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21 January 2026
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Housing impact of Labor’s negative gearing policy, Reserve Bank on cash and climate, getting out of Australia, Howard Marks, home equity, ESG, bonds.
Labor's proposed policies on negative gearing and capital gains may come at a time when residential property is already weak, and it's unlikely to make buying a property easier for first-home buyers.
Negative gearing makes it hard for renters to become home owners. Now would be a pain-free time to wind it back.
Although some domestic cyclical companies currently offer value, the attraction of offshore growth is a key factor for investors, including strong Australian companies with global aspirations.
Howard Marks distills a lifetime of investing into his new book, and perhaps as a sign that he has really mastered the market cycle, he has just sold a majority stake in Oaktree to Brookfield.
Using the value of home equity built up over many years seems an obvious part of retirement planning, but reverse mortgages have been unsuccessful in Australia. Is it time for a fourth pillar of retirement income?
There is no single and correct way for a company to adopt good ESG practices, but it's clear that major institutional investors are increasingly judging companies by ESG criteria.
ETF users are younger and female, attracted to responsible investing, global equities and fixed income, as the sector continues to evolve rapidly. It will probably exceed $50 billion soon.
We like a good debate, and when two opposing views argued about the role of government bonds in a diversified portfolio, a veteran of 30 years in fixed interest stepped in as referee.
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.
What are the best ways to build a simple portfolio from scratch? I’ve addressed this issue before but think it’s worth revisiting given markets and the world have since changed, throwing up new challenges and things to consider.
At this time last year, I forecast that 2025 would likely be a positive year given strong economic prospects and disinflation. The outlook for this year is less clear cut and here is what investors should do.
Treasury has released draft legislation for a new version of the controversial $3 million super tax. It's a significant improvement on the original proposal but there are some stings in the tail.
I’ve been comparing property and shares for decades and while both have their place, the differences are stark. When tax, costs, and liquidity are weighed, property looks less compelling than its reputation suggests.
The predictions include dividends will outstrip growth as a source of Australian equity returns, US market performance will be underwhelming, while US government bonds will beat gold.