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Craig Stanford

Do bonds still offer a buffer to equity volatility?

Most Australians place their superannuation into a balanced fund, making the relationship between bonds and equities a vital part of performance. Does the traditional correlation between shares and bonds still hold? 

Why bother with hedge funds?

Despite negative headlines regularly aimed at hedge funds, they experienced strong inflows in the six years until the end of 2015. What are the benefits of hedge funds for a portfolio?

Why Australian investors use offshore funds

There are legitimate reasons to use an offshore financial centre, which should not be confused with a tax haven where data is withheld from tax or regulatory authorities in other countries.

Just how risky are hedge funds?

The commonly held belief that ‘hedge funds’ are riskier than ‘equities’ isn't necessarily true, depending on what type of risks you want to avoid. A few failures give the overall sector an undeserved reputation.

The long and short of hedge funds, Part 2

Part 2 focusses on the criticisms that are often levelled at hedge funds and how to manage these disadvantages to your level of tolerance. The challenge for the hedge fund industry is to deliver more retail-targetted products.

The long and short of hedge funds, Part 1

Investing in hedge funds is one of the more polarising topics in the investment world, with strongly-held views at each end of the spectrum. Part 1 of this two-part series looks at the advantages of these 'alternatives'.

Latest Updates

The ultimate superannuation EOFY checklist 2026

Here is a checklist of 28 important issues you should address before June 30 to ensure your SMSF or other super fund is in order and that you are making the most of the strategies available.

Retirement

Two months into retirement

A retirement researcher's take on retirement and her focus on each of her six resource buckets to stay engaged during the transition and beyond.

Superannuation

Markets have always delivered for super fund members. What if they don’t?

What happens if market resilience in the face of ongoing geopolitical tensions ends? Potential decade-long market weakness shows the need for contingency planning.

Retirement

We tend to spend less in retirement …

Studies show that a drop in expendure during retirement leads to a happier retirement. But when costs ramp up again later in life, it's a guaranteed income that makes spending more hurt less.

Shares

Can you value a share just using dividends?

A cow for her milk, a stock for her dividends. Investors are too quick to dismiss this valuation technique. 

Property

The 25-year property trust default is being questioned

The 33% CGT discount rate being floated isn’t random. It sits at the structural break-even between trust and company for the multi-property cohort. That’s driving the conversation we’re hearing now.

Investment strategies

Are active managers bringing a knife to a gunfight?

How passive investing has permanently changed market structure — and why sophisticated tools are now the price of survival.

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