20 September 2026

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Why spending more in early retirement can improve lifetime income Will you run out of money in retirement?The investment that sidesteps the new tax traps Testamentary trusts have secured the CGT exemption Meg on SMSFs: What do we think about reversionary pensions these days?

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Edition: 215

1-8 out of 8 results.

Edition 215

18 August 2017

When I started working in CBA Treasury in 1979, it was like a startup. Personal computers and trading screens were new technologies, access to foreign bond markets was opening and financial markets were deregulating. Balance sheet management techniques were in their infancy, there were no capital adequacy rules and product pricing was naive. Everything was possible.

Heigh-ho heigh-ho, are family trusts the way to go?

Diana Chan
17 August 2017
4

The intricacies of family trusts can be confusing, but examining the potential through the eyes of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs shows whether a trust is a dopey or happy move.

8 ways long-term investing is rewarded

Wilbur Li
17 August 2017
1

It's intuitively appealing that long-term investing by active managers should be rewarded, but a new report quantifies many ways a patient investor can extract extra returns.

Do your homework on 'granny flats'

Brooke Logan
17 August 2017
9

Centrelink’s ‘granny flat’ exceptions are designed to encourage people to stay out of supported care, but it's important for welfare recipients to make the correct arrangements.

Oil price projections are no longer gushing

Rudi Filapek-Vandyck
17 August 2017
3

Long-term oil price projections and currency appreciation make the current valuations of many Australian companies look overly optimistic. Extra supply can be turned on quickly when prices start to rise.

The investment bias against small companies

Tim Koroknay
17 August 2017
2

The share prices of smaller companies are traditionally more volatile than large, but the market is changing and the roles seem to be reversing. Is it possible to change our bias against small caps?

What happened in the last Korean War?

Ashley Owen
17 August 2017
2

A war between the United States and North Korea is unlikely, but with Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un turning up the rhetoric and mad fingers on the red buttons, anything is possible. What happened last time?

The amazing AUSTRAC versus CBA turmoil

Graham Hand
17 August 2017
15

Readers made many insightful comments about trust in financial institutions last week, and we welcome further constructive feedback about the unbelievable cash laundering through CBA ATMs.

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Most viewed in recent weeks

Why spending more in early retirement can improve lifetime income

Conventional wisdom encourages retirees to preserve superannuation. But if those likely to qualify for the Age Pension later in life spend a little more today, it may deliver higher lifetime income and a more stable retirement.

David Knox
2 September 2026

Will you run out of money in retirement?

Fear of running out has become a defining retirement anxiety. Why do some retirees die with substantial wealth while others deplete their nest egg? Evidence suggests the answer is more complicated than we think.

Harry Chemay
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The investment that sidesteps the new tax traps

Tax rules have changed, but many investors are still using yesterday’s strategies. Insurance bonds may offer advantages for those seeking greater control, tax efficiency and certainty about their wealth.

Noel Whittaker
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Testamentary trusts have secured the CGT exemption

Treasury’s latest CGT reform draft delivers a win for testamentary trusts and deceased estates, exempting estate-derived gains from the 30% floor. However, questions on death and divorce rollovers remain unresolved.

Rachael Rofe
19 August 2026

Meg on SMSFs: What do we think about reversionary pensions these days?

Reversionary pensions have long been a staple of SMSF estate planning, but are they still the best option? Meg Heffron revisits a once-clear favourite and asks whether changing super rules have shifted the balance.

Meg Heffron
26 August 2026

How does the 4% rule stack up?

The 4% rule has long been retirement's gold standard. But after a difficult period for investors, fresh analysis suggests a more conservative approach may significantly improve the chances of making savings last.

Amy C. Arnott
26 August 2026

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