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2018 June Quarter Review
Read more: 2018 June Quarter ReviewEconomic Overview Global economic data proved resilient during Q2 though it was offset by renewed geopolitical tensions. Equity markets were volatile, but mostly positive, while the potential for a trade war between the US and China turned into a reality, while the Trump administration withdrawing from the Iran nuclear accord contributed to higher energy prices. In the US, consumer confidence remained strong with retail sales data suggesting a consumption rebound after a softer Q1. The unemployment rate also reached an 18-year low of 3.8%, accompanied by robust wage growth. The Federal Reserve raised the target rate for Fed Funds by…
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Apples with Apples?
Read more: Apples with Apples?The ‘active versus passive’ debate in funds management is a guaranteed space filler in the financial media, but it would help the general public if those making the comparisons got their facts straight. A recent article in Professional Planner by John Peterson of the Peterson Research Institute cited the outperformance of Australian Super’s actively managed balanced option and a passively managed indexed diversified option to justify the argument that actively managed funds do better over time than their passively managed equivalents. Stop the Press. This is news to us. So we looked in detail at these two vehicles and discovered…
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Winter Savings Tips
Read more: Winter Savings TipsHere we give you some ideas on ways you can save on your water, electricity and gas bills around the home Save on your electricity bill Save money on your power bill and reduce your carbon footprint with these ideas: Switch off and unplug appliances A quick and easy way to reduce your electricity bill is to turn off appliances at the powerpoint when you’re not using them. When things like computers and TVs switch into standby mode, they still use electricity, which can really add up over time. Get into the habit of turning off and unplugging your kettle,…
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The Bad News of Doing Something
Read more: The Bad News of Doing Something“Why do you include so many bad news stories?” It’s a question we’ve been asked, not regularly, but maybe it needs addressing. First off here’s a good news story. This is the growth of $10,000 over the past 25 years in five different asset classes. If you’ve been invested inside and outside of superannuation, you’ve had a decent bite of that. Even better news, all you had to do was open your mouth and the market spooned the returns right in. What’s better than that? That’s 25 years and despite the fact everyone should think in those timeframes, very few…
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Healthy Returns
Read more: Healthy ReturnsLosing money is no joke. Witness all those forlorn investors who regularly appear on A Current Affair, 7:30 and 4 Corners, recounting how they were trying to secure their future before some financial disaster befell them. Whatever the cause (and we’ve discussed plenty of them) inevitably the discussion will turn away from their financial pitfall and towards their physical and mental wellbeing in the aftermath. Never do any of these investors report their physical and mental wellbeing becoming better through the stress of financial loss. They don’t become happier. They don’t become stronger. They’re weakened by the experience and fearful…
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