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Superannuation & Immediate Gratification
Read more: Superannuation & Immediate GratificationOne of the most well-known psychological studies ever done is the Stanford Marshmallow Experiment from the 1970’s. You’ve likely heard of it, know a variation of it, or have watched an interpretation of it somewhere in the media. Testing out the will power of small children or dogs can be entertaining. Dogs being tempted with food are a staple on social media. In the Stanford experiment, the idea was to test the ability to delay gratification. In the first iteration, children were offered an immediate treat (cookies or pretzels) or the choice to wait 15 minutes and be rewarded with…
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Super Problems
Read more: Super ProblemsFor the past few years there has been a battle raging. Certain superannuation funds have not been backward about coming forward about their performance. Their ‘balanced’ options are the headline generators. Take out top spot and it’s plenty of media attention. The fund’s chief investment officer can pose for flattering photos. Even better, they’ll be quoted on market direction and what they see as emerging investment themes. This attention will attract new investors. People switching their super to the winner. For some, the term ‘balanced’ is misleading. True defensive assets are fixed interest (bonds) and cash. Some superfunds have snuck…
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All That Glitters
Read more: All That Glitters“Have you seen the price of gold?” “What about gold?” “Is there a reason you don’t invest in gold? These are common but also intermittent questions. An investment that has recently increased in value will receive attention. Its proponents will talk about it. The media will cover it. People want to know more about it. This waxes and wanes. Middling performance isn’t so exciting. It doesn’t attract attention. People don’t want to know. Gold is up right now. People want to know. Unlike various other investments that emerge, we don’t dispute gold’s legitimate status as an asset or a commodity.…
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2020 March Quarter Review
Read more: 2020 March Quarter ReviewEconomic Overview The spread of COVID-19 had a significant impact on global economies and investment markets in the March quarter. Rarely does any single issue wholly dominate economic and market data for a quarter. Yet COVID-19 arrived and wiped away focus on any other issue. Apart from the oil war, which itself was relegated to almost irrelevant, there was essentially no other theme that had an influence on shaping the quarter globally. In the US, confirmed cases of Covid-19 rose from 150 to over 100,000 between the first and last weeks of March. Jobless claims increased by over three million…
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Video: Cashing Out – Visual Perspectives Superannuation
Read more: Video: Cashing Out – Visual Perspectives SuperannuationSuperannuation funds are experiencing large volumes of investors switching their portfolios to cash. There is a huge temptation to switch your portfolio or superannuation savings to a ‘safer’ option in times of turmoil. With history as our guide, this has always proven to be a poor choice and it creates a decision making chain. These investors didn’t see the top of the market, so they’re unlikely to find the bottom. This article is for informational purposes only and the information contained is of a general nature and may not be relevant to your particular circumstances. The circumstances of each investor…
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