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28 February 2026
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Phil Ruthven on confidence, Jack Gray on new ideas, Lyndsay Maxsted and Kerr Neilson at a Morningstar Conference, Ashley Owen on Asian families and property.
Confidence is important but can be misleading in terms of what is actually going on. Our emotions, which make us human, need to be balanced by facts, especially when we think times are grim.
A presentation or panel discussion is time well-spent if you can extract one new idea, and in Boston, a few were surprisingly original, including that it is better to think of the economy as a biological organism.
For many Asian families, getting money into safe haven countries often takes precedence over what to do with the money when it gets there. This year the hot fad was Australian residential property.
Chairman of Westpac, Lyndsay Maxsted, was refreshingly open at a recent Morningstar retail conference, and Kerr Neilson pleaded with investors to control their emotional responses to markets and stay the course.
In theory, improving prospects for economic growth and company earnings should be good for share prices. Nice theory, but not in the real world.
The renowned investor says 2025’s real story wasn’t AI or US stocks but the shift away from American assets and a collapse in the value of money. And he outlines how to best position portfolios for what’s ahead.
The post-World War Two economic system is unravelling, leading to huge shifts in currency, bond and commodity markets, yet stocks seem oblivious to the chaos. This looks to history as a guide for what’s next.
Our cost-of-living pressures go beyond the RBA: surging house prices, excessive migration, and expanding government programs, including the NDIS, are fuelling inflation, demanding bold, structural solutions.
The capital gains tax discount is under review, but debate should go beyond its size. Its original purpose, design flaws and distortions suggest Australia could adopt a better, more targeted approach.
A more rational taxation system that supports home ownership but discourages asset speculation could provide greater financial support to first home buyers.
This is my last edition as Editor of Firstlinks. I’m moving onto a new role though the newsletter will remain in good hands until my permanent replacement is found.