11th November 2009
Strong Aussie dollar wipes out international share gains …
international shares
In our recent article, “Should you hold international shares in your investment portfolio?”, we argued that there are diversification or risk reduction benefits from h...
26th October 2009
What you live off when you’re not working …Financial freedom
In our introductory meetings with potential new clients, we want to obtain a preliminary view of their “Net Investment Wealth”. It quickly gives us an idea of how far along the road t...
12th October 2009
When it comes to investing, there is an inordinate amount of information and opinion that is freely available. Most people have an opinion about the direction of the economy, markets, which asset classes or sectors will do best, and which specific securit...
23rd September 2009
Which structure is best?
Family wealthFor our clients, there are predominantly four ways they hold their personal wealth. They are:
1. Directly, either as an individual or jointly;
2. In a private investment company;
3. Through their family...
07th September 2009
Is franking a free lunch …Franked Dividends - Free lunch?
Many D-I-Y investors skew their investment portfolios towards shares that pay franked dividends. This is particularly prevalent amongst trustees of self managed superannuation funds who appear...
20th August 2009
They make used car salesmen look good …Personal Financial Advice or Product Flogging
The financial planning industry (and a number of accountants dubiously playing on the edge) has come under intense fire recently.
The downturn in investment marke...
07th August 2009
Are you better off reducing your mortgage or contributing to super?
A lot of people ask this question. Unfortunately, as with many wealth management decisions there is no straight forward answer. The appropriate choice depends on a number of issues, so...
21st July 2009
There are no orphan shares …
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A lot of what passes as serious investment commentary is simply “gobbledygook” i.e. nonsense or drivel. It defies share market realities and is at odds with the philosophy that markets work.
...
01st July 2009
They are promoted as an opportunity to benefit from share market growth, without the risk of losing capital. They involve borrowing up to 100% of the purchase price of a basket of shares for a minimum period (generally 3 - 5 years). You keep the dividends...
18th June 2009
Invest in international shares for reduced risk …
Many individual investors, particularly do-it-yourselfers, do not hold international shares in their investment portfolios. Why would you, they ask – returns have been poor for almost a decade now.
...
05th June 2009
Not for higher investment returns …istock_000008794467xsmall
There has been an above trend increase in the number of self managed super funds (“SMSF”) set up recently. Such spurts usually occur when investment returns have been poor. The expectat...
01st June 2009
Diseased from the beginning …
istock_000002265789xsmallWithin a couple of weeks of each other in April and May, the two largest stock exchange listed managers of managed investment schemes (“MIS”), Timbercorp and Great Southern, went under. Most ...
29th May 2009
Lowest home loan rates in 50 years …
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“Lowest home loan rates in 50 years” scream the headlines. Best time to borrow and buy property claim the real estate agents. With an increased home savings grant for first home buyers, it’s easy to...
12th May 2009
Years ago at a foreign exchange course we were asked to participate in a practical simulation game. Prior to commencing the game one of the participants had a moment of clarity.
Participant: “So, what you’re saying is that we should buy low and sel...
07th May 2009
It is not at all uncommon for those in retirement and near retirement to be concerned about the amount of cash distributions their investment portfolio is paying. Often, their objective is to be able to live off this cash and, thereby, keep their initial ...
