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Saturday, 5 December 2020
Recently trending Five ways the Retirement Review points to new policiesGraeme Shaw on why investing is at a pivotal momentRetirement Review gives strong views on hoarding of super11 key findings on retirement dreams during the pandemicBank scorecard 2020: when will the mojo return?
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Although Australian investors are among the most ESG-aware in the world, with the vast majority wanting responsible and ethical investments, there are still some misconceptions to dispel.
Climate change campaigns have dominated world news in the last week, but they should not include universal antagonism towards mining. We need resources to build renewables, with one exception.
All our ethics are different. How does an 'ethical' fund manager address the inevitable conflicts of competing priorities, and are there any clues for everybody in dealing with their own ethical dilemmas?
More investors than ever are expecting fund managers to allow for Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues, but what are the major factors for 2019?
The definition of capitalism needs modernising, including how a company treats its personnel and customers. Socially responsible companies significantly outperform the averages in job creation and ROE.
Both retail and institutional investors are demanding fund managers respond to ESG issues. A new generation will insist on better standards and will not accept a compromise in returns.
Research suggests a strong trend toward responsible and ethical investing. Valuation effects of disclosure in NZ recently were dramatic, and Australian financial institutions should take heed.
Most Australians, especially millennials, expect their super funds to actively target ethical investing. The repercussions for prices and portfolio construction cannot be ignored.
Investing responsibly or ethically does not mean forsaking returns, and there are now many ways to gain exposure to shares which back an investor's personal preferences.
There is gathering evidence that socially responsible investing (SRI) is not just about doing the right thing, but it does not detract from returns and investors who focus on it are likely to be rewarded.
General principles previously governed ethical investing, but both fund managers and clients now accept the more hard-nosed approach of eliminating certain companies from portfolios.
ESG investing is becoming more of a mainstream consideration for investors. Asset managers are facing the challenge of having to meet clients' non-material requirements as well as their long-term financial goals.
The Retirement Income Review goes much further than an innocent-sounding 'fact base', and is sure to guide policies in the run up to the next election. It will change how we think about retirement incomes.
Company profits have not improved for many years but higher valuations have been driven by falling rates and excess liquidity. Conditions do not suit a value and contrarian manager but here are some opportunities.
The Review includes some profound findings, most notable that retirement income should include drawing down far more capital. Expect post-retirement products to proliferate under a Retirement Income Covenant.
A mid-pandemic survey of over 1,000 people near or in retirement found three in four are not confident how long their money will last. Only 18% felt their money was safe during a strong economic downturn.
Banks severely cut dividends in 2020 but are expected to improve payments in 2021. History provides clues to when the banks will return to their 2019 levels of profitability, but who is positioned the best?
It's not only that 60 is the new 40, but 80 is the new 60. Many Baby Boomers spend up in retirement and are less inclined to leave a nest egg to their children. The ways wealth transfers will affect all investors.