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Firstlinks

Welcome to Firstlinks Edition 330

The superannuation industry is its own worst enemy. The disagreements spill into the public domain and reduce confidence and trust in the system. Research released this week by Qantas Super shows only 60% of Australians (and worse, only 52% of those in the critical savings years of 40 to 49 years old) trust their super fund to act in their best interests. Confidence in having enough money in retirement languishes at an average score of 5.4 out of 10.

Mary Meeker’s 2019 Internet Trends Report

Mary Meeker's Internet Trends 2019 is 333 slides in its presentation format, and we have picked out highlights and her 30-minute video summary. Most of us are spending a lot of time looking at screens.

Have Your Say...

Welcome to the 'Have Your Say' section. We have received thousands of comments on articles over the years, but here is a chance for you to set the agenda. Comment on any subject relevant to our audience.

Budget 2019: more news, views and videos

In our Federal Budget 2019/20 coverage, we present summaries and analyses of the Budget from Cuffelinks' sponsors, including newsletters and videos, plus a summary of Labor's overall strategy.

Australian ETFs: end of year reviews 2018

ETFs reached over $40 billion by the end of 2018, with international equities ranked first for net flows, and a rapid growth in fixed income products. Cap-weighted indexes dominated but smart beta is gaining ground.

Free ebook: Firstlinks, the 2018 highlights

Ten of the most popular and original articles first published in Cuffelinks in 2018 are included in this free ebook, 'Firstlinks, the highlights from 2018'. It's a chance to catch up if you missed them first time around.

Latest Updates

Taxation

3 ways to defuse intergenerational anger

With the upcoming budget increasingly likely to include bold proposals to alter the tax code I’ve outlined three incremental steps with fewer unintended consequences.

Economy

Why an extended US-Iran war will punish mortgage holders

The impact of the Iran War is far more than expensive petrol. Higher oil prices have secondary inflationary impacts that reverberate throughout the economy which could be bad news for Australians with mortgages.

Infrastructure

Don’t forget the yield

Global Listed Infrastructure dividends are forecast to grow 5-6% p.a over the next two years. After a hiatus, share buybacks are back on the agenda and will play an integral role in shareholder returns.

Iran war hands politicians free ticket to blame oil prices for inflation

Past oil shocks offer lessons for investors dealing with the fallout from the Iran War and the ongoing impact on inflation.

Economy

Japan 2026: A new PM heralds a new golden age?

Former Australian Prime Minister, Paul Keating, once said "When you change the government, you change the country." We're about to see whether that holds true in Japan.

Investment strategies

Why are central banks moving from US Treasuries to gold?

Central banks now hold more gold reserves than US Treasuries, signalling a shift in safe-haven asset strategy and portfolio diversification as geopolitical risks increase.

Strategy

Has global human wellbeing peaked? What the data reveals

Historically economic progress is measured by GDP growth but there is an increasing body of work that explores quantitative measures of wellbeing.

Sponsors

Alliances

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