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20 September 2026
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In the 2019/2020 Federal Budget, the Government made few changes to superannuation rules to assist retirement planning.
A one-off payment to assist with rising energy bills will be paid to almost four million Australians before the end of the 2018-2019 financial year (assuming legislation passes), but who qualifies?
From 1 July 2020, Australians aged 65 and 66 will be able to make voluntary superannuation contributions, both concessional and non-concessional, without meeting the Work Test.
A global asset allocator is positioned defensively to preserve the wealth of his clients. He has some strong comments on stocks, the investment industry and avoiding the pressures of short termism.
A reader observed that the Australian Financial Review reported that 'member direct' offers will not receive franking credit refunds. Some industry funds have confirmed their options operate in one pool.
It was not supposed to be the Financial Advice Royal Commission, but there is significant focus on advice, including a little-discussed reduction in the ability to pay advice fees from a super fund.
The fight over testamentary trusts looked settled. Then the draft legislation arrived. Hidden in a technical detail is a question that could force many families to rethink wills they thought were already future-proof.
Investors have long accepted one portfolio rule without much question. A major tax shift could change that calculation entirely, forcing difficult trade-offs between risk, discipline and an overlooked cost lurking beneath.
For years, investors have benefited from a seemingly reliable growth story. But recent national accounts raise uncomfortable questions about what has really been driving Australia’s economy and whether that can continue unchecked.
The stocks that built retirement balances over the past decade now dominate many portfolios. The new challenge is whether these companies can continue meeting the increasingly high expectations embedded in today's share prices.
Sometimes the most important information in an earnings result isn't the number itself. It's the possibility that the market's assumptions have been fundamentally wrong and future earnings may look very different.
A rarely discussed detail buried in SMSF structures could dramatically change who wears the cost when something goes wrong. With penalties rising, a decision many dismissed as administrative may deserve a second look.
Buying global shares means making two bets: on the companies and on the Australian dollar. Most investors consciously choose only the first. Last financial year, the second bet cost 8.5% in returns for many investors.