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29 January 2026
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Worried about funding your child’s education? A little bit of planning goes a long way
As we head into the end of the year, many parents are thinking about the onset of school fees and how to afford them. Starting early and investing carefully is best and it’s never too late to start a savings plan. Investment bonds can help in funding a child’s education with a flexible investment strategy that may have tax advantages.
What are the best ways to build a simple portfolio from scratch? I’ve addressed this issue before but think it’s worth revisiting given markets and the world have since changed, throwing up new challenges and things to consider.
At this time last year, I forecast that 2025 would likely be a positive year given strong economic prospects and disinflation. The outlook for this year is less clear cut and here is what investors should do.
Treasury has released draft legislation for a new version of the controversial $3 million super tax. It's a significant improvement on the original proposal but there are some stings in the tail.
The renowned investor says 2025’s real story wasn’t AI or US stocks but the shift away from American assets and a collapse in the value of money. And he outlines how to best position portfolios for what’s ahead.
The predictions include dividends will outstrip growth as a source of Australian equity returns, US market performance will be underwhelming, while US government bonds will beat gold.
We don’t have a housing shortage; we have housing misallocation. This explores why so many bedrooms go unused, what’s been tried before, and five things to unlock housing capacity – no new building required.
The post-World War Two economic system is unravelling, leading to huge shifts in currency, bond and commodity markets, yet stocks seem oblivious to the chaos. This looks to history as a guide for what’s next.
Mark Carney has spoken of a rupture in the rules based system that has governed the world since 1945. That rupture means nations like Australia will need to boost defence spending and find savings elsewhere.
With ASX dividend yields now below government bond yields, investors face an upside-down market where income is scarce, growth is muted, and careful selection of bond-like stocks has never mattered more.
ASX miners are back in favour after playing second fiddle to banks for years. Is it too late to get in? Here are some thoughts on the large caps such as BHP and Rio, and the hot gold mining sector.
Most commentary on gold's recent record highs focus on it being the product of fear or speculative momentum. That's ignoring the deeper structural drivers at play.
Tariff turmoil tested Asia, but AI leadership, policy easing and reform momentum are restoring investor confidence and strengthening the region’s outlook for 2026.
New research explains why high valuations, low dividends and bullish sentiment rarely coexist with strong long-term returns after extended bull markets.