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31 January 2026
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It’s often assumed one of the primary aims of wealth accumulation is to leave money for the kids, but retirees realise their own longevity means they need to look after their retirement first.
The old investment rule that assumed the majority of retirement income would come from late-stage earnings no longer applies when returns are low, placing more importance on early accumulation.
A range of factors determine interest rates, and the yield curve reflects expectations of the future. Even if interest rates look low, waiting to invest is attempting to outguess the market.
Many factors contribute to a lump sum bias among investors, and it might be one reason why they significantly overestimate how much a lump sum is worth in annual income for life.
The arithmetic mean of the annual returns of the ASX/S&P200 since 1980 is 13.9% per annum, while the geometric mean is 11.6% per annum. This is an annual 2.3% gap. Which returns have you been watching?
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.