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30 June 2025
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Super reforms must improve outcomes, investing for the end beneficiary or the intermediaries, measuring risk aversion, S&P benchmarks active managers, and the effects of compounding.
Much attention has been drawn recently to the high cost of the Australian superannuation system compared with pension systems overseas, with retirement outcomes often overlooked. What should we be striving for?
A study recently published by Towers Watson claims that many in the investment industry focus on looking after intermediaries at the expense of clients. And we're obsessed by short-termism and chasing alpha.
Following from the article "Our industry has a problem", Cuffelinks interviewed Tim Hodgson, the author of the study into investment industry intermediaries. He doesn't like much of what he sees.
Financial risk aversion is usually measured via a questionnaire compiled by an adviser, which provides a one-dimensional numerical measure. But this does not cover all there is to learn about a client's aversion to risk.
The SPIVA Australia Scorecard measures the performance of actively-managed funds compared with the relevant S&P indexes. Results from the most recent Scorecard are not pretty for active managers.
If you get onto the compounding bandwagon from a young age, the balance of your superannuation, as well as other savings, come retirement will astound you. It's a shame more people aren't maximising the opportunity.
Sydney is set to become the world’s most expensive city for housing over the next 12 months, a new report shows. Our other major cities aren’t far behind unless there are major changes to improve housing affordability.
The Government's proposed tax has copped a lot of flack though I think it's a reasonable approach to improve the long-term sustainability of superannuation and the retirement income system. Here’s why.
You've no doubt heard about Division 296. These case studies show what people at various levels above the $3 million threshold might need to pay the ATO, with examples ranging from under $500 to more than $35,000.
The $3m super tax could be put down to the Government needing money and the wealthy being easy targets. It’s deeper than that though and this looks at the factors behind the policy and why more taxes on the wealthy are coming.
The super tax has caused an almighty scuffle, but for SMSFs impacted by the proposed tax, a big question remains: what should they do now? Here are ideas for those wanting to withdraw money from their SMSF.
Australia's superannuation inequities date back to poor decisions made by Parliament two decades ago. If super for the wealthy needs resetting, so too does the defined benefits schemes for our public servants.