-
Hybrids – The Worst of Both Worlds
Read more: Hybrids – The Worst of Both WorldsYou might remember it. Though it seems so long ago right now. There was a big kerfuffle. It was about franking credit cash refunds. In short, former Labor leader Bill Shorten was going to do away with them. In response, Australia’s self-funded retirees made it their mission to do away with Bill Shorten. Retirees: 1. Bill Shorten: 0. Less than a year on. There has been fire. There has been pandemic. Bill Shorten might be feeling better about losing that election. What about those retirees? Highly doubtful they want Mr Shorten back, but he did present them with an opportunity.…
Topics:
-
Covid- 19 Update
Read more: Covid- 19 UpdateWe’re deep in a global pandemic. The positive? Governments are responding. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures. Interest rates to near zero. Governments putting money into bank accounts. Financial support for business. Government quickly realised the time for half measures was over. President Trump especially. He’s got an election to win at the end of the year. Previously he’d been coasting to victory. With the US economy pummeled, Trump’s no longer on a victory lap. Trump’s big stimulus may not be the last. On an individual level, the important thing is getting through this. Physically and mentally healthy. If you…
Topics:
-
Don’t Fall for It – A Short History of Financial Scams
Read more: Don’t Fall for It – A Short History of Financial ScamsReleased back in January was an interesting new book by Ben Carlson. Carlson is a portfolio manager at Ritholtz Wealth Management in the US and also runs the popular financial blog, A Wealth of Common Sense. The book itself is a handy primer on scams. What are scams really? Psychological manipulations of our weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Losing your hair? Can’t lose weight? Unable to conceive a baby? Need a financial fix? There’s always an unknown cure for whatever ails us. Someone’s always available selling something almost too good to be true. The victims span the average person to Hollywood and…
Topics:
-
Risk Management: Second Level Thinking
Read more: Risk Management: Second Level ThinkingWhile your investment portfolios may be very well diversified have you ever thought about other areas of life where you might be financially exposed to risk? One key objective of diversification is to reduce single stock/security risk by spreading your money over hundreds of different securities. Imagine one or two blow-up. There is minimal impact on your portfolio. This approach means you are not concentrating your exposure in any one sector or security. But what about other areas of life? Could you be exposed in other ways to sectors or industries that are higher risk and subject to the cycles…
Topics:
-
A Message On Recent Market Falls
Read more: A Message On Recent Market FallsWhen the market falls 7% in a day… There’s no sugar coating it. It’s very painful. What now? We’ve been through this many times before. Our experience tells us to do nothing. With every previous market fall there has been a recovery. Every financial adviser has a story. It’s the person who panicked. There was an event. There was a large market reaction and a client demanded to exit their portfolio and sit in cash. These clients never get back in. They sit in cash as the market recovers. Then it pushes higher. Too proud, they refuse to reenter. Often…
Topics:






