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21 September 2025
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Paul Keating on longevity risk, surprising calmness in markets, franking credits and tax, new rules on financial advice, lifecycle theory, and events that will shape 2013.
The government should be the key provider of a national annuity scheme to cater for what is now a growing gap in our retirement incomes system as a result of people living for 80 years and more.
What a time to launch a superannuation website and newsletter! The super, advice and investing landscape is facing more game-changers at the moment than at any time since the introduction of compulsory super in 1992.
If we ignore the media hype and look at the facts, 2012 was in fact a wonderful year for the equity market. Not only great returns, but surprisingly low volatility and few large down days. 2012 was the calmest year since 2005.
Kerry Packer openly admitted that he managed his companies to minimise their tax bills. He would have loved superannuation and franking credits. A super fund needs only 32% of its assets allocated to fully franked shares to pay no income tax on its entire portfolio.
From 1 July 2013, investment managers and platforms will be banned from paying commissions to financial advisers on new business. This should have happened years ago, but the industry’s tardiness has resulted in additional regulations on advice fees that are deducted from clients’ accounts.
Lifecycle theory is one of the more exciting and applicable research fields in financial academia yet it receives little discussion in Australia’s superannuation industry. The findings have the potential to improve outcomes for Australian households.
Australia could unlock smarter investment and greater equity by reforming housing tax concessions. Rethinking exemptions on the family home could benefit most Australians, especially renters and owners of modest homes.
The creator of the 4% rule for retirement withdrawals, Bill Bengen, has written a new book outlining fresh strategies to outlive your money, including holding fewer stocks in early retirement before increasing allocations.
This AI cycle feels less like a revolution and more like a rerun. Just like fibre in 2000, shale in 2014, and cannabis in 2019, the technology or product is real but the capital cycle will be brutal. Investors beware.
An explosion in low-skilled migration to Australia has depressed wages, killed productivity, and cut rental vacancy rates to near decades-lows. It’s time both sides of politics addressed the issue.
Are franking credits factored into share prices? The data suggests they're probably not, and there are certain types of stocks that offer higher franking credits as well as the prospect for higher returns.
LICs are continuing to struggle with large discounts and frustrated investors are wondering whether it’s worth holding onto them. This explains why the next 6-12 months will be make or break for many LICs.