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Edition: 539

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Welcome to Firstlinks Edition 539 with weekend update

  • 13 December 2023
  • 11

In politics, there’s an old saying that if everyone is unhappy with a policy, then it must be on the right track. On that measure, the Government’s financial advice reforms aren’t a total success, though they may not be far off.

Which asset classes are undervalued right now?

Many assets have had a rollercoaster 2023 though most are up, and some of them are up a lot. Here we compare valuations of cash, bonds, stocks, and property, and suggest where investors may be able find a bargain.

Super wars: who needs to do what for retirees?

Retirement is the new black and super funds are seemingly expected to do all things for all retirees. Do we need to better apportion the different responsibilities to create a world class retirement income system?  

Time to announce the X-factor for 2023

What is the X-factor - the largely unexpected influence that wasn’t thought about when the year began but came from left field to have powerful effects on investment returns - for 2023? It's time to select the winner.

The reforms that our retirement system needs

Australia should change its retirement system so people can easily access targeted support to plan their futures and fund their lifestyles by having greater work flexibility and access to equity in their homes.

The future of bank hybrids is open to question

APRA is reviewing hybrid capital bonds issued by banks. This is hardly surprising since the demise of Credit Suisse showed they don't work for the purpose that they are designed, and their continued use must be questioned.

Cash underperforms when rates peak

History tells us that hiding in cash isn't the best approach when interest rates peak. While equity markets have had a strong year driven by the ‘Magnificent Seven’ stocks, the rally might broaden to other sectors in 2024.

Podcast: US recession risks and a simple wealth-creating strategy

Brandywine Global's Richard Rauch warns of US and global recession risks, Vanguard's Duncan Burns on building a simple, effective investment portfolio, and Peter Warnes on the Australian market outlook for 2024.

Most viewed in recent weeks

The growing debt burden of retiring Australians

More Australians are retiring with larger mortgages and less super. This paper explores how unlocking housing wealth can help ease the nation’s growing retirement cashflow crunch.

Four best-ever charts for every adviser and investor

In any year since 1875, if you'd invested in the ASX, turned away and come back eight years later, your average return would be 120% with no negative periods. It's just one of the must-have stats that all investors should know.

LICs vs ETFs – which perform best?

With investor sentiment shifting and ETFs surging ahead, we pit Australia’s biggest LICs against their ETF rivals to see which delivers better returns over the short and long term. The results are revealing.

Preparing for aged care

Whether for yourself or a family member, it’s never too early to start thinking about aged care. This looks at the best ways to plan ahead, as well as the changes coming to aged care from November 1 this year.

Our experts on Jim Chalmers' super tax backdown

Labor has caved to pressure on key parts of the Division 296 tax, though also added some important nuances. Here are six experts’ views on the changes and what they mean for you.        

Family trusts: Are they still worth it?

Family trusts remain a core structure for wealth management, but rising ATO scrutiny and complex compliance raise questions about their ongoing value. Are the benefits still worth the administrative burden?

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