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9 October 2025
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Inside the previous crisis, what's wrong with "I don't know"?, more efficient pensions and the third in a series on annuities.
With such political uncertainty in the US, it's one of those times when “I don’t know” should be a more common response from commentators and analysts. They're too dismissive of the potential for poor outcomes.
It's easy to forget how severe the GFC was in destroying confidence and locking up markets. There was a genuine fear that the world was such a toxic place that no credit could be trusted.
When the GFC hit Europe, a billion dollars of notes we had on issue matured over the following months without a single rollover at any price. It confirmed the need for diversified funding sources for every major borrower.
Life annuities is a product with theoretical appeal but it does not gather significant market acceptance. These behavioural reasons need to be addressed before substantial increases in sales occur.
Your age pension entitlement is assessed under the Income Test, and it may be worth re-setting the deductible amount to improve your pension payments if it's been a while since the last calculation.
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.
Younger Australians think they’ll need $100k a year in retirement - nearly double what current retirees spend. Expectations are rising fast, but are they realistic or just another case of lifestyle inflation?
This week, I got the news that my mother has dementia. It came shortly after my father received the same diagnosis. This is a meditation on getting old and my regrets in not getting my parents’ affairs in order sooner.
Retirement can be daunting for Australians facing financial uncertainty. Understand your goals, longevity challenges, inflation impacts, market risks, and components of retirement income with these crucial charts.
Five mega trends point to risks of a more inflation prone and lower growth environment. This, along with rich market valuations, should constrain medium term superannuation returns to around 5% per annum.
Australia's superannuation system faces a 'Rubicon' moment, a turning point where the focus is shifting from accumulation phase to retirement readiness, but unfortunately, many funds are not rising to the challenge.