Your Wealth

Is an SMSF right for me?

There are now over 600,000 SMSFs in Australia, with over 1.1million investors having chosen to manage their own retirement savings. SMSFs offer unprecedented control, flexibility and investment choice, but also come with a long list of responsibilities and obligations, so it’s worth giving considerable thought to whether it’s the right structure for you.

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Should you consider the new Downsizing Contribution to Super?

Recent legislation gives older Australians the opportunity to contribute up to $300,000 each to superannuation if they sell their homes. This sounds like a great way to increase your super and free up some capital for a more comfortable retirement, but do the benefits really stack up?

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How much can I afford to spend in retirement?

While many of us long for leisurely days playing golf and gardening, or perhaps travelling the world, the reality of retirement presents many challenges for older Australians. Making your savings last a lifetime is a tricky proposition, and both spending too much, and too little, during this stage of life can hugely affect the quality of your post working life.

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ETFs - Behind the Hype

Exchange Traded Funds, or ETFs, have become one of the most popular products for investors who are wishing to create long term wealth. Once just simple index trackers, they now offer exposure to currencies, sectors such as robotics and biotechnology, and even allow investors to short or leverage their market exposure.

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The Great Disconnect – Portfolio Risks in 2018

In early 2018, US equity markets had reached their highest levels on record, the ASX had shrugged off the shroud of the 5000s and volatility was at all-time lows. Yet for those who closely watch Treasury markets and geopolitics, there was great uncertainty unheeded by exuberant equity investors.

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Preparing for earnings season

February earnings season offers an opportunity for investors to get a greater insight into company performance, compare results within sectors and re-balance their portfolios. If you are new to investing or just want to update your market knowledge, earnings season also brings a wealth of insights and commentary to retail investors – but it’s important not to get overwhelmed.

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Busting the $1million retirement myth

To provide for a reasonable retirement, many pundits will tell you that you need a superannuation balance of $1m or more. Others believe such estimates are unhelpful and assert that you may need only a fraction of that amount to enjoy a long and comfortable retirement.

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Investing in a low yield environment

With interest rates at historical lows around the world, investors who rely on income from their portfolios have been forced to seek yield from other assets or suffer a real decline in their standard of living. For many retirees, and others, this is a real and persistent problem, and alternative portfolio solutions are needed.

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Understanding IPOs and Capital Raisings

Many of the biggest investment success stories in recent times have listed in the last several months. Australian IPOs outperformed the overall ASX by over 25% in the first three quarters of 2017*. For investors, however, the decision to buy stock in a company that has previously been private can be a challenging one.

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Understanding hybrid securities

Hybrid securities have become a popular choice among investors seeking income in the current low yield environment. But hybrids are not without risks. In this episode, we take you through many of the essentials that investors should understand about hybrids including their history, why banks issue them and how they work.

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