30 April 2025

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Howard Marks: the investing game has changed Welcome to Firstlinks Edition 605 with weekend update Pros and cons of Labor's home batteries scheme Designing a life, with money to spare World's largest asset manager wants to revolutionise your portfolio

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Edition 211

21 July 2017

Australian bank margins and profits are underpinned by existing customers not demanding the rates available to new customers. When I sat on bank pricing committees many moons ago, we called this 'retail inertia'. Most borrowers do not walk into their local branch armed with comparison rates and ask for a better deal, and term deposit customers accept poor rollover rates.

Pension income and segregation in an SMSF

Gordon Mackenzie
21 July 2017

A more detailed response to comments on the previous article requesting clarification on the ability to segregate assets in superannuation, especially for SMSFs and members with over $1.6 million.

And we’re off: super tax risks post 1 July

Gordon Mackenzie
20 July 2017
7

The added complexity of the new superannuation rules increases the compliance burden for investors and their advisers, and the requirements around the $1.6 million threshold are especially complex.

7 ways acquisitions add or destroy value

Matthew Ward
20 July 2017

Well-executed mergers and acquisitions can add material shareholder value, but there are plenty of examples where they destroy value, and in the worst cases, jeopardise the entire company.

The journey is more important than the destination

Noel Whittaker
20 July 2017
7

We may prefer a fast pay off but a long-term approach to investing will result in a less stressful journey and a more successful outcome.

Accessing super before retirement

Monica Rule
20 July 2017
4

Transition to Retirement Income Streams are no longer tax-free, but you can still access your super before retirement if you meet certain conditions, and there are strategies to reduce the tax paid.

3 difficulties investing in emerging markets

Craig Mercer
20 July 2017

For many investors, allocations to emerging markets over the years have proved disappointing. An emphasis on corporate governance and social issues can help unlock some of the potential.

Value investing from an Australian perspective

Hamish Carlisle
20 July 2017

Despite value investing struggling over the last decade, using free cash flow can generate outperformance with lower volatility compared to traditional classifications of value including earnings, book value and dividends.

Clear winner and loser in 2017/2018 survey

Graham Hand
20 July 2017
4

Any person responsible for constructing an investment portfolio must make decisions about asset allocation, requiring educated guesses about future returns. Are these results the Wisdom of Crowds?

Thornhill responds on dividends and Buffett

Peter Thornhill
19 July 2017
7

Author and university lecturer, Peter Thornhill, has been part of a lively conversation in our comments section as a result of Ashley Owen's article on dividends. He produced this chart to expand his argument.

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