The FinSec View Archives | Page 11 of 14

Bitcoin: the very definition of a bubble

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 [...]

denise.henly2020-07-08T06:28:23+09:30November 12th, 2017|Finance, Investment, Market Update, More than just Finance, The FinSec View|

Changes to the Assets Test for Age Pensions came into effect on January 1 – Ensure Centrelink have your correct numbers

Last years Federal Budget included a number of significant changes to means testing for the Centrelink age pension, these changes came into effect 1 January 2017. Over the last couple of months Centrelink began communicating with those that will be affected. As a consequence of this communication we have had a number of clients report that their asset numbers seem to be inflated, which if left uncorrected will result in a lower pension entitlement under the new rules. Should this [...]

denise.henly2020-07-08T06:22:31+09:30January 19th, 2017|Retirement Planning, The FinSec View|

In hindsight Hillary didn’t stand a chance

Scene from the 1976 film, Network. "I don't have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad. It's a depression. Everybody's out of work or scared of losing their job. The dollar buys a nickel's worth. Banks are going bust. Shopkeepers keep a gun under their counter. Punks are running wild in the street. There's nobody anywhere that seems to know what to do, and there's no end to it ... but there's at least one thing you [...]

denise.henly2020-07-08T06:21:07+09:30November 10th, 2016|The FinSec View|

US Election 2016: Trump Wins. How Markets will React?

How Markets will React: A Short, Medium and Long Term View. Keeping an eye on the short term While there was a quick selloff at first signs of a conclusion to the U.S. elections, and markets seem to have recovered quickly, there still may be some near-term volatility. As with many geopolitical events that generate market swings, the first priority is to rationally evaluate your chosen investment strategy. Review your primary market indicators (we use cycle, value and sentiment), consult your [...]

denise.henly2020-07-08T06:29:05+09:30November 10th, 2016|Investment, Market Update, The FinSec View|

Federal Budget 2016/17 Our Verdict: The Less is More Budget

Scott Morrison's maiden budget speech was the first since Peter Costello's debut 20 years ago that did not include the word 'surplus' an unreported, but perhaps telling, fact. It is no secret that the 2016 Federal Budget made negligible progress on improving Australia's bottom line. Projecting a small surplus way out in 2020/21 it has experts concerned about the future of Australia's AAA credit rating. But, to its credit, this pre-election budget didn't make things worse. Debt accumulation seems to be [...]

denise.henly2020-07-08T06:29:25+09:30May 26th, 2016|Debt, Federal Budget, Investment, Market Update, More than just Finance, The FinSec View|

2016/17 Federal Budget Report

Excerpt: 2016/17 FEDERAL BUDGET REPORT May 2016 For us, the big story out of Budget 2016 is of course Morrison’s crackdown on high-end super tax concessions. Ten years on from Costello’s tax-free super savings and now, on the other side of the resources boom, Morrison has redefined the purpose of super as a substitute or supplement to the welfare safety net of the aged pension, not a vehicle for wealth accumulation or bequests. Whilst we welcome the fairness measures and in [...]

denise.henly2020-07-08T06:29:17+09:30May 26th, 2016|Federal Budget, Market Update, The FinSec View|

2016 The Year of Volatility

Given the relentless media coverage of the issue, it will come as no surprise that markets have been in a state of volatility since the start of the year. This volatility comes off the back of the second half of 2015, seeing a 10% reduction in the value of the Australian market. So all in all, not a market that is causing investors to sleep without a tad of anxiety. Having mentioned the media, let's not forget that good news doesn't [...]

denise.henly2020-07-08T06:30:32+09:30February 29th, 2016|Market Update, The FinSec View|

Markets in free fall: How worried should you be?

Another terrible day on the ASX is unfolding as tanking Chinese sharemarkets wipe out the past two years of gains (at 3.15pm (AEST) the S&P/ASX200 index was down 4 per cent cent to 5007, the biggest intraday drop since 2007). Is it a correction or something more serious? Whilst news headlines appear dominated by China, there are several themes that are driving the share market and will set the agenda for markets in coming weeks First the timing of the US [...]

denise.henly2015-08-24T06:26:41+09:30August 24th, 2015|FinSec Post, The FinSec View|

Steins Law: Greece Succumbed Will we be next?

Greece … there has been a lot of noise, a lot of commentary and you have probably (for the most part) heard enough when it comes to Greece - we will keep it brief. Greek PM Tsipras has announced his resignation and the country is now headed for another election (September). While Greece and the Eurozone have agreed on a third bailout program the IMF is likely to insist that Greece’s debt burden is reduced before participating in the bailout with [...]

denise.henly2015-08-24T05:56:42+09:30August 24th, 2015|FinSec Post, The FinSec View|

Greece succumbs to Stein’s law

by Michael Collins, Investment Commentator at Fidelity July 2015 Herbert Stein (1916 to 1999) was a US economist who was influential in his time. Among his achievements, Stein was chairman of the president-guiding Council of Economic Advisers under Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, was attached to the American Enterprise Institute think tank, contributed to The Wall Street Journal and taught at the University of Virginia. Stein wrote books that are still available and was the first columnist of Slate’s “Dear Prudence” [...]

denise.henly2015-08-24T02:47:41+09:30August 24th, 2015|FinSec Post, The FinSec View|