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Ashley Owen

Investing against the herd: resisting emotion

Investors who follow the herd invariably end up buying near the tops when everybody else is buying and selling near the bottom. Investors need to resist the temptation to get caught up in the hype of the daily news and noise.

A short history lesson on banks and government debt

Fascinating though the current events on government deficits are, they are hardly new. Not much changes - even across thousands of years, and it's worth a quick history lesson.

Economic growth does not drive stock market returns

The widely-held belief that good economic growth should be good for share prices, and low economic growth bad for them, is often demonstrated to work in reverse.

What export boom?

This will challenge your way of thinking: Australia is one of the smallest exporters as a percentage of GDP in the world, and therefore one of the least reliant on exports for our national income. But we're addicted to imports.

How much income tax do you pay?

There's an ongoing debate about income inequality and personal income tax. Looking at the numbers, 45% of Australian adults pay no personal income tax, while 1.5% of adults pay 26% of income tax.

Federal Government budgets and their impact on the stockmarket

A look at history shows government deficit years and fiscal tightening have generally been good years for stockmarket returns. 2013-4 will most probably be a deficit year, as is 2012-3.

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Investment strategies

How to choose a good fund manager

Despite the rise of passive investing, Australia has a number of top shelf fund managers who have consistently outperformed indices over the long-term. This looks at how to identify the best active funds for your portfolio.

Property

Key factors behind the housing supply crisis

Australia’s housing supply is falling far short of demand, driving up prices and rents. With approvals down, costs up, and planning delays rampant, the next generation may not forget - or forgive - this crisis. 

Economy

Electricity transmission is Australia's next problem

Australia’s energy transition will take decades to complete because new renewable generating capacity in the far-flung locations will require transmission capacity to be added. And we're well behind schedule on this.

Planning

Family trusts and relationship breakdowns

Trusts offer flexibility and asset protection, but in relationship breakdowns, courts can 'look through' them. Understanding control, purpose, and asset origins is key to preserving trust benefits in family law disputes.

Property

Selling your holiday home? You may be able to pay less tax

Selling your holiday home can make a lot of sense, but it can also lead to a big tax bill. Fortunately, there are strategies that investors can use to boost their retirement balance and cut their capital gains liability.

Why it's time to revisit the case for non-US stocks

History shows that global equity returns tend to be cyclical and that outperformance between regions can flip. After years of underperformance, there are growing reasons to add non-US equities to a diversified portfolio today.

Economy

Should America follow Australia with a sovereign wealth fund?

While appointing a seasoned banker to lead a US sovereign wealth fund sounds promising, the plan itself could expose the country to massive risks, market distortions, and dangerous expansions of presidential power. 

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