Investing today: Getting the right mix
This month's Snapshot focuses on selecting the right asset allocation when investing, pre and post retirement. Read November Snapshot
04/10/11: October 2011 Snapshot
BRIC and Australia's fortunes
This snapshot steps back from the current upheaval to take a broader view of what is taking place, what it means, and why it is significant for Australian investors. Read October 2011 Snapshot
02/08/11: August 2011 Snapshot
More on the Carbon Tax...
This August snapshot comes to grips with with the key components in the federal government's recent policy announcement on carbon tax and emissions. August 2011 Snapshot
02/07/11: July 2011 Snapshot
Disconnect...
Our July Snapshot looks at how the Australian sharemarket and economy actually fared during the past 12 months and what may lay ahead. July Snapshot
11/05/11: 2011 Federal Budget Summary
2011 Federal Budget
The Federal Budget has delivered little in the way of surprises with many of the measures well publicised before budget night. The following is a two-part summary of the budget proposals - Part 1 is a basic overview and Part 2 focuses on super, taxation and social security. 2011 Federal Budget - Part 12011 Federal Budget - Part 2
05/04/11: April 2011 Snapshot
Black gold...
An immediate effect of recent social upheaval, which started in Tunisia and quickly spread in North Africa, has been a rapid rise in the price of oil - one of the main drivers of economic growth. And all of this, just as key economies are starting to recover. The April snapshot examines oil pricing and its economic impact as well as the oil pricing mechanisms. We take pricing a step further to the petrol pump, and assess how the national economy is placed to deal with this rapid rise in the oil price. Download PDF
01/02/11: February 2011 Snapshot
…after the storm
We look at how the Australian share market and economy actually fared during 2010, and then examine some of the key trends which may influence share prices, interest rates and the economy during 2011 as the country begins to rebuild from widespread flood damage. Many were surprised the Australian share market had a quiet 2010, finishing the year just below where it started, especially when considering the local economy came through the crisis of 2008-09 better than most. But a sound economy does not guarantee a lift in share prices. Despite the powerhouse Chinese economy, there was a 14.31 per cent fall on the Shanghai Composite index during 2010. In stark contrast, the US and the UK economies may still be struggling but their share markets jumped 11.02 per cent and 9 per cent respectively. Download the PDF Rick Maggi.
01/01/11: January 2011 Snapshot
Can you bank on it?
We examine the potential impact of further interest rate rises and the issue of bank competition and ‘switching’. If the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) meets the expectations of some economists and raises the cash rate two or three times during 2011, what will your bank do? Will they lift rates in line with the RBA increase or will they break away and lift rates independently of the official cash rate? Since the mid 1990s it has become common practice for banks to move their indicator rates within hours of a change to the official cash rate. Yet in recent months their increases have gone beyond the official rate hikes, triggering strong public and political criticism. Head of the National Australia Bank, Cameron Clyne, says any link between the two events is a perception the banking sector has created for itself by consistently adjusting rates in line with RBA changes. "If the banks continue to move in line with the RBA, up or down, then we are continuing to compound the view that in fact our funding is related to those moves in the cash rate." says Clyne. Download the PDF