News Updates
AS IT HAPPENS
Australia continues to defy recession calls. Against this, economic growth is well below potential, with per capita growth running at just 0.8% year on year, which is below that in most major countries. So where to from here? And what will be the impact on interest rates? AMP Capital's Shane Oliver gives us his views for 2018 and beyond...
FROM THE VAULT:
(Originally posted on 24 November 2016)
The 9 Habits of highly ineffective investors...
As the Trump rally continues, its important to stop, take a deep breath and think about potential pitfalls going forward as the fear of missing out and 'animal spirits' take centre stage.
Many of the mistakes investors make are based on common sense rules of thumb that turn out to be wrong...
Does investing in a financial planner really pay off? According to the latest research from Sunsuper you could be thousands of dollars better off when you make choices based on professional financial advice. Plus you’ll take more family holidays, have greater peace of mind and more confidence in your financial decisions...
Before your big day, much of the financial talk may have been around budgeting for your wedding and planning your honeymoon. But while not nearly as exciting, there’s another vital part of your new partnership that should be considered: your future finances.
Finances can be one of the biggest sources of stress and tension in a marriage. However, open communication and careful planning now can help you avoid many problems down the road.
Here are five important areas to examine before you walk down the aisle:
The global risks to inflation and bond yields are finally shifting to the upside, with investment markets starting to take note as evident in the pullback in global share markets seen over the last few days. But how big is the risk? Are we on the brink of another bond crash that will engulf other assets like shares and property?
Although 2017 saw the usual worry list – around President Trump, elections in Europe, China, North Korea and Australian property – it was good for investors. Balanced super funds had returns around 10%, which is pretty good given inflation was around 2%. This year has started favourably but volatility may pick up as geopolitical threats loom a little larger and US inflation rises. This note provides a summary of key insights on the global investment outlook in simple dot point form...
Deep down, we all know that New Year's resolutions just don't work. Consider the empirical data…
* 25% of people abandon their resolutions after just one week. * 60% of people abandon them within 6 months. * The average person makes the same resolutions 10 times without success. * Even after a heart attack, only 14% of patients make any meaningful change around eating or exercise...
By the standards of recent years, 2017 was relatively quiet. Sure there was the usual “worry list” – about Trump, elections in Europe, China as always, North Korea and the perennial property crash in Australia. And there was a mania in bitcoin. But overall it has been pretty positive for investors...
Life doesn’t revolve around money. Lots of other things - like family, friends, and health - can be much more important to you than your bank balance. But some personal goals are hard to achieve if you don’t have much money. That’s why the FPA have put together this handy guide to getting to grips with the do’s and don’ts of your finances...
Why do we invest? Why do we put money in the bank? Is it simply because we should or we’re told we’re should? No – it’s because it helps us to achieve our goals.
Goals-based investing is increasingly popular as a financial planning strategy – it’s a pathway to financial freedom and choices such as the chance to travel, provide our kids with a good education, purchase things we love, build our homes and create foundations for our future.
So how does it work and how can you make goals-based investing work for you?
“Flipping” might be the new word on the block but Australians have long been part of the reno revolution. Some are looking for fast returns (the flip), while others are upgrading after being in a home for several years. Whichever your strategy, chances are the goal remains the same: to renovate for profit. Here are some tips to ramp up your returns...
At the start of last year, with global and Australian shares down around 20% from their April/May 2015 highs, the big worry was that the global economy was going back into recession and that there will be another Global Financial Crisis (GFC). Now, with share markets having had a strong run higher, it seems to have been replaced by worries that a crash is around the corner and this will give us the global recession and new GFC that we missed last year!
