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Leisa Bell

Results: Factfulness of Australians and Cuffelinks readers

We had an outstanding participation rate for the Factfulness quiz. Our readers did well compared with Australia and the rest of the world, but perhaps not as well as expected.

HILDA Survey: Cuffelinks readers smart, perhaps too smart

Last week, we asked 'Are Cuffelinks readers smarter than average?'. Turns out the answer is a firm YES, but we also learned how often financial matters can be open to interpretation.

Are Cuffelinks readers smarter than average?

The 2018 HILDA Survey included five questions aimed at measuring financial literacy. We have replicated these in Cuffelinks' own quiz to compare our readership's results with that of the rest of Australia.

Survey results and your views on the outlook

When readers responded to our questions about where the market might be heading over the next 2-3 years, there were more pessimists than optimists.

Reader feedback from 2017 Survey

An excellent 2,135 responses to the Survey. Most readers are in older age brackets, usually with an SMSF, about 30% are market professionals, and they value our independence and lack of product flogging. 94% say they already have or are likely to recommended Cuffelinks to a friend.

Watch premiums and discounts in LICs

Independent Investment Research has released its December Quarter 2016 review of the performance of the 34 LIC's under its coverage. Understand the premiums and discounts to NTA before investing.

Latest Updates

Retirement

Why it’s time to ditch the retirement journey

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".

Financial planning

How much does it really cost to raise a child?

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.

Exchange traded products

Passive ETF investors may be in for a rude shock

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.

Shares

Bank reporting season scorecard November 2025

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. 

Investment strategies

The real winners from the AI rush

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.

Economy

Why economic forecasts are rarely right (but we still need them)

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.

Strategy

13 reflections on wealth and philanthropy

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.

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