any happier from having more. How you spend your money, on…
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By the time you’re in your 40s you’ll potentially be earning more money than you may have previously – but you may also have unexpected or unwelcome expenses, like divorce. At this age you might also put retirement planning on the backburner in favour of more pressing financial commitments, such as your home loan and…
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If you’re thinking about refinancing your home loan, this step-by-step guide shows you what to expect and how to navigate the process. Refinancing can mean talking to your current provider to renegotiate your arrangement with them (an internal refinance), but it often refers to switching to a different lender to secure a better deal (an external…
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This year’s Federal Budget focuses on providing relief for those with children, homebuyers and social security recipients whilst maintaining pre-election commitments. Note: These changes are proposals only and may or may not be made law. Personal taxation No changes to personal income tax: The Budget did not contain any measures announcing changes to personal income…
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