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20 November 2025
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An insider's view of how institutional investors approach a hot IPO and the charade that goes on between fund managers and the investment banks running the show.
The wealth management businesses of major banks may be efficient uses of their capital, but it comes with scrutiny of the vertical integration model and culture risks. There's increasing focus on whether it's worth having.
When analysing the latest takeover offer, these timeless country music lyrics come to mind. Because each situation is different, you'll need to know whether to accept the offer, hold out for more, or just dump and run.
There's been much media attention on the negative aspects of oil price falls, but some of the benefits are doing more for the economy than the government stimulus package during the GFC.
The major banks and other large companies attract a lot of attention when they report profits of billions of dollars, but other measures of profitability show the big headline figures can be misleading.
After the large falls in the prices of most resource stocks over the last year, investors might be wondering what to do. Here are a few factors to consider relating to resources at this time of great uncertainty.
Retirement isn’t a clean financial arc. Income shocks, health costs and family pressures hit at random, exposing the limits of age-based planning and the myth of a predictable “retirement journey".
With fertility rates at a record low, many say young people aren’t having kids because they’re too expensive. Turns out, it’s not that simple and there are likely other factors at play.
Passive ETFs have become wildly popular just as markets, especially the US, reach extreme valuations. For long-term investors, these ETFs make sense, though if you're investing in them to chase performance, look out below.
The Big Four banks shrugged off doomsayers with their recent results, posting low loan losses, solid margins, and rising dividends. It underscores their resilience, but lofty valuations mean it’s time to be selective.
AI is booming, but like the 19th-century gold rush, the real profits may go to those supplying the tools and energy, not the companies at the centre of the rush.
Economic experts, including the RBA, get plenty of forecasts wrong, but that doesn't make such forecasts worthless. The key isn't to predict perfectly – it's to understand the range of possibilities and plan accordingly.
Wealth keeps growing, yet few ask “how much is enough?” or what their kids truly need. After 23 years in philanthropy, I’ve seen how unexamined wealth can limit impact, and why Australia needs a stronger giving culture.