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29 April 2024
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There were mixed performances by LICs and LITs last year although they generally delivered an increase in dividends. Total returns including price are driven by the extent to which they trade at a discount to NTA.
Fund managers have more staff, more information, and more access to companies, yet individual investors have one advantage in their favour. Anyone selecting a manager should consider such constraints on performance.
Over decades, relatively few companies generate all the stockmarket's outperformance. Is this an argument for passive investing or does it prove active investing is rewarded? Bessembinder lets you decide.
Flows into equities were not strong in 2022 as investors worried about the selloff, but more money flowed into fixed interest at the wrong time. Managed funds still dominate ETFs and LICs but the gap is closing.
Conservative investors who want the greater capital security of bonds can now lock in 5% but they should stay at the higher end of credit quality. Rises in rates and defaults mean it's not as easy as it looks.
Investors often overlook the capital risk in high-yielding stocks. It's better to ensure capital grows and investors can sell a portion each year to make up for the shortfall in income from dividends.
Following the uncertainty of the GFC, 2010 to 2019 delivered decent Australian share results overall, with wide variations by sector. It's fascinating to see who won and lost over the decade.
Depending on the type of fund you use and whether you pay for advice, there is a large difference in the size of fees. It might be worth paying for extras but choose the fund and advice level that suits you.
Morningstar's full report on asset class returns for all terms out to 10 years updated to 31 December 2017, plus standard deviations (volatility) of returns in each asset class, a 'risk' measure often overlooked by investors.
How was your asset allocation last year? Take a look at every financial year since 1998 and there's no pattern. Please complete our quick survey on the best and worst for 2017/2018.
Long gone are the days when 'passive' investing meant simply replicating a cap-weighted index, especially with the surge in 'active' and 'factor-based' funds such as smart beta. We need more nuanced definitions.
Morningstar’s asset class gameboard for 2015 updates how each asset class has performed over the last 20 years, and shows that no single asset class consistently outperforms the others.
The ATO has released all the superannuation rates and thresholds that will apply from 1 July 2024. Here's what’s changing and what’s not, and some key considerations and opportunities in the lead up to 30 June and beyond.
Life has radically shifted with my brain cancer, and I don’t know if it will ever be the same again. After decades of writing and a dozen years with Firstlinks, I still want to contribute, but exactly how and when I do that is unclear.
Australia will have 3.7 million more people in a decade's time, though the growth won't be evenly distributed. Over 85s will see the fastest growth, while the number of younger people will barely rise.
Being rich is having a high-paying job and accumulating fancy houses and cars, while being wealthy is owning assets that provide passive income, as well as freedom and flexibility. Knowing the difference can reframe your life.
Investor disgust, consolidation, de-listings, price discounts, activist investors entering - it’s what typically happens at business cycle troughs, and it’s happening to LICs now. That may present a potential opportunity.
How useful are the retirement savings and spending targets put out by various groups such as ASFA? Not very, and it's reducing the ability of ordinary retirees to fully understand their retirement income options.