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Donal Griffin

How a carer inherited an estate

Carers may have a legitimate claim to an estate even if the deceased suffered from dementia when making a subsequent will. The Court seeks to establish whether testamentary capacity was disabled.

Record award in estate of John Hemmes

The success of this claim on John Hemmes' estate and the unexpected amount involved provides a reminder to ensure you have a robust estate plan in place.

10 things to check on your estate planning

Rule changes are causing modifications in expert advice on super beneficiaries and estate planning, and this checklist can guide your decisions or discussions with your chosen adviser.

Careless estate planning: how artists can lose their legal voice

Using the example of an artist's body of work being highly sought-after once the artist dies highlights the importance of appointing the right executors - ones that will handle your affairs the way you intended.

Caveat lender, and consistency in law

When combining family and financial matters, what starts out well can turn ugly. Not only should such dealings be properly documented, but also conducted in strict accordance with those documents.

Don’t leave your estate to clean up a super mess

Superannuation is increasingly attracting the attention of people who expected to be beneficiaries of an estate. Many are dismayed that superannuation is not treated the same as other assets under the will.

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Retirement

Uncomfortable truths: The real cost of living in retirement

How useful are the retirement savings and spending targets put out by various groups such as ASFA? Not very, and it's reducing the ability of ordinary retirees to fully understand their retirement income options.

Shares

On the virtue of owning wonderful businesses like CBA

The US market has pummelled Australia's over the past 16 years and for good reason: it has some incredible businesses. Australia does too, but if you want to enjoy US-type returns, you need to know where to look.

Investment strategies

Why bank hybrids are being priced at a premium

As long as the banks have no desire to pay up for term deposit funding - which looks likely for a while yet - investors will continue to pay a premium for the higher yielding, but riskier hybrid instrument.

Investment strategies

The Magnificent Seven's dominance poses ever-growing risks

The rise of the Magnificent Seven and their large weighting in US indices has led to debate about concentration risk in markets. Whatever your view, the crowding into these stocks poses several challenges for global investors.

Strategy

Wealth is more than a number

Money can bolster our joy in real ways. However, if we relentlessly chase wealth at the expense of other facets of well-being, history and science both teach us that it will lead to a hollowing out of life.

The copper bull market may have years to run

The copper market is barrelling towards a significant deficit and price surge over the next few decades that investors should not discount when looking at the potential for artificial intelligence and renewable energy.

Property

Global REITs are on sale

Global REITs have been out of favour for some time. While office remains a concern, the rest of the sector is in good shape and offers compelling value, with many REITs trading below underlying asset replacement costs.

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