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21 December 2025
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Going global, mid-cap focus, 2017-2018 market results, Cooper on retirement, Ruthven on wealth distribution, rules of global investing, higher rates.
Companies ranked 51st to 100th by ASX capitalisation are in the mid-cap sector. They have better historic returns, industry diversity, insider ownership, and growth prospects than the S&P/ASX50.
The definition of capitalism needs modernising, including how a company treats its personnel and customers. Socially responsible companies significantly outperform the averages in job creation and ROE.
The Australian market again delivered strong returns in 2017-2018 with big sector differences, but there were large variations in global performance depending on the currency hedging strategy.
This exclusive early access to IIR's Monthly Report includes the latest recommendations on global LICs, and a summary of the Active ETFs listed on the ASX. There's now a lot of choice in global listed funds.
Life expectancies have increased dramatically since the nineties, but the uncertainty is forcing retirees to live too frugally. The super industry is switching its attention to the drawdown phase to find better solutions.
Income taxes in Australia are over 2.5 times larger than the 'spending' taxes such as GST, excise, and stamp duties. The latest legislation ignored reforms in taxing spending over saving again.
In many valuations, the ‘Golden Rule’ is being broken. Earnings growth is assuming the sort of strong economic activity that would trigger higher interest rates, yet investors are delinking the two.
The Royal Commission criticises incentives and rewards across financial services, but they have a place if they are properly structured. Just ask the legal people involved how their hard work is recognised.
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 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".
The superannuation system has succeeded brilliantly at what it was designed to do: accumulate wealth during working lives. The next challenge is meeting members’ diverse needs in retirement.
I am a professional real estate investor who hears a lot of opinions rather than facts from so-called experts on the topic of property. Here are the largest myths when it comes to Australia’s biggest asset class.
Two years ago, I wrote an article suggesting that the odds favoured ASX shares easily outperforming residential property over the next decade. Here’s an update on where things stand today.