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22 January 2026
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When an SMSF audit goes awry, being an informed investor, trusting financial planners, taxing of pension payments, investing by theme not index, and results from our roboadvice survey.
Each year, SMSFs are required to have their financial accounts audited. In most cases everything ticks along nicely but what happens when a red flag pops up? Early rectification is always best to avoid the ATO's wrath.
Everyone can be a naive investor at times, even the professionals. Outside of a sphere of expertise, the quality of investment decisions can suffer. Try to avoid being the 'patsy' in a transaction.
Financial planners should be part of a profession that ranks highly for trust, but survey results are disappointing. An unrelated profession shows how to build greater public support.
Where there is a choice of receiving your superannuation as an income stream or a lump sum, it could be better tax-wise to receive it as a lump sum. There are complex rules here, so work with an expert on this one.
The concept of thematics is gaining traction with investors as a way of tailoring a portfolio to suit the trends that resonate at an individual level, rather than accepting everything contained in an index.
Results from our roboadvice survey are available to view. Thanks to all our respondents who contributed their opinions. It will be interesting to see which businesses emerge from the pack.
Two years ago, I wrote an article suggesting that the odds favoured ASX shares easily outperforming residential property over the next decade. Here’s an update on where things stand today.
What are the best ways to build a simple portfolio from scratch? I’ve addressed this issue before but think it’s worth revisiting given markets and the world have since changed, throwing up new challenges and things to consider.
At this time last year, I forecast that 2025 would likely be a positive year given strong economic prospects and disinflation. The outlook for this year is less clear cut and here is what investors should do.
Treasury has released draft legislation for a new version of the controversial $3 million super tax. It's a significant improvement on the original proposal but there are some stings in the tail.
I’ve been comparing property and shares for decades and while both have their place, the differences are stark. When tax, costs, and liquidity are weighed, property looks less compelling than its reputation suggests.
The predictions include dividends will outstrip growth as a source of Australian equity returns, US market performance will be underwhelming, while US government bonds will beat gold.