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Friday, 22 November 2019
Recently trending OK Boomer: fessing up that we’ve had it goodFour reasons to engage a financial adviserReader poll on the home in pension assets testFocus on quality yield, not near-term incomeRetire ‘retirement’: how brands misunderstand ageing
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In previous cycles, bond yields provided a strong indication of the general health of the economy, but huge coordinated actions by central banks are changing that paradigm. Watch how you read the signals.
The media screams the scary headlines at times like Brexit as the share market reacts to the uncertainty. Investors need to ignore the shouting and accept with equanimity that this is the cost of participation.
Cash gives options over future lower prices, and it avoids the risk of permanent capital loss. But it comes with another risk, the loss of purchasing power, and is not a good long-term investment.
Given how difficult it is to forecast statistics such as GDP, employment or inflation, investors should ignore macroeconomics. Even if forecasts were accurate, they are not very useful for valuing shares.
It matters little if you are invested in property, shares or bonds, we have moved into a lower return environment. It's a time for caution in a world where debt and defaults are rising.
Residential housing is the largest asset class in Australia, supporting the most debt, which explains all the talk about the potential for a housing price bubble.
A global portfolio of infrastructure assets allows trends in one part of the world to be recognised early in another, while companies with pricing power and high barriers to entry enjoy extra resilience.
It's been a strong year for the stockmarket, and a good decade since the end of the GFC. However, there are signs the bull will stop running soon, and portfolios should be positioned in advance.
As we approach the 2020s, we are sailing into uncertain waters at best. These times also have some historical precedents, but we need to make important reforms before our luck runs out.
Regulators are insisting that large super funds become more innovative to assist their clients, but what are the traps within businesses that inhibit creativity and fresh solutions?
While every generation has its unique opportunities, the majority of Firstlinks readers agree that Boomers have had a better run than others. But the real highlights here are in the comments.
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Firstlinks articles are collected in Pandora, Australia's national archive.