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Why spending more in early retirement can improve lifetime income It’s time for LICs to die Testamentary trusts survived the trust tax. The drafting battle has just begun.Is it time to bail on Australian stocks?The new capital gains tax trap for your portfolio

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Edition: 385

1-8 out of 8 results.

Welcome to Firstlinks Edition 385

25 November 2020
1

Superannuation is under attack on several fronts, and the Retirement Income Review adds fuel to the fire. Far from being simply a 'fact based' set of statistics, it takes a strong stance on many controversial subjects. While not formally making recommendations, its findings are no less powerful, setting up retirement planning for significant changes.

Five ways the Retirement Review points to new policies

Graham Hand
25 November 2020
34

The Retirement Income Review goes much further than an innocent-sounding 'fact base', and is sure to guide policies in the run up to the next election. It will change how we think about retirement incomes.

Steve Bennett on investing in direct property for the long term

Graham Hand
25 November 2020
1

As people stayed home during the pandemic, a bearish view swept over most property sectors, but many have thrived and prices have recovered rapidly. The best opportunities are in long leases with quality tenants.

Retirement Review gives strong views on hoarding of super

David Bell
25 November 2020
17

The Review includes some profound findings, most notable that retirement income should include drawing down far more capital. Expect post-retirement products to proliferate under a Retirement Income Covenant.

Paul Keating on why super relies on “not draining the bath”

Interview by Leigh Sales
25 November 2020
12

Paul Keating is the champion of compulsory superannuation as the central means of funding retirement. In the wake of the Retirement Income Review, he is at his passionate best defending the system, with Leigh Sales.

Is your portfolio too heavy on technology stocks?

Amy C. Arnott
25 November 2020
2

Investors with heavy allocations to a broad US index should check how much is exposed to tech stocks, especially when valuations look a bit steep. It might be time to reallocate to other sectors or styles.

Beware of burning down the barn to bury the debt

Kate Howitt
24 November 2020

At some point, policymakers will turn to the task of deleveraging, to work off massive debt burdens built up during the pandemic. Australia is already ticking the boxes on many policies used in the past.

New bankruptcy rules may have a domino impact on SMSF pensions

Graeme Colley
23 November 2020

During COVID, bankruptcy rules have allowed small businesses to trade while insolvent. It may mean an SMSF is hit by the collapse of a business leaving trustees struggling to meet their own legal obligations.

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Most viewed in recent weeks

Why spending more in early retirement can improve lifetime income

Conventional wisdom encourages retirees to preserve superannuation. But if those likely to qualify for the Age Pension later in life spend a little more today, it may deliver higher lifetime income and a more stable retirement.

David Knox
2 September 2026

It’s time for LICs to die

A high-profile dividend cut and a prominent fund manager’s apology have reignited a long-running debate. If investors can access similar exposures more cheaply and efficiently elsewhere, what exactly is keeping LICs alive?

David Tuckwell
30 September 2026

Testamentary trusts survived the trust tax. The drafting battle has just begun.

The fight over testamentary trusts looked settled. Then the draft legislation arrived. Hidden in a technical detail is a question that could force many families to rethink wills they thought were already future-proof.

Rachael Rofe
16 September 2026

Is it time to bail on Australian stocks?

For generations, Australian investors have backed banks, miners and dividends. But has that loyalty come at a cost? A look at the numbers raises an uncomfortable question about where future returns will come from.

Marcus Padley
9 September 2026

The new capital gains tax trap for your portfolio

Investors have long accepted one portfolio rule without much question. A major tax shift could change that calculation entirely, forcing difficult trade-offs between risk, discipline and an overlooked cost lurking beneath.

Shani Jayamanne
16 September 2026

How the typical Australian Family could save $844,350 in taxes

The value of a testamentary trust is not determined by wealth alone. Depending on circumstances, it can reduce the tax burden on inherited income, create efficiencies and help build intergenerational wealth.

Abbey John
23 September 2026

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