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Doug McBirnie

Protect retirement savings from longevity risk by pooling

A feature of life expectancy is that over half the people of a certain age will live longer than their life expectancy. Retirees using these estimates may run out of money, but there are benefits of pooling.

How SMSFs should plan for $1.6m pension cap

Anyone with large super balances should know their choices well before 1 July 2017, although they no longer have to decide how to segregate between accumulation and pension.

SMSF assets will not need segregating

SMSFs transferring funds to a tax-free pension account under the proposed cap of $1.6 million will not need to sell or segregate assets from an accumulation account for the same member.

SMSF trustees have longer lives and more certainty

More wealth and better education levels mean SMSF trustees have a longer life expectancy by 2-3 years. They should be financially prepared and save for for those extra retirement years and beyond.

How much can SMSF trustees really afford in retirement?

The ASFA 'comfortable retirement standard' for a couple is only $58,128 per annum, below the average full-time wage. SMSF trustees should check these numbers as an estimate of how much and at what age before they retire.

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Investing

Creating a bulletproof investment portfolio

Is it possible to build a portfolio that performs well in any economic environment? So-called 'All Weather' portfolios have become more prominent of late, and this looks at what these portfolios are and their pros and cons.

Investment strategies

Last call on bank hybrids

APRA has released a plan to phase out bank hybrid securities and replace them with capital it regards as cheaper and safer. The transition will impact hybrid markets, funding spreads, and investor strategies.

Economics

Reality bites

Asset pricing remains buoyant and equity markets continue to chase financial assets over real ones. As the gap between ‘growth’ stocks and the rest widens further, investors need to decide which side to jump.

Property

Australia's house price league table

Sydney continues to have the most expensive median dwelling value, but the gap between it and the likes of Brisbane and Perth has narrowed. Melbourne's housing values are now the sixth lowest across the eight capital cities.

Shares

Key themes from reporting season, and what's next

Earnings season displayed green shoots in consumer spending, signs of China's economic malaise, and higher interest rates having a very different impact across companies. Here are the winners and losers.

Investment strategies

An important Foxtel announcement...

News Corp's plans to sell Foxtel are surprising in that streaming assets Kayo, Binge and Hubbl look likely to go with it. This and recent events in the US show the bind that legacy TV businesses find themselves in.

How a fund manager is using AI to get an edge

Artificial intelligence is taking the world by storm and the investment industry is still coming to terms with its immense capabilities. Here is how one fund manager is using AI to stay ahead of its competitors.

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