9 September 2026

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Why have Australian living standards 'fallen' and how do we fix it?Will you run out of money in retirement?Four options for an income investor’s next dollar Why spending more in early retirement can improve lifetime income The investment that sidesteps the new tax traps

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Home / Author: Graham Hand

Graham Hand

Consider a LIC before you bite into equities

When the opportunity comes along to buy one of the long-established LICs at a good discount, it's the nearest thing to a free lunch the equity markets will give to a long-term investor.

Graham Hand
10 April 2013
3

Australian spending habits

* ASIC's Money Smart website shows what Australian households spend their money on. Expenditure averages $69,166 a year.

Graham Hand
9 April 2013

Sydney most expensive for a 'cheap date'

* Deutsche Bank issues a semi-annual 'cheap date' index, and the world's two most expensive cities are Sydney and Melbourne.

Graham Hand
9 April 2013

Minister's speeches and announcements

* Major announcements and speeches by the Minister in charge of superannuation, Bill Shorten, can be accessed on his website.

Graham Hand
8 April 2013

Government caps tax exemption on pension earnings

Here's the full Media Release of today's changes to superannuation, including capping the tax-free earnings from assets supporting a pension at $100,000 a year. The reforms will affect individuals with more than $2 million in super assets, or about 16,000 people in 2014-15. A concessional tax rate of 15 per cent will apply to earnings above $100,000.

Graham Hand
5 April 2013
6

Treasury paper on distribution of benefits

* The Treasury paper on distribution of super and pension benefits suggests the equity issue is only with the top 5% of income earners, and contributions tax for them is about to increase.

Graham Hand
5 April 2013

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Latest Updates

Retirement

Why spending more in early retirement can improve lifetime income

Conventional wisdom encourages retirees to preserve superannuation. But if those likely to qualify for the Age Pension later in life spend a little more today, it may deliver higher lifetime income and a more stable retirement.

David Knox
2 September 2026
16

SMSF strategies

Who really loses from the SMSF borrowing ban?

The ban on borrowing to buy residential property inside a self-managed super fund was framed as closing a loophole for the wealthy. Yet ATO data suggests its effects may be felt more heavily on members with moderate balances.

Dr Ruchith Dissanayake, Dr Ama Samarasinghe
2 September 2026
10

Investment strategies

The investing rule that explains the next market crash

What if investment success depends less on picking the right assets and more on understanding the decisions of other investors? A principle borrowed from game theory offers a different perspective on markets.

Shani Jayamanne
2 September 2026
2

Investment strategies

Gold: should you own the metal or the miners?

Gold is back in the headlines but investors may be asking the wrong question. Before deciding where prices are headed next, it's worth considering whether the investment you choose will deliver the outcome you're actually seeking.

David Tuckwell
2 September 2026
5

Fixed interest

Global bonds markets are hiccupping

For decades, investors looked the other way as government debt ballooned. But a reckoning may be beginning. Bond markets are stirring and the consequences could reach far beyond markets into everyday life.

Michael Collins
2 September 2026
1

Property

Why investors are looking beyond traditional property sectors

A little-known corner of the property market may be quietly benefiting from powerful demographic and healthcare trends. Could this specialised sector offer investors something increasingly difficult to find: enduring demand?

Retirement

Retirement in reality - 6 months in

Is retirement really an identity crisis, or is something else at play? New insights challenge conventional thinking and reveal why some retirees struggle to fully embrace life after work.

Dr Joanne Earl
2 September 2026
12

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