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23 December 2025
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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.
I’ve long seen Buffett as a flawed genius: a great investor though a man with shortcomings. With his final letter to Berkshire shareholders, I reflect on how my views of Buffett have changed and the legacy he leaves.
With rates on hold and housing demand strong, lenders are pushing boundaries. As risky products return, borrowers should be cautious and not let clever marketing cloud their judgment.
Retirement isn’t a clean financial arc. Income shocks, health costs and family pressures hit at random, exposing the limits of age-based planning and the myth of a predictable “retirement journey".
The superannuation system has succeeded brilliantly at what it was designed to do: accumulate wealth during working lives. The next challenge is meeting members’ diverse needs in retirement.
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.
I am a professional real estate investor who hears a lot of opinions rather than facts from so-called experts on the topic of property. Here are the largest myths when it comes to Australia’s biggest asset class.