5 November 2026

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Home / Author: Christine Benz

Christine Benz

Making the case for a 'good enough' portfolio

Some investors spend years chasing the perfect strategy. Others choose a path that’s simply good enough and move on. Which approach is more likely to deliver both better outcomes and a happier financial life over the long run?

Christine Benz
28 October 2026
8
11

If you’re worried about your bond portfolio, you’re missing the point

Most investors think they know what bonds are for. But when markets turn volatile, a surprising misunderstanding can lead to costly decisions. Here’s the overlooked lesson that could change how you view your portfolio.

Christine Benz
23 September 2026
1
5

Why I object to ‘hitting a number’ for retirement

Many investors dream of “hitting their number” and walking into retirement. But what if reaching that milestone is the moment they should be asking the tough questions? After all, there's a lot more to life than a high portfolio value.

Christine Benz
22 July 2026
1
2

Here’s my investment philosophy. What’s yours?

Investors often hear they need an “investment philosophy,” yet few know what that really means. Beneath the jargon sits a simple idea: a handful of core beliefs that shape every financial decision, for better or worse.

Christine Benz
1 July 2026
6
14

Four good reasons to sell stocks now

The most common advice in a market selloff is to hang on for the long term, but that assumes a well-laid, well-maintained plan. That may not be the case for some investors and selling may be worthwhile.

Christine Benz
2 February 2022
9

The good news about retirement income

A lower starting withdrawal rate doesn’t always mean living on less. The latest research on sustainable withdrawals offers flexibility for retirees to improve the chances of not running out of funds prematurely.

Christine Benz
8 December 2021
25

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Superannuation

Superannuation’s structural failings

Politicians are fighting over access to super, but they may be arguing about the wrong thing. The system’s three fundamental flaws have been hiding in plain sight for decades, costing Australians far more than they realise.

Ron Bird
4 November 2026

Planning

The great wealth transfer myth

Why do some families preserve wealth for generations while others struggle to? As the great wealth transfer unfolds, the determining factor is often not the structure of the estate, but the preparation of those who will inherit it.

Peter Roach
4 November 2026

Investment strategies

What comes after bank hybrids?

For years, bank hybrids have been a cornerstone of portfolio income. With tens of billions of dollars now disappearing from the market, investors face a critical question: what comes next, and are the obvious replacements enough?

Kanish Chugh
4 November 2026

Investment insights from the US

What happens when knowledge becomes a commodity? The latest themes emerging from the US tech sector suggest AI could reshape company moats, disrupt incumbents and create winners and losers in unexpected places.

Emma Fisher
4 November 2026

Investing

Can Berkshire thrive without Buffett?

Warren Buffett's departure marks the end of an era. But the more important question for investors is whether Berkshire's culture, discipline and capital allocation framework can survive without the man who built them.

Jason Pohl
4 November 2026

Retirement

The Bengen 4% Rule: Lost in translation

For years, retirees have been told to focus on withdrawal rates. But the real question is far simpler: how many dollars can you safely spend? The answer may be very different from what conventional retirement wisdom suggests.

Jeremy Duffield, Mikhail Walden
4 November 2026

Interest rates

Super low interest rates came with side effects

For more than a decade, investors lived through an era of near-zero interest rates. With bond yields now surging, it's worth asking whether cheap money solved economic problems, or introduced a much larger set of risks.

Michael Collins
4 November 2026

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