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Noel Whittaker

Labor policies and the impact on housing

Labor's proposed policies on negative gearing and capital gains may come at a time when residential property is already weak, and it's unlikely to make buying a property easier for first-home buyers.

Hayne gets it wrong on mortgage brokers

There is much to admire about the work of the Royal Commission, but in recommending a ban on banks paying commissions to mortgage brokers, he has underestimated the role they play.

When the $1.6m cap is no longer relevant

There has been a massive focus on the maximum allowed in a tax-free pension of $1.6 million, but what happens if your portfolio rises in value and you exceed it? Should you worry about it?

Strategies for avoiding the super 'death duty'

The 17% tax on the taxable component of superannuation paid to non-dependants upon death acts like a death duty, and it's worthwhile finding out how to avoid it using legal means.

Labor, let's face the facts on fairness, women and franking

Labor’s rhetoric of taxing the rich and standing up for women doesn’t match the facts. Their proposed imputation policy, if implemented, will raise little revenue and hurt low- and middle-income widows the most.

Summer Series, Guest Editor, Noel Whittaker

As we continue to mark the Cuffelinks 5th anniversary over summer, leading adviser on personal finance, Noel Whittaker, selects his favourite five articles from 2017. Focus on things you can control not those you can't.

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Retirement

The retirement scorecard: how many of these questions can you answer?

From the maths of retirement, estimating spending and picking the right asset allocation to survive a poor decade, here are the questions every retiree – current or future – should be able to answer for themselves.

2026 is not 1999

The US market looks eerily similar to the dot-com era with soaring AI spending and tech giants dominating returns. But one difference separates today’s boom from the dot-com bubble and it could determine what happens next.

Planning

Taxing time for trusts

Trusts are facing a shake-up, but an overhaul may not be necessary. Families can explore restructuring strategies that preserve succession and the asset protection benefits that have made these structures valuable.

Economy

Why the US economy is stronger than you might think

War, inflation and higher rates were expected to derail America. But has the market got it wrong? Three forces are driving the economy beyond expectations, revealing implications for stock prices and portfolio positioning.

Gold

How much trust is in your portfolio?

Everyone talks about diversifying assets. Far fewer think about diversifying trust. As inflation, debt and market assumptions collide, the question is whether portfolios need greater protection from unexpected outcomes.

Retirement

Retirement in reality - 7 months in

Seven months into retirement, I'm still uncovering surprises. This month was spent reflecting on the slow pace of health change, the myth of neatly scheduled part-time work and the unexpected persistence of retirement guilt.

The new geography of technology leadership

The next chapter of technology may not belong to the companies or business models many expect. As the landscape shifts, some opportunities are emerging in places that remain surprisingly overlooked by global markets.

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