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Home / Author: Graham Hand

Graham Hand

Welcome to the Firstlinks Edition 315

If you want to know what financial markets absurdity looks like, check this bond priced last week: Issued by Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Federal Republic of Germany); maturing 15 August 2029 (10 years); with a coupon of 0.000000% fixed (zero, zip, zilch, nada ... any way you cut it); and an issue price of 102.64 (yes, pay 102.64 now and receive 100 in 10 years).

How to generate income without equity risk

In seeking additional income, some type of market risk must be taken to earn above the 2% on term deposits. The listed market now offers a vast array of alternatives not available even a couple of years ago.

SMSF growth slower but future remains strong

Many investors in large funds plan to open their own SMSFs, while trustees of SMSFs are considering the large funds. It’s highly contestable while asset allocations are also changing.

Welcome to the Firstlinks Edition 314

Strange times indeed. Despite US and Australian equity markets near all-time highs and superannuation funds enjoying record inflows, the wealth industry is undergoing a severe overhaul. Unprecedented numbers of fund managers are not only struggling but closing their doors.

10 reasons many fund managers are now blank spaces

Where once the name plates of exciting new fund managers proudly displayed, now there are blank spaces. What is happening in the industry that so many talented people are closing the doors?

Nathan Hughes on consistency in strange markets

Regardless of how a fund manager is performing, it's vital to have the confidence in a long-term set of rules that have stood the test of time through many markets, including recognising SRI principles.

Latest Updates

SMSF strategies

Division 296: the initial moves to make before the windows close

What if the best superannuation strategy isn't about earning more, but acting before your options disappear? Several overlooked planning windows are narrowing, with consequences that can last for decades.

Planning

Avoid unnecessary CGT with this estate planning clause

A simple estate plan can create a ticking time bomb. One overlooked clause can pit spouses against children, delay inheritances, and potentially leave a family facing an unexpected tax bill worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Exchange traded products

The hidden trade-off in fixed income ETFs

Some investment trade-offs are immediately visible. Others are embedded in the way a portfolio is constructed. Understanding the difference may explain why similar-looking investments can produce surprisingly different results.

Retirement

The mortgage free retirement is fading

What happens when a generation reaches retirement carrying obligations previous generations largely avoided? New research suggests we may need to rethink both how much we need in retirement and what life could look like.

Retirement

The key question to inspire a confident and purposeful retirement

Most people spend decades planning for retirement. Far fewer plan for what happens when they get there. The difference may explain why so many find the transition harder and less fulfilling than expected, despite careful preparation.

Latest from Morningstar

Making the case for a 'good enough' portfolio

Some investors spend years chasing the perfect strategy. Others choose a path that’s simply good enough and move on. Which approach is more likely to deliver both better outcomes and a happier financial life over the long run?

Investment strategies

Is the US market as expensive as CAPE says?

Many investing ideas survive for decades. But that does not make them right. A famous valuation measure implies that US shares are dangerously expensive, but the evidence may point to a very different conclusion.

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