Good for Japan. Good for investors. Good for Australia.
Party politics aside, this is a big positive. Read Here
Rick Maggi. Westmount. Financial Solutions.
11/06/14: Europe getting its act together
…and what it means for investors
Dr Shane Oliver takes a close look at the European landscape. Very encouraging. Enjoy! Rick Maggi. Westmount. Financial Solutions.
06/06/14: The structural challenges facing Australia...
…and what it means for investors.
A sobering, but balanced commentary from AMP Capital's Dr Shane Oliver. Worth a read in this blurry, politics laden post-budget environment. Enjoy! Rick Maggi, Westmount. Financial Solutions.
17/04/14: Are shares headed for a crash this year?
…not likely
After a strong period of growth its natural to wonder whether the share market is headed for a crash at some point in the near future. This article examines the potential going forward. Read more here If you have any questions about the structure of your own superannuation or investment portfolio, please don't hesitate to call us. Rick Maggi, Westmount. Financial Solutions.
03/04/14: Are we in a property bubble?
A commentary from Dr Shane Oliver...
As the China driven mining boom fades, the Australian housing recovery couldn't come at a better time. But with interest rates poised go up over the next six-twelve months, what does this mean for property investors and borrowers? Read more here (Rick Maggi, Westmount. Financial Solutions.)
02/04/14: Connecting the dots
'Outside the Flags' with Jim Parker
Human beings love stories. But this innate tendency can lead us to imagine connections between events where none really exist. For financial journalists, this is a virtual job requirement. For investors, it can be a disaster. Read on here (Rick Maggi, Westmount. Financial Solutions.)
15/03/14: Why asset allocation is so important
…making a comeback
If we've learned anything since the GFC, it's that a well diversified portfolio of assets, including local and overseas shares, property, cash, bonds etc., is the smartest (and easiest) way to preserve and grow your capital, whether you are retired or accumulating assets. Even as the global economy recovers, thanks to the pain experienced by most of us during the GFC, its unlikely that a new found respect for asset allocation will fade anytime soon.
In this article, Dr Shane Oliver explains what asset allocation is, why it's important to you and how to manage the economic cycles. It should be liberating to know that about 90% of the gains (or losses) investors experience in a lifetime have to do with the amount of exposure they have to various sectors like shares, property, cash etc., and much less to do with micro-decisions such as stock selection or the specific managed fund they purchase.
In other words, managing your portfolio of assets can be much less time consuming, less stressful and less expensive, if structured and maintained properly, regardless of your personal objectives and style. (Rick Maggi, Westmount. Financial Solutions)
07/03/14: Australia: Looking beyond the gloom
Cheer-up, it's much better than you think!
In this article, AMP's Shane Oliver focuses on the Australian economy, which has been getting some depressing press lately. Read more here (Rick Maggi, Westmount. Financial Solutions.)
05/03/14: Ukraine: Relief rally (and then some)
A more conciliatory tone
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he saw no immediate need to invade Ukraine while leaving open the possibility of using force, as the U.S. weighed sanctions on Russia and offered aid to the Ukrainian government.
In his first public remarks since Ukraine said its Crimean peninsula was seized by Russian forces, Putin said yesterday he has a duty to defend ethnic Russians in the region and reserved the right to military action. U.S. President Barack Obama challenged Putin’s rationale for intervening, as Secretary of State John Kerry unveiled $1 billion in loan guarantees to Ukraine’s cash-strapped government during a visit to Kiev.
As a result stocks rebounded worldwide yesterday after Putin’s remarks stirred optimism that the worst crisis between Russia and the West since the end of the Cold War is cooling. Putin said troops stationed in Crimea, where Russia keeps its Black Sea fleet, have only been securing their bases. Gunmen who’ve seized crucial infrastructure and surrounded military installations are acting independently, he said. At the time of writing, the US Dow Jones Index had rallied 227 points to 16,395 overnight while Australia's All Ordinaries Index is up 0.60% to 5,444.
And locally...
Perhaps more importantly, today, Australia's quarterly GDP surprised on the upside posting an annualised rate of 2.8% - higher than the 2.5% GDP rate economists were expecting. When coupled with the announcement today, from Chinese authorities, that their growth rate 'goal' for 2014 will remain at 7.5%, this should add more fuel to the overall optimism currently taking hold of financial markets - great news for Westmount clients. (Rick Maggi. Westmount. Financial Solutions.)
26/02/14: Warren Buffett on keeping investing simple
It doesn't need to be difficult or expensive
Warren Buffett's annual letter to shareholders is almost always a treat to read, even if you don't own any shares of Berkshire Hathaway. It's eminently readable, and he usually throws in some evergreen personal advice that anyone can use. This year is no exception, based on an exclusive excerpt just published by Forbes magazine.
In the letter, Buffett tells the story of two investments made more than two decades ago: a 400-acre farm outside Omaha and a commercial building in Manhattan. The farm is now worth more than five times what he paid. And he says the Manhattan investment produces annual income equal to more than a third of the initial investment.
His secret? He focused on the fundamentals of what the investments would produce, not on their fluctuating value. The real estate property, for instance, was adjacent to New York University, which he notes "wasn't going anywhere."
"Games are won by players who focus on the playing field -- not by those whose eyes are glued to the scoreboard," writes Buffett. "If you can enjoy Saturdays and Sundays without looking at stock prices, give it a try on weekdays."
Buffett says that for "the nonprofessional" (that's the rest of us), there's no need to be picking winners in the stock market, or hiring someone else to do it either. And you should definitely ignore people on TV who try to predict broader market conditions. A low-cost index fund, which captures a wide enough cross section of businesses, should be plenty. And he reveals that he's following his own advice in his will (emphasis added):
My money, I should add, is where my mouth is: What I advise here is essentially identical to certain instructions I've laid out in my will. One bequest provides that cash will be delivered to a trustee for my wife's benefit. (I have to use cash for individual bequests, because all of my Berkshire Hathaway shares will be fully distributed to certain philanthropic organisations over the 10 years following the closing of my estate.) My advice to the trustee could not be more simple: Put 10% of the cash in short-term government bonds and 90% in a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund. (I suggest Vanguard's.) I believe the trust's long-term results from this policy will be superior to those attained by most investors -- whether pension funds, institutions, or individuals.
So there it is. You don't need much more than a portfolio of well diversified index funds (like Vanguard's) along with the right exposure to various assets, which depends on your personal attitude towards risk, volatility and reward. Of course, the lesson from Buffett and others is that ordinary investing doesn't need to be complicated. In fact, if it's not simple, you're doing it wrong.
As most Westmount clients are already taking advantage of 'indexing' and have seen the results first hand, Buffett's comments should come as no surprise, but it's reassuring to know that you're in good company! Rick Maggi (Westmount. Financial Solutions.)
19/02/14: China debt worries and growth
Overdone?
Whether you have a superannuation, pension or managed fund, direct shares or property, what happens in China, the world's second largest economy, matters to your financial health. In this article AMP Capital's Dr Shane Oliver looks more closely at some of the 'noise' surrounding China these days, and whether this is something we should all be worried about. As usual, an easy to understand reader-friendly article from one of Australia's most respected Economists. Enjoy. Read article here Rick Maggi (Westmount. Financial Solutions.)
25/02/14: Spending your super lump sum?
Tread carefully...
The decision about whether to take super benefits as a lump sum, superannuation pension or both as a lump sum and a pension is a key financier issue. But be careful, funding your retirement requires serious resources… Read more here Rick Maggi (Westmount. Financial Solutions.)
23/01/14: Expect more...
The risk of a share market correction...
Since 1950 the average cyclical bull market in Australian shares lasted 48 months with a 126% gain. The current bull market has gone for 28 months with only a 37% gain. So where are we now in the cycle? Are we heading into a bear market already or is there more growth to come? Read on… Where are we now? Rick Maggi (Westmount. Financial Solutions.)
17/01/14: The Year Ahead
19/12/13: The Fed finally tapers
...and what it means for investors
Overnight the US Federal Reserve announced that it will begin carefully and slowly scaling back its massive stimulus program next month. It is the central bank's first step towards winding back the stimulus that has helped the US recover from its worst recession since the 1930s and a sign that the US economy is recovering.
In response, the US share market surged by almost 2% and at the time of writing, local markets are up by about 1.5%. Our local currency immediately dropped to 88.18 US cents but then quickly recovered to 89.45 US cents as investors digested the news. Most importantly, this should be viewed as good news. AMP Capital's Dr Shane Oliver discusses the implications for investors here. Rick Maggi (Westmount. Financial Solutions.)
11/12/13: Review of 2013, outlook for 2014
Insights from AMP Capital's Shane Oliver...
It's that time of year again where we can take a look at the year that was, and then look forward to the next twelve months. Read more here Rick Maggi (Westmount. Financial Solutions.)
30/11/13: Deflation or rising inflation?
What is the risk?
AMP Capital's Dr Shane Oliver looks discusses the potential consequences of a deflationary spiral versus rising inflation on your hip-pocket. Enjoy. Read more here Rick Maggi (Westmount. Financial Solutions.)
15/11/13: China on track
Better than expected...
China's growth cycle is stabilising and that's good news for Australia's economy, our markets, and possibly your super fund. AMP Capital's Dr Shane Oliver weighs in on recent fears over slowing Chinese growth with a typically calm, well balanced commentary. As always, his article is easy to read and not overly technical. Enjoy! Read more here Rick Maggi (Westmount. Financial Solutions.)
04/11/13: Avoiding excess risk in a low-interest environment
Don't upset the fine balance...
The strong growth in the prices of many Australian shares over the past year is attributable, in part, to the buying of yield-hunting investors. A number of high-yielding financial stocks, for instance, are trading at or near to record highs.
Predictably, in the prevailing low-interest environment, many investors are now turning to more concentrated portfolios of high-yielding shares in an effort to maintain their investment yields and their lifestyles. But, unfortunately, this pursuit of yields comes at the cost of undertaking a higher level of risk for an investor's overall investment portfolio.
Rather than exposing portfolios to higher risk and upsetting carefully diversified portfolios in a hunt for income, investors should focus more on a portfolio's total return – that is the combination of its income and capital growth. With this approach, investors in need of more income than produced by a portfolio draw an amount taken from their portfolio's total return, taking into account cash-flow and capital appreciation.
In this way, investors can remain on track to achieving their long-time goals without upsetting their portfolio's diversification and without taking greater risks. Rick Maggi (Westmount. Financial Solutions.)
24/10/13: A new warning on SMSF spruikers
NRAS on ASIC's radar...
The corporate regulator has issued a warning about SMSF spruikers who are encouraging consumers to invest in residential property via the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS).
“ASIC is aware that a number of SMSF promoters include misleading statements in their ads about the grants that may be available under NRAS,” said the regulator.
The NRAS offers property investors direct payments and tax offsets for building and leasing to moderate income earners at a rate that is 20 per cent below market value.
“ASIC has seen ads stating that consumers can use their superannuation to purchase a property using the scheme and receive ‘$100,000 tax free’,” said the statement.
The regulator said the advertisements do not provide balanced messages about the “features, benefits and risks” of investing in an NRAS property via an SMSF.
The advertisements fail to mention that the eligibility to participate in the scheme is subject to restrictions; there are fees associated with purchasing, tenanting and managing NRAS properties; to receive a total financial incentive of $100,000 consumers need to remain in the scheme for 10 years; consumers will be required to rent out the property at 20 per cent below market value to eligible tenants, said the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
The regulator noted that if consumers purchase an NRAS property through an ‘approved participant’ there is no requirement for the incentives to be passed on.
In addition, any contractual arrangements should be checked to ensure the relevant NRAS-approved participant will comply with all legislative requirements, said ASIC.
ASIC commissioner Greg Tanzer said consumers need to be cautious when approached with an offer that appears too good to be true.
“ASIC is focused on protecting consumers and where we see people recommending consumers invest using their SMSF, we want to ensure they are providing balanced messages that comply with the law,” he said.
“It is important that ads are clear, accurate and balanced, especially when consumers are looking for investments for their long-term retirement,” said Mr Tanzer. Rick Maggi (Westmount. Financial Solutions.)