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16 April 2026
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UK retirement expert, Guy Opperman, believes super funds are failing at supporting members in deaccumulation. Here is what Australia should do about it.
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A retirement strategy must consider how both the timing of cash flows and the sequence of returns impact the final dollar outcome from which a retirement is funded.
Not filing your SMSF annual return on time can mean missed contributions under the new Payday super regulation.
Worries about AI causing mass job loss are misguided. Far from creating a permanent underclass, Like other technological innovations AI will improve living standards around the world.
As the budget approaches debate continues about the need and method for addressing wealth inequality. Could reinstating wealth transfer taxes be the answer?
While increases in oil prices are dominating media coverage of the turmoil in the Middle-East it is worth exploring why prices haven't gone up more.
A big year for philanthropy has seen multiple tax changes impact the approach donors are taking. For those with the intention to give generously there is a third structure available in the structured giving landscape.
Welcome to Firstlinks Edition 657 with weekend update 6
An inconvenient truth of investing is there often isn’t a definitive right answer for what you should do or what type of investment is ‘best.’ Using your personal circumstances and goals to make trade-offs is critical to success.Read More.
War brings immense human suffering and geopolitical chaos, but historically, equity markets have shown a certain detachment and resilience amid conflict, leading to increased profitability despite initial panic.
The new super tax, applying from 1 July, introduces more than just a higher rate on large balances. It brings into focus a misalignment between where wealth sits and where the tax on that wealth ultimately falls.
AI-driven fears of collapsing software moats has triggered indiscriminate sell-offs. This has created mispricing opportunities as markets overreact to uncertainty and rising discount rates.
The new space race is driven by AI as data centers in space offer continuous solar power and reduced environmental impact. Orbital AI aims to speed data processing and ease Earth's resource strains.
The Home Equity Access Scheme in Australia allows older homeowners to tap into their home equity for retirement income, yet remains underused due to lack of awareness and its perceived complexity.
Stay on top of the latest changes to superannuation rates and thresholds for 2026, including increases to transfer balance cap, concessional contributions cap, and non-concessional contributions cap.
Europe is undergoing a major transformation driven by security threats, US pressure, and a shift from austerity to growth. EU member states are taking proactive measures to enhance competitiveness and resilience.
In a shift away from solely targeting low inflation, central banks are considering raising inflation targets to combat economic challenges, but face potential drawbacks and conflicts in policy implementation.
Ambitious Australia joins a long line of reports examining research and development, finding Australia has fallen behind its peers on many fronts. It urges bold reform to address declining productivity and research spending.
The impact of the Iran War is far more than expensive petrol. Higher oil prices have secondary inflationary impacts that reverberate throughout the economy which could be bad news for Australians with mortgages.
Former Australian Prime Minister, Paul Keating, once said "When you change the government, you change the country." We're about to see whether that holds true in Japan.
The 20 years after Peter Costello left Treasury have been deemed wasted...by Peter Costello. The missed opportunities for Australia began long before.
Debate over the CGT discount is intensifying amid concerns about intergenerational equity and housing affordability. This analysis shows that the 'discount' does not necessarily favor property investors.
The perceived underperformance of LICs compared to ETFs is due to existing comparison data excluding crucial information, highlighting the need for proper assessment and transparent reporting.
Geopolitical instability and challenges with new gold discoveries mean we may be approaching a structural shortage of mineable gold, but what does this mean for gold's overall long-term availability?
Global Listed Infrastructure dividends are forecast to grow 5-6% p.a over the next two years. After a hiatus, share buybacks are back on the agenda and will play an integral role in shareholder returns.
An ‘affordability’ scheme making the county more vulnerable to economic shocks and contributing to the deteriorating financial situation of everyday Australians.
The Reserve Bank continues to face criticism from all sides. A reminder of the RBA's mandate and a review of their track record in maintaining price stability since the early 1990s.
Financial advice can lead to improved financial literacy, a healthier super balance and a higher standard of living in retirement. Is now the time to give yourself the gift of financial advice?
Good advisers lead to more diversification, lower turnover and less home bias. However, studies show the average adviser may not be adding much value to clients.
Investors have historically balked at exchanging a lump sum for a future steam of income. Breaking down the financial and emotional considerations of purchasing an annuity.
Australia needs a major shift in longevity awareness, attitudes and behaviour if, as a community, we are to reap the benefits of increasing longevity. Adopting a national strategy is well overdue.
With fertility rates at a record low, many say young people aren’t having kids because they’re too expensive. Turns out, it’s not that simple and there are likely other factors at play.
The $3 million super tax has many rethinking their super strategies, especially issues of wealth transfer on death. This reviews the taxes on super benefits and offers investment alternatives.
CEO Simon Doyle is retiring after 38 years in the finance industry. In an interview with James Gruber, he shares the three main lessons he’s learned, and where he sees opportunities and risks in markets today.
As investors seek to diversify their portfolios, more are looking at private equity to help them do that. Neuberger Berman's Gabriel Ng runs through the different types of private equity and their benefits and trade-offs.
In an interview with Firstlinks, CEO Mark Freeman discusses how speculative ASX stocks have crushed blue chips this year, companies he likes now, and why he’s confident AFIC’s NTA discount will close.
As more money looks for a home outside the US, Asia may soon get some love. Fidelity's Anthony Srom outlines the best places in Asia to invest, including in Chinese consumer names, Indian financials, and Thailand.
Stockland’s development chief discusses supply constraints, government initiatives and the impact of Japanese-owned homebuilders on the industry. He also talks of green shoots in a troubled property market.
Portfolio Manager Ted Alexander outlines the changes that he's made to Platinum's International Fund portfolio since taking charge in March, while staying true to its contrarian, value-focused roots.
An inconvenient truth of investing is there often isn’t a definitive right answer for what you should do or what type of investment is ‘best.’ Using your personal circumstances and goals to make trade-offs is critical to success.
Anxiety and volatility cause poor decision making as investors fall back on first order thinking. It is time to slow down decision making.
Many investors are on edge as geopolitical turmoil continues to impact markets, often leading to short-sighted actions. These are the three quotes that I’ve relied on during periods of volatility.
Long term data can be obscured by the frenetic pace of the news cycle. An occasional reminder is helpful.
Is the consensus on AI too conservative? A recent report from Vanguard indicates there will be a greater effect on productivity than most expect. The implication on investors may be profound.
Everyone has something to say about the impact on markets from the war against Iran. Little of this commentary has added much value.
New research shows smarter portfolio construction—not new factors—is the real edge in the hunt for alpha. However, finding it requires a fundamentally different mindset.
Retail investors have the worst trading record, according to a study of trading performance. Institutional investors weren't at the top either. Here are 6 ways to improve your odds.
New research explains why high valuations, low dividends and bullish sentiment rarely coexist with strong long-term returns after extended bull markets.
Leveraged ETFs seek to deliver some multiple of an underlying index or reference asset’s return over a day. Yet, they aren’t even delivering the target return on an average day as they’re meant to do.
Both active and passive investing can work, but active investment doesn’t in the way it is practised by many fund managers and passive investing doesn’t work in the way most end investors practise it. Here’s a better way.
How does a strategy built around systematically buying-and-holding a basket of the market's biggest losers perform? It turns out pretty well, so why don't more investors do it?
2026 Investor Conference – Australian Shareholders’ Associ..
One location with everything you need to get ahead. The Morningstar In..
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May Webinar Topic - Preparing for 30 June Date: Tuesday 19 May 2026Tim..
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appoints Alison Savas as Investment Director to bolster Australian team.
Investment podcast – April 2026.
Investment podcast – March 2026.
The RBA's prescription to hike rates may not work to lower inflation into the bank’s 2-3% target band. If anything, there appears to be a positive correlation between interest rates and inflation.
The war in Ukraine is a humanitarian crisis, but what normally happens in share markets when conflicts hit and what is the impact of who wins and loses? Here are likely outcomes but the role of China remains uncertain.
One of Buffett's most successful investments has been a confectionery company that he bought more than 50 years ago. The investment demonstrates that stocks need not be growth companies to create fortunes.
For those with the patience to own an investment as volatile as the AI sector, buying and holding a stock basket might make sense. However, based on internet stocks’ history, you need not rush to do so.
Stocks always outperform bonds in the long-term, right? New research challenges that assumption, raising questions about historical financial data, and forecasts for future performance from the two largest asset classes.