29 March 2026

Recently trending

How cutting the CGT discount could help rebalance housing market Want your loved ones to inherit your super? You can’t afford to skip this one step Super is catching up, but ageing is a triple-threat Has Australia wasted the last 30 years?Meg on SMSFs: Last word on Div 296 for a while

Reader: "Carry on as you are - well done. The average investor/SMSF trustee needs all the help they can get."

Don Stammer, leading Australian economist: "Congratulations to all associated. It deserves the good following it has."

John Pearce, Chief Investment Officer, Unisuper: "Out of the (many many) investmentrelated emails I get, Cuffelinks is one that I always open."

Reader: "Love it, just keep doing what you are doing. It is the right length too, any longer and it might become a bit overwhelming."

Reader: " Finding a truly independent and interesting read has been magical for me. Please keep it up and don't change!"

Reader: "Is one of very few places an investor can go and not have product rammed down their throat. Love your work!"

Reader: "The BEST in the game because of diversity and not aligned to financial products. Stands above all the noise."

Ian Kelly, CFP, BTACS Financial Services: "Probably the best source of commentary and information I have seen over the past 20 years."

Steve: "The best that comes into our world each week. This is the only one that is never, ever canned before fully being reviewed by yours truly."

Jonathan Hoyle, CEO, Stanford Brown: "A fabulous publication. The only must-read weekly publication for the Australian wealth management industry."

Scott Pape, author of The Barefoot Investor: "I'm an avid reader of Cuffelinks. Thanks for the wonderful resource you have here, it really is first class."

Andrew Buchan, Partner, HLB Mann Judd: "I have told you a thousand times it's the best newsletter."

Reader: "Congratulations on a great focussed news source. Australia has a dearth of good quality unbiased financial and wealth management news."

Reader: "It's excellent so please don't pollute the content with boring mainstream financial 'waffle' and adverts for stuff we don't want!"

Ian Silk, CEO, AustralianSuper: "It has become part of my required reading: quality thinking, and (mercifully) to the point."

Eleanor Dartnall, AFA Adviser of the Year, 2014: "Our clients love your newsletter. Your articles are avidly read by advisers and they learn a great deal."

Reader: "Keep it up - the independence is refreshing and is demonstrated by the variety of well credentialed commentators."

Professor Robert Deutsch: "This has got to be the best set of articles on economic and financial matters. Always something worthwhile reading in Firstlinks. Thankyou"

Noel Whittaker, author and financial adviser: "A fabulous weekly newsletter that is packed full of independent financial advice."

Reader: "I subscribe to two newsletters. This is my first read of the week. Thank you. Excellent and please keep up the good work!"

Rob Henshaw: "When I open my computer each day it's the first link I click - a really great read."

John Egan, Egan Associates: "My heartiest congratulations. Your panel of contributors is very impressive and keep your readers fully informed."

Reader: "An island of professionalism in an ocean of shallow self-interest. Well done!"

Reader: "I can quickly sort the items that I am interested in, then research them more fully. It is also a regular reminder that I need to do this."

David Goldschmidt, Chartered Accountant: "I find this a really excellent newsletter. The best I get. Keep up the good work!"

Reader: "Great resource. Cuffelinks is STILL the one and only weekly newsletter I regularly read."

Reader: "Best innovation I have seen whilst an investor for 25 years. The writers are brilliant. A great publication which I look forward to."

Home / 446

Edition: 446

1-8 out of 8 results.

Welcome to Firstlinks Edition 446 with weekend update

17 February 2022

After all the media exposure on Magellan and Hamish Douglass in recent weeks, Geraldine Doogue asked me to discuss fund managers on ABC's Radio National. I thought the subject was something like, "How do you pick a good fund manager?" In fact, she asked me, "What type of person is attracted to stock picking at this level?", which is different.

How can the worst feature of LICs also be the best?

Graham Hand
16 February 2022
47

Apparently, Listed Investment Companies trading at a discount to NTA are both the best and worst of worlds. They are either exciting opportunities or not in the best interests of investors. Which is right?

House prices: are we heading for oversupply from 2022?

Chris Bedingfield
16 February 2022
5

The biggest risk for investing in residential property is not rising rates but excess supply. Rising prices create a supply response, but since the GFC, there has never been excess supply. Is that about to change?

Howard Marks on selling versus staying invested

Graham Hand
16 February 2022
4

Howard Marks writes a regular letter to his clients, but he realised he had not addressed the selling decision. We hear about people who claim they picked a market top but when do they reinvest to enjoy the upside?

Is there any point in holding cash?

Geoff Warren
16 February 2022
5

Cash is a drag on portfolios when the stockmarket is strong but a welcome bulwark when the market sells off. Moving to cash is justified for the plausible scenario where the value of all other assets falls.

Stocks near their 52-week lows: is it time to reconsider?

Gemma Dale
16 February 2022
1

Some of nabtrade’s most popular stocks are trading substantially off their highs, and investors should consider whether the stories that drove their popularity in the early stages of Covid are still intact.

SMSF returns competitive with big funds at $200,000

Peter Burgess, George Mihaylov
16 February 2022
5

The investment performance of a typical SMSF improves as the fund balance approaches $200,000, after which the fund achieves comparable investment returns with APRA- regulated funds, according to new research.

What real estate agents don't tell you (redux)

Graham Hand
16 February 2022
11

The costs of owning an apartment for short-term rental consume most of the income, leaving uninformed investors blind to actual returns until the statements roll in. The practice of marketing gross yields is misleading.

Firstlinks is sponsored by:

Most viewed in recent weeks

How cutting the CGT discount could help rebalance housing market

A more rational taxation system that supports home ownership but discourages asset speculation could provide greater financial support to first home buyers.

Jago Dodson, Liam Davies
18 February 2026

Want your loved ones to inherit your super? You can’t afford to skip this one step

One in five Australians die before retirement and most have not set up their super properly so their loved ones can benefit from all their hard work and savings.

Tobias Barkley
4 March 2026

Super is catching up, but ageing is a triple-threat

An ageing Australia is shifting the superannuation system’s focus from accumulation to the lifecycle of retirement. While these pressures have been anticipated for decades, they are now converging at scale and driving widespread industry change.

Aaron Minney
4 March 2026

Has Australia wasted the last 30 years?

The 20 years after Peter Costello left Treasury have been deemed wasted...by Peter Costello. The missed opportunities for Australia began long before.

John Abernethy
11 March 2026

Meg on SMSFs: Last word on Div 296 for a while

The best way to deal with the incoming Division 296 tax on superannuation is likely doing nothing. Earnings will be taxed regardless of where the money sits, so here are some important considerations.

Meg Heffron
18 February 2026

The 5% deposit scheme is bad for homeowners and Australia

An ‘affordability’ scheme making the county more vulnerable to economic shocks and contributing to the deteriorating financial situation of everyday Australians.

Mark LaMonica CFA
25 February 2026

Alliances

Site Map

About Firstlinks

Disclaimer
The data, research and opinions provided here are for information purposes; are not an offer to buy or sell a security; and are not warranted to be correct, complete or accurate. Morningstar, its affiliates, and third-party content providers are not responsible for any investment decisions, damages or losses resulting from, or related to, the data and analyses or their use. To the extent any content is general advice, it has been prepared for clients of Morningstar Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN: 95 090 665 544, AFSL: 240892), without reference to your financial objectives, situation or needs. For more information refer to our Financial Services Guide. You should consider the advice in light of these matters and if applicable, the relevant Product Disclosure Statement before making any decision to invest. Past performance does not necessarily indicate a financial product’s future performance. To obtain advice tailored to your situation, contact a professional financial adviser. Articles are current as at date of publication.
This website contains information and opinions provided by third parties. Inclusion of this information does not necessarily represent Morningstar’s positions, strategies or opinions and should not be considered an endorsement by Morningstar.