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Caveat Emptor

Caveat Emptor: Lifetime annuities versus indexed bonds

A reader sent in an excellent question on the merits of lifetime annuities versus long term indexed bonds for post-retirement income. Jeremy Cooper and Elizabeth Moran make the case for each.

Caveat Emptor: LICs versus ETFs

We’ve asked two industry professionals to state their cases for and against these two investment types that are growing in popularity: Listed Investment Companies and Exchanged Traded Funds.

How does a retail investor access stocks before listing?

A reader wants to know how to access company floats before their listing on the ASX. Roger Montgomery explains it's probably a closed shop, but you can often wait until the market becomes bored and buy better.

More questions on QE

With the 'tapering' finally announced last night, it's as important as ever to understand what's happening. So when Rick Cosier asked some of the questions many would like answered, Warren Bird obliged.

Are income funds just arbitrage funds?

Australian equity income funds have become extremely popular as investors look for yield and income, but are they arbitrage funds by another name? Rudi Minbatiwala of the Colonial First State Equity Income Fund responds.

How risky are bank hybrids and are they misrepresented?

The search for yield has driven retail investors into billions of dollars of hybrids that could not be sold to wholesale investors at these levels. Is the full picture being told to the retail market?

Latest Updates

Retirement

The best way to get rich and retire early

This goes through the different options including shares, property and business ownership and declares a winner, as well as outlining the mindset needed to earn enough to never have to work again.

Shares

Boom, bubble or alarm?

After a stellar 2025 to date for equities, warning signs - from speculative froth to stretched valuations - suggest the market’s calm may be masking deeper fragilities. Strategic rebalancing feels increasingly timely.

Property

A perfect storm for housing affordability in Australia

Everyone has a theory as to why housing in Australia is so expensive. There are a lot of different factors at play, from skewed migration patterns to banking trends and housing's status as a national obsession.

Economy

Which generation had it toughest?

Each generation believes its economic challenges were uniquely tough - but what does the data say? A closer look reveals a more nuanced, complex story behind the generational hardship debate. 

Shares

Is the iPhone nearing its Blackberry moment?

Blackberry clung on to the superiority of keyboards at the beginning of the touchscreen era and paid the ultimate price. Could the rise of agentic AI and a new generation of hardware do something similar to Apple?

Fixed interest

Things may finally be turning for the bond market

The bond market is quietly regaining strength. As rate cuts loom and economic growth moderates, high-quality credit and global fixed income present renewed opportunities for investors seeking income and stability. 

Shares

The wisdom of buying absurdly expensive stocks (or not!)

Companies trading at over 10x revenue now account for over 20% of the MSCI World index, levels not seen since the dotcom bubble. Can these shares create lasting value, or are they destined to unravel?

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