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18 September 2025
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Dover and Prospa ASIC casualties, high retiree tax rates, comparing LICs, EOFY strategies, credit markets, aged care, tax donations, SMSF assets, tech.
Pensioners with assets that fall within the range of the Assets Test taper are subject to effective marginal tax rates in excess of 100%. In fact, retirees face many higher marginal rates than workers.
A recent global survey revealed a lack of trust in investment firms. There are many areas for improvement such as disclosure, transparency, and conflicts of interest, and different LIC structures are examples.
There are strategies for this EOFY which could reduce your tax bill while supporting other objectives such as charitable giving, insurances, personal or spouse super contributions, or asset purchases for business.
Australian credit markets have had a good run, and any investor tempted to exit the sector should consider whether a move now is too early in the cycle. A period of range-bound stability is the more likely outcome.
Aged care measures announced in the Budget go only part of the way to improving the system. With a waiting list for Home Care packages exceeding 100,000, we need more effective change.
An ancillary sub-fund is a quick and inexpensive way to secure a tax deduction in advance of researching and selecting the right charities to support at tax time. Includes Chris Cuffe video.
SMSFs have long lagged institutional superannuation funds in allocating to global equities, but SMSFs trustees increasingly realise the best opportunities lie overseas, and they use managed funds as the vehicle.
Most S&P500 companies are doing well with recent reported earnings above expectations. In the tech sector, the Big Five (Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, Alphabet) have also diversified their income sources.
Australia could unlock smarter investment and greater equity by reforming housing tax concessions. Rethinking exemptions on the family home could benefit most Australians, especially renters and owners of modest homes.
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.
This AI cycle feels less like a revolution and more like a rerun. Just like fibre in 2000, shale in 2014, and cannabis in 2019, the technology or product is real but the capital cycle will be brutal. Investors beware.
An explosion in low-skilled migration to Australia has depressed wages, killed productivity, and cut rental vacancy rates to near decades-lows. It’s time both sides of politics addressed the issue.
Are franking credits factored into share prices? The data suggests they're probably not, and there are certain types of stocks that offer higher franking credits as well as the prospect for higher returns.
LICs are continuing to struggle with large discounts and frustrated investors are wondering whether it’s worth holding onto them. This explains why the next 6-12 months will be make or break for many LICs.