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Graham

How much industry knowledge does a board member need?

A reader responded with detailed comments on the need for board members and the Chair to have relevant expertise in the company's industry. Please join the debate.

It’s as much Smashing Pumpkins as smashed avocado

Bernard Salt's smashed avocados are now part of our lexicon, even if the way we are using it was not his original meaning. Whatever, lots of expenses such as concert tickets add up significantly with compounding over time.

Budget 2018: Highlights including new retirement income choices

The 2018 Budget features cuts to personal income taxes and changes to retirement income policies. There's plenty of money on infrastructure to boost jobs and ease congestion.

Pension Loans Scheme is a potential fourth pillar of retirement

The 2018 Budget has opened the possibility that the Pension Loans Scheme will become a more popular part of retirement income planning.

Royal Commission 1: How the tone was set

The characteristic tone of the Royal Commission was set on the first day focus on financial advice, and no witness has been able to defend commissions to advisers and the vertical integration model.

Royal Commission 2: Goodbye grandfathering, hello fee-for-service

Grandfathering and the implications for commissions has become a major flash point, and the Royal Commission is focussing on problems created when advisers are given the wrong incentives.

Latest Updates

Testamentary trusts: Treasury has picked the wrong reading

A decades-old estate planning tool has survived one tax crackdown only to be caught by another. The surprise isn't who the reform is targeting, but who could end up paying the price for drafting choices made years ago.

Latest from Morningstar

Does an American retirement rule work for Australians?

The 4% rule has survived decades of scrutiny, but Australia's retirement system changes the equation in ways most overlook. Before accepting or rejecting this rule of thumb, it pays to understand what really drives retirement outcomes.

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Glencore lands on the ASX. Should BHP and Rio shareholders switch?

A coal-heavy miner with governance concerns isn't the obvious choice for investors. Yet, Glencore's ASX listing may offer something BHP and Rio can't. The challenge is working out whether the opportunity outweighs the risks.

Why does the system treat capital gains and losses differently?

Investors are often told not to let tax policy drive their investment decisions. Yet, under the new CGT rules, portfolio construction, volatility and even how assets are owned may have an outsized impact on their final outcome.

Economy

Three common sense reforms that Australia needs

What do frozen bank accounts, mortgage traps and pension penalties have in common? They're all symptoms of a system that makes life much harder. Yet the obvious solutions seem to have escaped the attention of Canberra.

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The hidden cost of government debt for investors

Some of the important effects of rising public debt never make the headlines. Research shows the immediate effects may already be unfolding, influencing corporate behaviour in ways that many investors would never suspect.

Investment strategies

When do fundamentals matter?

Is fundamental investing losing its grip on markets? Investors continue to search for valuation-based explanations for every price move, but the dominant force behind short-term returns may be something else altogether.

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