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1 August 2026
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Many of us worry about retirement – can we afford it? will we enjoy it? will we feel like we’re on the sidelines of life? – but little is written about what that phase of life is actually like.
It is useful to think of your financial life and psychological adjustment in five stages: a family and career phase, pre-retirement, close to retirement, just past retirement, and then lifestyle downsizing.
Retirees should discuss goals and plans with their adult children, including wills, finances, consequences of incapacitation and current plans. Includes a suggested 'Goals and Plans' document to kick off the conversation.
Most people in retirement will have three financial goals in the decumulation stage to take account of the uncertainty of health, longevity and markets, and here's a framework to help.
Don replies to Peter. People saving for retirement should separate shallow and deep risk. Shallow risk, where prices fall, can be good in accumulation phase. Deep risk is a serious long-term deterioration.
Take investment risk in the early years when there is little financial capital at stake and lots of future earning potential, and follow a sort of glide path to reduce exposure to risk later in life.
Markets climbed a wall of worry in FY26, but artificial intelligence remained the dominant force, rewarding some of the world’s biggest companies while leaving others behind.
Sweeping tax changes are reshaping the investment landscape and many investors are considering major restructures. But before chasing lower tax bills, it's worth asking whether those decisions will strengthen—or undermine your ability to build wealth across generations.
Is value investing relevant in an age when momentum investing, quant strategies and index funds increasingly dominate markets? It is underappreciated how share price distortions may be creating some of the best opportunities for patient, disciplined investors.
Australia's concentrated market makes global diversification essential, but breadth alone is not enough. Investors still need a disciplined framework combining business quality, sensible valuation and a credible catalyst.
While many investors are asking whether gold has peaked, the world's central banks appear to be asking different questions altogether. Their thinking offers useful insights for long-term investors.
Investor sentiment towards Australia has turned increasingly gloomy, but the data tells a different story. There are still plenty of reasons to remain optimistic.
After four decades advising investors, there are a few common mistakes I've seen SMSF investors make. From holding too much cash and chasing yield to overtrading and trusting tips. Are these errors costing you?