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Home / Author: Robin Bowerman

Robin Bowerman

How to avoid being a bad investor

It's tough to become the 'best' investor in the world, but we can certainly avoid being the 'worst'. Here are graphical examples of some long-term principles to adopt, including the difficulty of timing the market.

Know your fund types and structures – an acronym odyssey

ETFs, LICs and MFs. These investment options share some similarities but there are also important differences that make them more or less suitable for particular investors. There are a few key features to know.

To speculate or not to speculate

More retail investors than ever are speculating on the stock market, driven to FOMO by the success of others. Here are five rules which have stood the test of time rather than hoping speculation works.

Vital lessons from the long-term Index Chart

A look at long-term performance gives a sense of perspective that helps tune out short-term noise, focus on your long-term goals and ‘stay the course’. Here are some interactive charts.

Vale Jack Bogle

As Warren Buffett said: "If a statue is ever erected to honour the person who has done the most for American investors, the hands-down choice should be Jack Bogle." The 'father of indexing' died last week.

Reverse mortgages: short-term gain, long-term pain

As the population ages and property prices rise rise, equity in owner homes has more potential as a significant source of 'retirement income'. But an ASIC report highlights complexities in reverse mortgages not well understood.

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Investment strategies

Building a lazy ETF portfolio in 2026

What are the best ways to build a simple portfolio from scratch? I’ve addressed this issue before but think it’s worth revisiting given markets and the world have since changed, throwing up new challenges and things to consider.

Investment strategies

21 reasons we’re nearing the end of a secular bull market

Nearly all the indicators an investor would look for suggest that this secular bull market is approaching its end. My models forecast that the US is set for 0% annual returns over the next decade.

Property

13 million spare bedrooms: Rethinking Australia’s housing shortfall

We don’t have a housing shortage; we have housing misallocation. This explores why so many bedrooms go unused, what’s been tried before, and five things to unlock housing capacity – no new building required.

Investment strategies

Market entry – dip your toe or jump in all at once?

Lump sum investing usually wins, but it can hurt if markets fall. Using 50 years of Australian data, we reveal when staging your entry protects you, and when it drags on returns. 

Investment strategies

The US$21 trillion question: is AI an opportunity or excess?

It has been years since the US stock market has been so focused on a single driving theme, and AI is unquestionably that theme. This explores what it means for US and global markets in 2026.

Economy

US energy strategy holds lessons for Australia

The US has elevated energy to a national security priority, tying cheap, reliable power to economic strength, AI leadership, and sovereignty. This analyses the new framework and its implications for Australia.

Strategy

Venezuela’s democratic roots are deeper than Trump knows

Most people know Maduro was a dictator and Venezuela has oil. Few grasp the depth of suffering or the country’s democratic history - essential context as the US ousts Maduro and charts Venezuela’s future. 

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