Register For Our Mailing List

Register to receive our free weekly newsletter including editorials.

Home / 232

Welcome to Cuffelinks Fifth Anniversary Edition 232

  •   21 December 2017
  •      
  •   

Chris Cuffe's favourites from the first five years

Five years ago, Chris Cuffe and a few friends established a financial newsletter where market experts share their ideas with an online community. Cuffelinks is now a leading source of insights on investing, superannuation and many social and demographic issues.

Our website includes a searchable archive of 1,500 articles from about 500 writers, the subscriber base is 22,000 with over 30,000 unique visitors a month who have made 3 million pageviews. Some of our articles have been read over 30,000 times, and subscribers have made over 5,000 comments. Please keep them coming.

Chris has chosen 10 of his favourites which have stood the test of time. These articles have not been 're-edited' and should be read in the context of the date they were written.

Click here to download the free ebook, Fifth Anniversary Showcase.

Please share this free ebook with friends and encourage them to subscribe for more great reading next year.

Two 60th birthdays

Two notable birthdays, at least for me, your Managing Editor. The S&P500 turned 60 earlier this year, and it's my milestone this week. S&P produced this graphic on how the world has changed in my lifetime. Very kind of them. I have gone from being one of 2.9 billion people to one of 7.4 billion. The S&P US Index increased from 44 to 2,396, showing the power of long-term investing. The number of industrial stocks in the S&P500 has fallen from 425 to only 68.

Source: S&P Dow Jones Indices. For footnotes, see Indexology, December 2017 edition.

While the S&P500 will outlive me, according to this longevity calculator, my life expectancy is 92 years. So even at this 'mature' stage, my investment horizon is at least 32 years, requiring a decent allocation to growth assets. We will also have amazing medical breakthroughs in the next decade or so that will extend life expectancy beyond our wildest estimates. If you want to comment on life and investing from 60 and beyond, please go here.

Summer series of Cuffelinks

Throughout January 2018, to celebrate five years of publishing, five prominent industry executives have each chosen five of their favourite articles from our archive. These guest editors will explain why the insights in these articles stood out for them.

We'll be back with new content and new ideas soon. Have a great Christmas and holiday season from all at Cuffelinks.

Thanks for coming on the journey with us over the last five years. Thanks also to our sponsors who enable Cuffelinks to be distributed free to subscribers and other readers.

 

Graham Hand, Managing Editor
Leisa Bell, Assistant Editor

Edition 232 | 22 Dec 2017 | Editorial | Newsletter

 

  •   21 December 2017
  •      
  •   

 

Leave a Comment:

banner

Most viewed in recent weeks

Will you run out of money in retirement?

Fear of running out has become a defining retirement anxiety. Why do some retirees die with substantial wealth while others deplete their nest egg? Evidence suggests the answer is more complicated than we think. 

Why spending more in early retirement can improve lifetime income

Conventional wisdom encourages retirees to preserve superannuation. But if those likely to qualify for the Age Pension later in life spend a little more today, it may deliver higher lifetime income and a more stable retirement.

The investment that sidesteps the new tax traps

Tax rules have changed, but many investors are still using yesterday’s strategies. Insurance bonds may offer advantages for those seeking greater control, tax efficiency and certainty about their wealth.

Testamentary trusts have secured the CGT exemption

Treasury’s latest CGT reform draft delivers a win for testamentary trusts and deceased estates, exempting estate-derived gains from the 30% floor. However, questions on death and divorce rollovers remain unresolved.

Meg on SMSFs: What do we think about reversionary pensions these days?

Reversionary pensions have long been a staple of SMSF estate planning, but are they still the best option? Meg Heffron revisits a once-clear favourite and asks whether changing super rules have shifted the balance.

How does the 4% rule stack up?

The 4% rule has long been retirement's gold standard. But after a difficult period for investors, fresh analysis suggests a more conservative approach may significantly improve the chances of making savings last.

Latest Updates

Planning

Testamentary trusts survived the trust tax. The drafting battle has just begun.

The fight over testamentary trusts looked settled. Then the draft legislation arrived. Hidden in a technical detail is a question that could force many families to rethink wills they thought were already future-proof.

Investment strategies

The new capital gains tax trap for your portfolio

Investors have long accepted one portfolio rule without much question. A major tax shift could change that calculation entirely, forcing difficult trade-offs between risk, discipline and an overlooked cost lurking beneath.

Economy

Population growth masks Australia’s productivity problem

For years, investors have benefited from a seemingly reliable growth story. But recent national accounts raise uncomfortable questions about what has really been driving Australia’s economy and whether that can continue unchecked.

Investment strategies

Why tomorrow’s winners may not be today’s index leaders

The stocks that built retirement balances over the past decade now dominate many portfolios. The new challenge is whether these companies can continue meeting the increasingly high expectations embedded in today's share prices.

Investing

What earnings surprises reveal about future returns

Sometimes the most important information in an earnings result isn't the number itself. It's the possibility that the market's assumptions have been fundamentally wrong and future earnings may look very different.

SMSF strategies

Individual SMSF Trusteeship directly liable for ATO fines

A rarely discussed detail buried in SMSF structures could dramatically change who wears the cost when something goes wrong. With penalties rising, a decision many dismissed as administrative may deserve a second look.

Investment strategies

The currency bet you didn’t know you made

Buying global shares means making two bets: on the companies and on the Australian dollar. Most investors consciously choose only the first. Last financial year, the second bet cost 8.5% in returns for many investors.

Sponsors

Alliances

  • ASA-Logo-RGB-ActiveGreen-web.png

© 2026 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer
The data, research and opinions provided here are for information purposes; are not an offer to buy or sell a security; and are not warranted to be correct, complete or accurate. Morningstar, its affiliates, and third-party content providers are not responsible for any investment decisions, damages or losses resulting from, or related to, the data and analyses or their use. To the extent any content is general advice, it has been prepared for clients of Morningstar Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN: 95 090 665 544, AFSL: 240892), without reference to your financial objectives, situation or needs. For more information refer to our Financial Services Guide. You should consider the advice in light of these matters and if applicable, the relevant Product Disclosure Statement before making any decision to invest. Past performance does not necessarily indicate a financial product’s future performance. To obtain advice tailored to your situation, contact a professional financial adviser. Articles are current as at date of publication.
This website contains information and opinions provided by third parties. Inclusion of this information does not necessarily represent Morningstar’s positions, strategies or opinions and should not be considered an endorsement by Morningstar.