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Ashley Owen

Invest like Buffett? Diversification, Part 2

How is Buffett anything like a 60-year-old retiree who either cannot or does not want to work full-time anymore? Despite what the books say, you can't 'invest like Buffett' and focus on preservation of capital in retirement.

Diversification works?

Nobody ever built a great business, or created a great nation, or amassed a great fortune, or became a great painter or musician or sportsperson or anything else, by diversifying. You need to specialise, concentrate and focus.

Investing against the herd, Part 3, Testing the theory

An 'against the herd' portfolio is some 54% higher than the 'follow the herd’ portfolio, and 22% better than a passive portfolio. Ignore the market hype and general sentiment and focus instead on the facts.

Once in a lifetime returns from US shares

Not only has the US market returned 39% in Australian dollars over the past 9 months, volatility has not been lower since the mid-2000s. It has been the best run of consistent, high returns in my lifetime.

Investing against the herd, Part 2, Consumer sentiment and equity returns

Investors tend to believe that markets will keep going in the same direction they have been in the recent past - both on the way up and on the way down. Consumer sentiment peaks at the same time as the market.

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.

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Planning

Does your will qualify for the discretionary testamentary trust exemption?

Treasury has confirmed the exemption many families were hoping for. But buried in the fine print are two conditions that could leave some wills on the wrong side of the exemption, despite years of careful planning. 

Lithium's latest drop and what it means for ASX investors

Lithium's latest sell-off has punished ASX miners as prices remain hostage to shifting expectations. The key challenge is navigating a market prone to extreme volatility despite a strong case for the long-term demand outlook.

Investment strategies

CGT reform and fund turnover: who really feels the impact?

The implications of CGT reform are far and wide. As the 50% discount gives way to inflation indexation, turnover and return profiles may become critical drivers of after-tax performance. Some strategies face a far greater hit. 

Superannuation

Super was built for a very different Australia

Our retirement system was built around assumptions that no longer hold. Lower homeownership, longer lifespans and changing expectations are exposing cracks that policymakers and super funds need to address. 

Retirement

Retirement in reality - 4 months in

Many people spend years planning financially for retirement but little time preparing for what comes next. Four months in, here are the surprising lessons i've learnt on finding purpose, social connection and healthy habits. 

Investment strategies

After the Budget, Australia needs its own definition of quality

As tax reforms reshape investment incentives, investors should rethink what quality investing means in the uniquely concentrated Australian market, where traditional frameworks may not translate as effectively.

Datacenters are the new shale oil

Why are tech giants pouring billions into datacentres when the economics look questionable? The most dangerous words in investing may be: "everyone else is doing it". Today's AI boom has striking parallels with the shale bust.

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