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  • 22 April 2021

In a market where the valuation superlatives and 'meme investing' gains become more ridiculous by the day - a joke cryptocurrency called Dogecoin is now valued higher than Ford or Wesfarmers - it's welcome when a chart is the surprise of the week. While we have written before about the rapid increase in new participants who consider the stock exchange like a video game, inflows into global stock funds in the five months since November 2020 were greater than the previous 12 years.

Buffett's favourite indicator versus all-in equities

Peter Thornhill shows how his personal portfolio has thrived under an 'all-in equities' strategy, but Warren Buffett's favourite valuation indicator says stock markets are priced at their most extreme ever.

A year like few others, but what's next?

The anniversary of the pandemic low point in the S&P500 was 23 March 2021, delivering a staggering one-year return of 77%. If history is a guide, as policy normalises, investors will pivot to 'compounders' not cyclicals.

Biden is stimulating an economy already enjoying a sugar hit

US growth forecasts for 2021 are as high as 8%, so is the massive stimulus a superfluous ‘sugar hit’ amid shrinking spare capacity? High government debt points to taxes and reduced benefits, with inflation risks.

Four ways corporate loans can benefit your retirement income

With term deposits offering tiny returns, investors are looking for reliable sources of income and capital stability. Combining over 100 loans into a fund provides more diversification than buying a single corporate bond.

Ralston responds on super balances of older Australians

Many retirees lack the knowledge and confidence to spend their savings, resulting in a lesser quality of retirement. There is also poor understanding about access to health, aged care, tax benefits and concessions.

It’s time to do things differently in retirement policy

The answer to retirement in Australia is not the creation of more product ‘innovation’. Most retirees need basic help. Let’s put the member at the centre of our systems, our thinking, our regulation and our offerings.

Super funds must earn the right to higher contributions

The super industry wants larger contributions to super, but the funds haven’t earned the right to more money. The industry has had decades to solve the longevity problem but it has produced nothing of note.

Most viewed in recent weeks

Which generation had it toughest?

Each generation believes its economic challenges were uniquely tough - but what does the data say? A closer look reveals a more nuanced, complex story behind the generational hardship debate. 

Maybe it’s time to consider taxing the family home

Australia could unlock smarter investment and greater equity by reforming housing tax concessions. Rethinking exemptions on the family home could benefit most Australians, especially renters and owners of modest homes.

The best way to get rich and retire early

This goes through the different options including shares, property and business ownership and declares a winner, as well as outlining the mindset needed to earn enough to never have to work again.

A perfect storm for housing affordability in Australia

Everyone has a theory as to why housing in Australia is so expensive. There are a lot of different factors at play, from skewed migration patterns to banking trends and housing's status as a national obsession.

Supercharging the ‘4% rule’ to ensure a richer retirement

The creator of the 4% rule for retirement withdrawals, Bill Bengen, has written a new book outlining fresh strategies to outlive your money, including holding fewer stocks in early retirement before increasing allocations.

Simple maths says the AI investment boom ends badly

This AI cycle feels less like a revolution and more like a rerun. Just like fibre in 2000, shale in 2014, and cannabis in 2019, the technology or product is real but the capital cycle will be brutal. Investors beware.

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