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1 March 2026
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‘Regrets, I’ve had a few …’ Special 250th Edition ebook plus Royal Commission coverage.
For a Special 250th Edition, we asked: "What is an enduring investment lesson you learned from making a mistake?" and we received a wide range of responses that might prevent someone from repeating the same error.
The characteristic tone of the Royal Commission was set on the first day focus on financial advice, and no witness has been able to defend commissions to advisers and the vertical integration model.
Grandfathering and the implications for commissions has become a major flash point, and the Royal Commission is focussing on problems created when advisers are given the wrong incentives.
The Royal Commission is asking whether percentage-based fees offer the wrong incentives and why administration is not a flat fee business. Where might this go in wealth management?
The Financial Services Royal Commission is discovering behaviour that is far worse than expected, with widespread implications for wealth management. Banks are challenged making the vertical integration model work.
The Royal Commission is exposing the product / advice disconnect, and different rules are required for aligned and non-aligned advisers to recognise the conflict in vertical integration. The medical profession is a model.
The Royal Commission's attention switched from the big players to a small independent advice firm with only six staff, but it showed the potential for conflicted advice runs deep.
Following the Ripoll Inquiry in November 2009, the Labor Government formulated the Future of Financial Advice proposals. A lot has happened since, and the Royal Commission is dealing with the consequences.
The renowned investor says 2025’s real story wasn’t AI or US stocks but the shift away from American assets and a collapse in the value of money. And he outlines how to best position portfolios for what’s ahead.
The post-World War Two economic system is unravelling, leading to huge shifts in currency, bond and commodity markets, yet stocks seem oblivious to the chaos. This looks to history as a guide for what’s next.
Our cost-of-living pressures go beyond the RBA: surging house prices, excessive migration, and expanding government programs, including the NDIS, are fuelling inflation, demanding bold, structural solutions.
The capital gains tax discount is under review, but debate should go beyond its size. Its original purpose, design flaws and distortions suggest Australia could adopt a better, more targeted approach.
A more rational taxation system that supports home ownership but discourages asset speculation could provide greater financial support to first home buyers.
This is my last edition as Editor of Firstlinks. I’m moving onto a new role though the newsletter will remain in good hands until my permanent replacement is found.