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Annika Bradley

Is your industry super fund too illiquid for its safety?

The long-term retirement system allows super funds to buy illiquid assets, but they must be prudently managed. Measuring liquidity is complex but how do our five major funds compare and are their levels safe?

The super wars revisited: Vanguard vs AustralianSuper

Vanguard has thrown down the gauntlet to the superannuation industry by launching its Super SaveSmart accumulation offering. How does its current offering stack up against local juggernauts such as AustralianSuper?

The super wars: Vanguard versus AustralianSuper

Vanguard Super will launch later in the year with details yet to be confirmed, but it's likely to look like the Vanguard Personal Investor product. Will it really compete with the big, established super funds?

Can you trust industry super fund valuations?

There is a cloud of suspicion over which was the best performing fund of the year in FY22 due to doubts about values of unlisted assets. US funds must reveal valuations but there is a lack of transparency in Australia.

The role of retirement villages in retiree housing

The majority of Australians prefer to ‘age in place’, and legislation on retirement villages is complex. They are increasingly popular but understanding the options is not for the faint-hearted.

ASIC creates a level playing field on fees

An explanation of ASIC's new fee disclosure guidelines that come into effect from February 2017. The changes promise to make comparing funds and fees much easier for investors.

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Weekly Editorial

Welcome to Firstlinks Edition 639

Thank you for the hundreds of responses to our Reader Survey and to maximise the sample size, we’re leaving it open until this Sunday. Here is an overview of the results so far.

  • 27 November 2025
  • 1
Investment strategies

Where to hide in the ‘everything bubble’

It might not be quite an ‘everything bubble’ but there’s froth in many assets, not just US stocks, right now. It might be time to stress test your portfolio and consider assets that could offer you shelter if trouble is coming.

Investment strategies

The ultimate investing hack: dividend growth stocks

Investors often fall prey to ‘amygdala hijacks,’ letting emotion trump reason. By focusing on dividend-growth with stocks instead of volatile prices, you can steady your mindset and let compounding do the work. 

Investment strategies

CBA or global banks?

CBA’s recent pullback highlights single-stock risk. Global banks trade at lower P/Es with rising earnings and dividends, offering investors both income potential and long-term value beyond the local market.

Investment strategies

Global dividends rising, but Australia lags

Global dividend growth surged in the third quarter, with median growth of almost 6%. Australia was a notable exception as dividends fell, thanks to flagging mining company payouts.

Economy

I called inflation's rise and fall and here's what's next

In 2020, I warned that surging US money supply growth would spark inflation. By early 2023, I said US money supply was dropping dramatically and that meant inflation would decline. Here's what happens next.

Superannuation

Are excessive super funds giving Australia “Dutch Disease”?

The irony is profound: a system designed to secure Australians’ futures may be systematically dismantling the economic diversity necessary for long-term prosperity.

Investment strategies

Could your children pass the inheritance ‘stress test’?

You devote years of your life working, saving and investing, striving to build a legacy that will outlive you. Before any wealth moves to the next generation, here are six questions every parent should ask themselves.

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