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7 October 2025
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Bad timing and poor returns, chasing alpha, what's wrong with reverse mortgages, three investment rules, China's stockmarket, and the superannuation default options.
When a managed fund reports its amazing five-year track record, who actually experiences this same return? The timing of entry and exit and mismatched time horizons are counting against the average investor.
The term 'alpha' may be financial jargon, but for fund managers, it's the highly sought-after prize for successful active management that justifies fees charged. But how do you select a good manager?
Using the equity in the home to supplement retirement income is worth considering for certain people, so why are banks dropping reverse mortgage products and why do so many retirees feel it's not for them?
Here are three simple investment rules that should see you through the volatile times, or indeed all times. But for starters, it's a good idea to have a plan, and a portfolio that suits you.
Despite the recent falls, the performance of Chinese shares over the last 12 months is still above Japan, Europe, the US and Australia. But the Chinese market is a casino, and currency movements are more important.
Most public super funds updated their 'default' settings under MySuper, and recent research shows these options are not solely for the disengaged. Many people are actively choosing the option based on trusting the fund.
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.
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.
Australian housing’s 50-year boom was driven by falling rates and rising borrowing power — not rent or yield. With those drivers exhausted, future returns must reconcile with economic fundamentals. Are we ready?
Younger Australians think they’ll need $100k a year in retirement - nearly double what current retirees spend. Expectations are rising fast, but are they realistic or just another case of lifestyle inflation?
This week, I got the news that my mother has dementia. It came shortly after my father received the same diagnosis. This is a meditation on getting old and my regrets in not getting my parents’ affairs in order sooner.