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1 March 2026
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Using the increased super caps, avoiding the liquidity curse, feeling chill winds from Asia, comparing LICs and ETFs, and addressing our dominant banking sector as part of the Financial System Inquiry.
It's popular to argue that the contribution caps are severe limits to the amount placed in super. But a couple can put up to $1.5 million into super in the next few months, so make the caps work in your favour.
Shares are an excellent long-term investment, but the ease with which they can be bought and sold can be both a blessing and a curse. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Local production in some industries has become less viable due to Asia’s lower costs, and companies need to adapt. Some of our biggest producers in the fuel and cement industries have transitioned to distribution.
Professor Bird and Dr Gray highlight the dominance of the financial sector in Australia’s economy in their submission to the Financial System Inquiry and question whether bigger is necessarily better.
One-third of Australia’s top 30 companies are financial institutions, much higher than other comparable countries. In the interests of our future economic growth, it will need to change.
The renowned investor says 2025’s real story wasn’t AI or US stocks but the shift away from American assets and a collapse in the value of money. And he outlines how to best position portfolios for what’s ahead.
The post-World War Two economic system is unravelling, leading to huge shifts in currency, bond and commodity markets, yet stocks seem oblivious to the chaos. This looks to history as a guide for what’s next.
Our cost-of-living pressures go beyond the RBA: surging house prices, excessive migration, and expanding government programs, including the NDIS, are fuelling inflation, demanding bold, structural solutions.
The capital gains tax discount is under review, but debate should go beyond its size. Its original purpose, design flaws and distortions suggest Australia could adopt a better, more targeted approach.
A more rational taxation system that supports home ownership but discourages asset speculation could provide greater financial support to first home buyers.
This is my last edition as Editor of Firstlinks. I’m moving onto a new role though the newsletter will remain in good hands until my permanent replacement is found.