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7 May 2026
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The National Seniors Australia (NSA) survey reveals that retirees want access to regular and stable income, even at the expense of lower returns. The need to preserve capital reduces tolerance of losses.
Life expectancies have increased dramatically since the nineties, but the uncertainty is forcing retirees to live too frugally. The super industry is switching its attention to the drawdown phase to find better solutions.
As Cuffelinks celebrates five years of publishing, I have chosen five of my favourite articles over that time, all of which deal with the ‘retirement income challenge’ one way or another.
We need different tools to measure success in the retirement phase, as many people become dependent on the cash flow from their super fund. The defined contribution system has failed to keep pace with retirees' needs.
Contrary to popular belief, there are significant variations in equity returns over long periods such as 20 years. Whether you will earn the 'equity risk premium' is far from certain.
The idea behind comprehensive income products for retirement, or CIPRs, is to provide retirees with a product that can generate a good income, manage risks and remain flexible. We need a scorecard to understand them better.
Global equity markets have grown more correlated due to globalization, but this trend may reverse which boosts the benefits of cross-country diversification.
Research highlights the significant impact of excluding housing income from income inequality analysis in Australia, arguing for the inclusion of imputed rent and capital gains to provide a more accurate picture.
The lithium rally mirrors the early-2010s tech stock surge, with demand set to double by 2030. Supply has been slow to respond, creating a market deficit for future tech like humanoid robotics and solid-state batteries.
Increasing our official cash rate contrasts with almost every other developed country in the world. Canada, UK, Europe, and USA, so far, have not reversed recent cuts while their inflation issues appear to be contained.
Around the world, democracy as a system of government is backsliding. After more than 50 years of liberal democracy in ascendancy, democratic progress plateaued around the turn of the century and is now going backwards.
Financial commentators await the federal budget with focus on debt and deficit. 'Off-budget' accounting alters the fiscal picture with unseen programs.
Ashley Owen's abridged monthly snapshot uncovers what is front of mind for investors around the world and his view on the likely outcome of the stand-off in the Middle East.