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Home / Author: Raewyn Williams

Raewyn Williams

Portfolio diversification: when a free lunch can cause indigestion

Investing across many different managers may not deliver the expected portfolio diversification if managers invest in the same way. Watch for diversification redundancy.

Why is factor investing a ‘thing’?

We hear a lot about 'factors' but what are they? Both retail and wholesale investors are ploughing billions into these new ETFs and managed funds. Do they have a role alongside passive and active funds?

The other problem with volatility

There are many ways to hedge against volatility, but often at a cost to the overall return of the portfolio. At what point is a smooth journey worth the impact on the destination?

Investment objectives: are you max return or min risk?

The benefit of setting investment objectives is most apparent in times of market turmoil, but at any time, defining a preference for maximum returns or minimum risk will help to achieve the right outcome.

Multi-manager diversification or tax efficiency or both?

Often with multi-manager funds, each manager acts autonomously, unaware of what the others are doing. Funds that adopt a centralised approach can eliminate unnecessary trades and reduce tax inefficiencies.

Choosing managers should not ignore tax impact

Choosing a fund manager who outperforms the market on a pre-tax basis is good, but if you also consider the tax effect on that performance, you really start to identify who the best managers are.

Latest Updates

Superannuation

Indexation implications – key changes to 2026/27 super thresholds

Stay on top of the latest changes to superannuation rates and thresholds for 2026, including increases to transfer balance cap, concessional contributions cap, and non-concessional contributions cap.

Economy

Central banks need higher inflation targets

In a shift away from solely targeting low inflation, central banks are considering raising inflation targets to combat economic challenges, but face potential drawbacks and conflicts in policy implementation.

Exchange traded products

The missing 30%: how LIC returns are understated, and why it matters

The perceived underperformance of LICs compared to ETFs is due to existing comparison data excluding crucial information, highlighting the need for proper assessment and transparent reporting.

Latest from Morningstar

Alpha isn’t dead. You’ve just been measuring it wrong

New research shows smarter portfolio construction—not new factors—is the real edge in the hunt for alpha. However, finding it requires a fundamentally different mindset.

Investment strategies

The diversification illusion: why 'balanced' portfolios may be exposed

Many 'diversified' portfolios are increasingly driven by the same narrow set of forces. As concentration builds beneath the surface, understanding how portfolios behave - not just how they’re constructed - is critical for investors.

Investment strategies

The case for staying the course in credit

Rising oil prices and inflation pushed Australian yields higher. Markets expect further tightening, but weaker growth may reverse rates. Locking income and maintaining duration is a sound strategy for widening credit spreads.

Investment strategies

One risk after another

Investors often focus on front-of-mind risks, reacting to each headline event without considering long-term impacts. Cass Sunstein and Timur Kuran define this as an "availability cascade," affecting financial decision-making.

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