7 September 2026

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Why have Australian living standards 'fallen' and how do we fix it?Will you run out of money in retirement?Four options for an income investor’s next dollar The investment that sidesteps the new tax traps Why spending more in early retirement can improve lifetime income

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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.

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Most viewed in recent weeks

Why have Australian living standards 'fallen' and how do we fix it?

For the last few years there has been much talk of a 'cost-of-living' crisis in Australia and of 'falling living standards'. Lately this has flared up again with the pickup in inflation resulting in a renewed fall in real wages.

Shane Oliver
5 August 2026

Will you run out of money in retirement?

Fear of running out has become a defining retirement anxiety. Why do some retirees die with substantial wealth while others deplete their nest egg? Evidence suggests the answer is more complicated than we think.

Harry Chemay
12 August 2026

Four options for an income investor’s next dollar

What if Australia’s golden age of dividends is ending? Rather than overhaul your portfolio, it may be worth considering where new capital can work harder. I discuss four income strategies and the trade-offs behind each.

Mark LaMonica CFA
5 August 2026

The investment that sidesteps the new tax traps

Tax rules have changed, but many investors are still using yesterday’s strategies. Insurance bonds may offer advantages for those seeking greater control, tax efficiency and certainty about their wealth.

Noel Whittaker
12 August 2026

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

Testamentary trusts have secured the CGT exemption

Treasury’s latest CGT reform draft delivers a win for testamentary trusts and deceased estates, exempting estate-derived gains from the 30% floor. However, questions on death and divorce rollovers remain unresolved.

Rachael Rofe
19 August 2026

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