29 June 2026

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Noel Whittaker’s take on the budget Australia has no death duties. Technically.How to minimise tax with a will Testamentary trusts post-budget: Estate planning, tax reform and the ‘death tax’ debate Back to the future - Why indexing CGT is a good idea

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Edition: 502

1-8 out of 8 results.

Welcome to Firstlinks Edition 502 with weekend update

30 March 2023
3

Bond funds that invest in long-term fixed rate securities have suffered badly from taking duration risk, not credit risk. Even with hybrids, Australians seem unlikely to suffer a credit event. But that does not mean credit risk should be underestimated, and few retail investors can assess it properly.

Only 2.4% of companies deliver all net shareholder wealth

Graham Hand
29 March 2023
19

Over decades, relatively few companies generate all the stockmarket's outperformance. Is this an argument for passive investing or does it prove active investing is rewarded? Bessembinder lets you decide.

Meg on SMSFs: Four ways super pensions are better in SMSFs

Meg Heffron
29 March 2023
25

In many ways, super pensions in an SMSF and a large public fund are the same, but flexibility differences give the SMSF features such as drawing money out as needed, managing as a couple and no need to move assets.

The growth outperformance myth

Andrew Mitchell
29 March 2023
2

There's a common belief that the outperformance of 'growth investing' over 'value investing' since the GFC is simply due to the fall in longer-term interest rates, but is this really the case? The answer may surprise you.

The mechanics of the $3 million super tax must be fixed

Andrew Gale
29 March 2023
62

Most people accept there should be a limit to the tax concessions for high super balances, but the mechanics of Government's $3 million proposal must be fixed before it is legislated. Treasury missed the detail.

Crisis, contagion or QE? The bigger picture

Roger Montgomery
29 March 2023
1

The current bank turmoil should not be a GFC-type event, although the risk of tightening credit conditions is real. Volatile markets are an opportunity to buy strong, growing companies trading at attractive valuations.

Brace, brace, brace: The real issue behind the banking turmoil

Andrew Canobi
29 March 2023
3

The key issue that lies behind the banking turmoil is the constriction of credit supply that central banks are inducing amidst their assault on inflation. The withdrawal of liquidity finds out weaknesses in the system.

How digital tokens will revolutionise investing

Adam Belding
29 March 2023
6

Investors frustrated by tedious fund application processes may benefit as asset managers look for ways to enhance their proposition and profit. Digital tokens are the next big thing as a way to represent ownership.

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Noel Whittaker’s take on the budget

Marketed as a fix for inequality and housing affordability, the latest budget instead delivers a tangle of tax changes that leave everyday Australians worse off.

Noel Whittaker
20 May 2026

Australia has no death duties. Technically.

Australia may not levy formal death duties, but a growing web of tax measures is quietly shaping what wealth passes between generations. Now, the 2026 budget adds another layer.

Rachael Rofe
20 May 2026

How to minimise tax with a will

Inheritance tax implications in Australia may surprise some, as poor estate planning without proper wills or trusts can lead to costly tax bills and delays for beneficiaries.

Shani Jayamanne
3 June 2026

Testamentary trusts post-budget: Estate planning, tax reform and the ‘death tax’ debate

Proposed Budget changes to taxation are casting new uncertainty over testamentary trusts, prompting closer scrutiny of estate planning structures and the real implications of reforms still taking shape.

Dr. Sylvia Villios
10 June 2026

Back to the future - Why indexing CGT is a good idea

A return to indexation of capital gains would be a fairer way to compensate households for the effects of inflation than the current discount. Importantly, it opens the door to future, broader reforms to stop the taxation of inflation.

Matt Nolan
20 May 2026

Meg on SMSFs: The CGT changes don’t impact super but what about Div 296 tax decisions?

New CGT rules could tip the scales in the super vs non-super debate. For those facing the Division 296 tax, the case for withdrawing has gotten more complex. A "comparison rate" tool may help assess decisions.

Meg Heffron
10 June 2026

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