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22 August 2025
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SMSFs v Labor franking, non-bank SME loans, disruption, business property in SMSFs, Active ETFs, 10 hints on managers, bare trusts and prospect theory.
Labor’s proposal to deny cash refunds of franking credits may become law next year. SMSFs will consider the various alternatives to minimise loss of franking credits, including the use of member-directed investments.
Changes to banking regulations have led to higher interest rates on bank loans for SMEs and personal loans, pushing borrowers towards the rapidly growing new segment of non-bank lending for faster and better service.
Markets and assets look expensive, but technology at least offers high revenue growth and fast rates of adoption. However, much of that great promise may benefit consumers more than investors.
An SMSF can buy business real property and lease it to a member and the laws and processes are clear. The rent paid is classed as income from the investment rather than a contribution from the member.
Active ETFs have many similarities with actively-managed funds, but the key differences are due to investing via an exchange versus a platform. Investors now have another option to consider.
Notwithstanding the wide variety of fund managers and fund structures vying for the investor dollar, some questions need to be asked of all of them. They help us determine the quality of the fund and the manager.
In traditional economics, utility theory assumed that investors work off probability-weighted outcomes. Prospect theory can better explain actual investor behaviour and is a better tool for designing retirement plans.
‘Single-investor’ models are convenient for a range of investments. A bare trust can be a cost-effective and simple way to let a small number of sophisticated investors access an investment through one legal entity.
Each generation believes its economic challenges were uniquely tough - but what does the data say? A closer look reveals a more nuanced, complex story behind the generational hardship debate.
The Labor government is talking up tax reform to lift Australia’s ailing economic growth. Before any changes are made, it’s important to know who pays tax, who owns assets, and how much people have in their super for retirement.
This goes through the different options including shares, property and business ownership and declares a winner, as well as outlining the mindset needed to earn enough to never have to work again.
Everyone has a theory as to why housing in Australia is so expensive. There are a lot of different factors at play, from skewed migration patterns to banking trends and housing's status as a national obsession.
China's steel production, equivalent to building one Sydney Harbour Bridge every 10 minutes, has driven Australia's economic growth. With China's slowdown, what does this mean for Australia's economy and investments?
The creator of the 4% rule for retirement withdrawals, Bill Bengen, has written a new book outlining fresh strategies to outlive your money, including holding fewer stocks in early retirement before increasing allocations.