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David Bell

Has the FSI missed the elephant in the room?

The FSI makes some important recommendations which would improve the super industry if implemented. However, the trade-off between return and risk is largely left untouched - it's an important opportunity missed.

Some challenges ahead for 2015

Every investor has questions they are pondering at any point in time. In 2015, finding value in the market, explaining how to think about risk and the design of solutions for the post-retirement phase are three major issues.

Reflections on markets in October 2014

October 2014 could be filed away as another month of reasonably normal returns. However if you lived through it day-to-day, there were lots of events and volatility, including somewhat of a ‘mini-panic’.

There’s more to risk aversion than most planners realise

Financial risk aversion is usually measured via a questionnaire compiled by an adviser, which provides a one-dimensional numerical measure. But this does not cover all there is to learn about a client's aversion to risk.

Hedge funds seizing ships – what next?

The story of a US hedge fund fighting to recoup its Argentinean bond investment has both stunned and amused all who have followed its progress over the last 12 years. Will the seizing of a naval vessel bring it to a close?

Grattan and the fuss about Chile’s pensions

A suggestion from the Grattan Institute that Australia's superannuation system could use Chile's default fund auction method to create competition between funds and reduce fees has generated a lot of media attention.

Latest Updates

Retirement

The best way to get rich and retire early

This goes through the different options including shares, property and business ownership and declares a winner, as well as outlining the mindset needed to earn enough to never have to work again.

Shares

Boom, bubble or alarm?

After a stellar 2025 to date for equities, warning signs - from speculative froth to stretched valuations - suggest the market’s calm may be masking deeper fragilities. Strategic rebalancing feels increasingly timely.

Property

A perfect storm for housing affordability in Australia

Everyone has a theory as to why housing in Australia is so expensive. There are a lot of different factors at play, from skewed migration patterns to banking trends and housing's status as a national obsession.

Economy

Which generation had it toughest?

Each generation believes its economic challenges were uniquely tough - but what does the data say? A closer look reveals a more nuanced, complex story behind the generational hardship debate. 

Shares

Is the iPhone nearing its Blackberry moment?

Blackberry clung on to the superiority of keyboards at the beginning of the touchscreen era and paid the ultimate price. Could the rise of agentic AI and a new generation of hardware do something similar to Apple?

Fixed interest

Things may finally be turning for the bond market

The bond market is quietly regaining strength. As rate cuts loom and economic growth moderates, high-quality credit and global fixed income present renewed opportunities for investors seeking income and stability. 

Shares

The wisdom of buying absurdly expensive stocks (or not!)

Companies trading at over 10x revenue now account for over 20% of the MSCI World index, levels not seen since the dotcom bubble. Can these shares create lasting value, or are they destined to unravel?

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