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Ashley Owen

What credit spreads reveal about share markets

Understanding how credit spreads relate to share prices and what they can reveal about where we are in the stock market cycle can be useful information for the long-term investor.

Bankers must realise they are fiduciaries

The fiduciary duty of banks, while not legislated, is implied by their central role in the economy. Bank deposits are accepted as 'money', and public confidence in banks is fundamental to a functioning economy.

Why listed property trusts are beating shares

Listed property trusts have outperformed shares for four of the last five years but after property price increases driven by foreign buyers, what might the future bring?

Australian shares did OK if you avoided banks and miners

With the broad Australian stock index down 8% since the start of 2015, it looks like a poor period for equity markets. But if investors managed to avoid banks and miners, there's every chance their portfolio performed well.

Is the current market really more volatile?

Talk of the current market being volatile is overstated. Markets have been relatively calm for the last four years, and what we are seeing now should be considered normal.

Do 'January' results foretell the full year for equities?

A final look at the 'January effect' to analyse whether the market's first month performance predicts the share market's likely year-end returns, and why Australia is different from the US.

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SMSF strategies

Meg on SMSFs: What do we think about reversionary pensions these days?

Reversionary pensions have long been a staple of SMSF estate planning, but are they still the best option? Meg Heffron revisits a once-clear favourite and asks whether changing super rules have shifted the balance.

The ageing ‘crisis’ has not and will not happen

Rising age dependency is frequently treated as a warning sign for economies. But when actual workforce participation is examined, a strikingly different picture emerges about ageing, productivity and economic sustainability.

Retirement

How does the 4% rule stack up?

The 4% rule has long been retirement's gold standard. But after a difficult period for investors, fresh analysis suggests a more conservative approach may significantly improve the chances of making savings last.

Shares

Four charts that expose market concentration risk

Investors have recently been rewarded for backing market leaders, but history suggests this eventually comes at a cost. Now may be the time to review whether your portfolio is carrying unintended risks beneath the surface.

Investment strategies

The case for gearing beyond property

Most Australians gear into property but ignore shares. That may be a mistake. Used carefully, geared equity strategies can enhance long-term returns, reduce cash tied up in growth assets and support retirement income goals.

Economy

Australia's $1 trillion debt pile

The headlines exclaiming that Australian government debt has hit A$1 trillion and US government debt has hit $40 trillion has turned heads, but how serious are they really? Will Australia's mix of debt create challenges?

Economy

Has 100 years of growth made us any happier?

For decades, GDP has been the benchmark for economic success, but has it made us materially happier? If happiness does not rise in lockstep with prosperity, are we overlooking what constitutes a successful society?

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