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Don Stammer

Decide if 'fake crises' are worth the worry

Instead of automatically reacting to fake crises, a better approach is to weigh up the pros and cons first. If the news proves to be correct, take action based on your risk tolerance.

Why Australians love dividends and franking

Australians love owning dividend-paying shares, especially with the added benefits of franking credits, and the rewards from owning shares should not be judged in terms of price movements in isolation.

Investor sentiment can be highly misleading

Statistics measuring investor sentiment are often flawed but the market's reaction to such statistics is even more misguided. It's likely that shares will be sold more than justified when rates rise.

How will the global slowdown in productivity affect investors?

Productivity growth has slowed, and if it persists, it's another sign that future investment returns will disappoint and fiscal imbalances will persist. There are strategies that might counter the worst effects.

Five lessons from the recent turbulence in share markets

Learning about investing is a long journey and the recent period of market turbulence offers valuable lessons in the way markets behave.

Slowing productivity and its impact on investors

Investors need to be aware of what’s happening to productivity and how this will affect future returns and the affordability of tax-payer funded pensions, especially if company profits fall.

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SMSF strategies

Meg on SMSFs: The CGT changes don’t impact super but what about Div 296 tax decisions?

New CGT rules could tip the scales in the super vs non-super debate. For those facing the Division 296 tax, the case for withdrawing has gotten more complex. A "comparison rate" tool may help assess decisions.

Planning

Testamentary trusts post-budget: Estate planning, tax reform and the ‘death tax’ debate

Proposed Budget changes to taxation are casting new uncertainty over testamentary trusts, prompting closer scrutiny of estate planning structures and the real implications of reforms still taking shape.

Taxation

Income tax and bracket creep

Examining how five "tax cuts" stack up against bracket creep. Why offsets and incremental changes may do little to ease rising average tax burdens, compared to structural reform through indexation over time.  

Exchange traded products

The limits of a quality investing approach in Australia

Quality strategies shine globally, but Australia's concentrated market tells a different story. Limited diversification and sector dominance can constrain the defensive outcomes investors have seen in broader markets.

Investment strategies

Balancing opportunity and complexity

As private markets expand, investors face a growing mix of structures, a stabilising private equity cycle and uneven AI disruption. Fresh questions are being raised about where the real opportunities now sit.

Investment strategies

Why strong returns matter as much as generosity

As EOFY approaches, structured giving offers a tax-effective way to support charities, while allowing donations to grow over time and play a longer-term role in family wealth and legacy planning outcomes.

Investment strategies

The most important investment decision you’ll ever make

Stock picking often gets the spotlight, but research shows asset allocation explains the vast majority of long‑term returns. Understanding your mix of growth and defensive assets is the real key to investment success.

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