Register For Our Mailing List

Register to receive our free weekly newsletter including editorials.

Home / 3

Edition 3

  •   22 February 2013
  •      
  •   

Welcome from Chris Cuffe

Two weeks after the publication of the first Cuffelinks newsletter, we have about 1,700 subscribers and over 25,000 page views on our website. Thanks for your interest and for passing it around to your friends and colleagues.

We mark this edition by calling out two big SMSF milestones: $500 billion in total assets and 500,000 SMSFs in operation, based on the ATO’s estimate of December 2012 and the strong markets of 2013. It’s ironic that Graham Hand writes about a service which may be preferable for many SMSF trustees, the lesser-known ‘super wraps’.

We’ve been asked whether articles from Cuffelinks can be republished without requesting our permission. We want to share ideas, opinions and comments with as wide an audience as possible, and as long as Cuffelinks (name and website address) and the author are acknowledged as the source, you are free to put our material on your website or wherever, and forward articles to other people.

It was pleasing this week to read useful feedback on my article about what financial planning is worth paying for, with some of the comments attached to last week’s article. Informative alternative approaches to strategic advice.

Elsewhere in this edition, we have the third and final article by Paul Keating, this one on the need to defend dividend imputation; Andrew Bloore of SuperIQ gives his views on the value of super; David Bell provides a timely critique of APRA’s Standard Risk Measure; Rick Cosier writes a primer on insurance, as valuable in a financial plan as investing; and Aaron Minney explains why you need to know the difference between arithmetic and geometric returns. Chris

Top articles from Cuffelinks, 22 February 2013, Edition 3

  • Dividend imputation and super are worth fighting for P J Keating
  • Is APRA’s Standard Risk Measure helpful? David Bell
  • Do we really need superannuation? Andrew Bloore
  • Self managed super’s best kept secret Graham Hand
  • The insurance essentials Rick Cosier
  • Understanding arithmetic and geometric returns Aaron Minney

Download PDF

 

  •   22 February 2013
  •      
  •   

 

Leave a Comment:

banner

Most viewed in recent weeks

Are you making these SMSF mistakes?

After four decades advising investors, there are a few common mistakes I've seen SMSF investors make. From holding too much cash and chasing yield to overtrading and trusting tips. Are these errors costing you?

Why have Australian living standards 'fallen' and how do we fix it?

For the last few years there has been much talk of a 'cost-of-living' crisis in Australia and of 'falling living standards'. Lately this has flared up again with the pickup in inflation resulting in a renewed fall in real wages.

Will you run out of money in retirement?

Fear of running out has become a defining retirement anxiety. Why do some retirees die with substantial wealth while others deplete their nest egg? Evidence suggests the answer is more complicated than we think. 

Four options for an income investor’s next dollar

What if Australia’s golden age of dividends is ending? Rather than overhaul your portfolio, it may be worth considering where new capital can work harder. I discuss four income strategies and the trade-offs behind each.

Retirement spending is not one-size-fits-all

New data challenges the idea that Australians are underspending their super. The bigger issue may be helping retirees navigate complexity, make confident decisions and use their savings to support security, wellbeing and choice.

The missing link in the CGT debate

A little-noticed consequence of Labor’s tax changes could have implications well beyond investors’ tax bills. The issue raises bigger questions about incentives, capital allocation and the drivers of long-term economic growth.

Latest Updates

SMSF strategies

Meg on SMSFs: What do we think about reversionary pensions these days?

Reversionary pensions have long been a staple of SMSF estate planning, but are they still the best option? Meg Heffron revisits a once-clear favourite and asks whether changing super rules have shifted the balance.

The ageing ‘crisis’ has not and will not happen

Rising age dependency is frequently treated as a warning sign for economies. But when actual workforce participation is examined, a strikingly different picture emerges about ageing, productivity and economic sustainability.

Retirement

How does the 4% rule stack up?

The 4% rule has long been retirement's gold standard. But after a difficult period for investors, fresh analysis suggests a more conservative approach may significantly improve the chances of making savings last.

Shares

Four charts that expose market concentration risk

Investors have recently been rewarded for backing market leaders, but history suggests this eventually comes at a cost. Now may be the time to review whether your portfolio is carrying unintended risks beneath the surface.

Investment strategies

The case for gearing beyond property

Most Australians gear into property but ignore shares. That may be a mistake. Used carefully, geared equity strategies can enhance long-term returns, reduce cash tied up in growth assets and support retirement income goals.

Economy

Australia's $1 trillion debt pile

The headlines exclaiming that Australian government debt has hit A$1 trillion and US government debt has hit $40 trillion has turned heads, but how serious are they really? Will Australia's mix of debt create challenges?

Economy

Has 100 years of growth made us any happier?

For decades, GDP has been the benchmark for economic success, but has it made us materially happier? If happiness does not rise in lockstep with prosperity, are we overlooking what constitutes a successful society?

Sponsors

Alliances

  • ASA-Logo-RGB-ActiveGreen-web.png

© 2026 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer
The data, research and opinions provided here are for information purposes; are not an offer to buy or sell a security; and are not warranted to be correct, complete or accurate. Morningstar, its affiliates, and third-party content providers are not responsible for any investment decisions, damages or losses resulting from, or related to, the data and analyses or their use. To the extent any content is general advice, it has been prepared for clients of Morningstar Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN: 95 090 665 544, AFSL: 240892), without reference to your financial objectives, situation or needs. For more information refer to our Financial Services Guide. You should consider the advice in light of these matters and if applicable, the relevant Product Disclosure Statement before making any decision to invest. Past performance does not necessarily indicate a financial product’s future performance. To obtain advice tailored to your situation, contact a professional financial adviser. Articles are current as at date of publication.
This website contains information and opinions provided by third parties. Inclusion of this information does not necessarily represent Morningstar’s positions, strategies or opinions and should not be considered an endorsement by Morningstar.