24th March - SA Leaders Q&A session with Andrew Creaser "People are worried about their investments, and emotions are running high but what we do have is control over how we respond. The best financial advice in the wake of COVID-19? Don’t panic. How do you make informed decisions? What are the opportunities?"
The Australian Labor Party (ALP) proposal to limit cash refunds of franking credits will clearly impact many pension phase SMSFs, but we believe it also has the potential to impact many other superannuation funds. In this paper, we build a model of the key variables which determine whether a superannuation fund is likely to lose refunds of net franking credits under the ALP proposal. Our model is consistent with and helps explain an article in The Australian which reported that $309 million in [...]
If you’re like me, looking to build a house on your own, then the following should come as no surprise: In order to construct a new home, I first off have to know my strengths—and areas where I need to rely on experts and specialists instead. For instance, I know what I want my home to look like: two floors, an open kitchen, north-facing windows and an oversized deck. But I don’t really know how to go about building it to [...]
Reverberations will continue to be felt across the mahogany boardrooms and expansive top-floor executives suites of Australia’s admonished banking and financial services giants, as the royal commission claims more scalps while others jump the proverbial ship. The revelations exposed by the royal commission have been nothing short of appalling. As members of the profession – and as people who are proud to call themselves financial advisers – We find it jarring and disappointing that these are the circumstances in which the [...]
In a matter of days, Santa will be putting the finishing touches on his “Naughty” and “Nice” lists and it remains unclear on which side of the ledger the banks will sit. It’s an understatement, of course, to suggest the big four (CBA, Westpac, ANZ and NAB) won’t be expecting an outpouring of festive cheer and goodwill from their 17+ million customers this year. Despite holding around 2.5 trillion of our money, collectively – (and 80% of the nation’s loans) - [...]
A mate recently cancelled his gym membership at a popular city health club, citing lack of motivation, high monthly fees and a general malaise about “just not getting results’’. Out of interest, I asked him what his training regime looked like. A brisk walk on the treadmill, he confessed, followed by a quick sauna and an obligatory large iced-coffee (with cream and ice-cream) in the club lounge afterwards. Those stubborn kilos are still hanging on for dear life. Comparisons can be [...]
Legend has it that Joe Kennedy, father of former President John F Kennedy, avoided the stock market crash of 1929 by selling his entire portfolio just days before prices collapsed. He did this, the story goes, after receiving a share tip from a shoeshine boy. When taxi drivers, lift attendants and young lads on the sidewalk are speculating in stocks, he concluded, “the market is too popular for its own good”. The stock market is riding high today but I’d be [...]
People happiest with their lot in life are most likely to have a financial plan, according to the FPA Live the Dream report. The national research of working-age Australians also includes insights into the regrets, dreams, and attitudes to matters of money and life across generations, genders and geographies. Almost one in four Australians (23%) surveyed believe they are living the dream. These enviably content people who dream big and are prepared to act of their plans are nearly three times [...]
The Wall Street Journal (one of our favourite places to 'hang out' online) has compiled this list of "best duty" questions to ask your financial adviser. Although very American it is thought provoking none-the-less and in our view Australian Advisers should be just as happy to answer a similar set of questions with context - I know we are! Please note both the questions and answers are from the original Wall Street Journal Article (using the American context). THE 19 QUESTIONS [...]