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2 August 2025
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What is an appropriate retirement age for the times? Some sage advice from ASIC to SMSFs. Lifecycle funds, product innovation within managed funds, and realistic sharemarket expectations.
In 1909, there were 15 workers for every retiree, but by 2025 it will be down to only 3.5 workers. But we're still defining 'retiree' as over 65. Using dynamic retirement age principles gives a brighter perspective on old age dependency.
The Stronger Super reforms have significantly raised the profile of lifecycle funds by legitimising their use as a single investment strategy for MySuper products. But are lifecycle funds any better than normal balanced funds?
Sit through a dozen fund manager presentations and they all start to sound the same. There's been little significant innovation in the managed funds industry in the last 15 years. Why is this and what are the consequences?
An investment strategy and its appropriate ‘strategic asset allocation’ should balance what you are hoping to achieve against the risk of adverse outcomes along the way. It calls for honesty, realism and the right risk tolerance.
In Cuffelinks on 2 April 2013, we posted an article on bank liquidity. Alun Stevens, Principal at Rice Warner Actuaries, took issue with some of the conclusions, and a lively debate followed. Warning: very long and technical.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers aims to tackle tax reform but faces challenges. Previous reviews struggled due to political sensitivities, highlighting the need for comprehensive and politically feasible change.
With Div. 296 looming, is there a smarter way to tax superannuation? This proposes a fairer, income-linked alternative that respects compounding, ensures predictability, and avoids taxing unrealised capital gains.
The Labor government is talking up tax reform to lift Australia’s ailing economic growth. Before any changes are made, it’s important to know who pays tax, who owns assets, and how much people have in their super for retirement.
There are many ways to invest in stocks, but some strategies are more effective than others. Here are nine tried and tested investment approaches - choosing one of these can improve your chances of reaching your financial goals.
In selling the super tax, Labor has repeated Treasury claims of there being $50 billion in super tax concessions annually, mostly flowing to high-income earners. This figure is vastly overstated.
Markets have weathered geopolitical turmoil, hitting near record highs. Investors face tough decisions on valuations, asset concentration, and strategic portfolio rebalancing for risk control and future returns.