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9 December 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.
More Australians are retiring with larger mortgages and less super. This paper explores how unlocking housing wealth can help ease the nation’s growing retirement cashflow crunch.
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 investor sentiment shifting and ETFs surging ahead, we pit Australia’s biggest LICs against their ETF rivals to see which delivers better returns over the short and long term. The results are revealing.
Thoughtful tax planning is a cornerstone of successful investing. This highlights 13 legal ways that you can reduce tax, preserve capital, and enhance long-term wealth across super, property, and shares.
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".