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30 April 2026
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We are often warned by investment managers that past performance is not an indicator of future returns, but Towers Watson goes even further: past returns are not even a reliable indicator of past returns.
They point out that retail investors are not good at ‘buy and hold’ and suffer from switching at the wrong time as they chase better results. Investors rarely achieve the reinvestment of dividends assumed in compounding calculations, which rarely allow for tax payments. A quoted return which assumes reinvestment of gross dividends is very difficult to achieve. And then there’s the emotional drain of feeling losses more than enjoying profits, as investors struggle to distinguish between a noise and a signal.
The full Towers Watson research paper is here.
Investors overestimate the risk of owning stocks and underestimate the risk of not owning them. In the long run, shares crush other major asset classes, yet it’s one thing to understand this, it’s another to being able to execute on it.
It's important to look beyond the short-term volatility caused by military events, inflation, rate hikes, and other daily dramas. Here's how simple, diversified, long term portfolios continue to deliver healthy returns.
Could this be the greatest mathematical discovery of all time? An appreciation of compounding is essential for understanding investments, and an accumulation index rather than a price index better measures performance.
Stay on top of the latest changes to superannuation rates and thresholds for 2026, including increases to transfer balance cap, concessional contributions cap, and non-concessional contributions cap.
The Strait of Hormuz closure due to US-Iran conflict severely disrupted global energy supply chains. While various emergency measures mitigated the crude impact, the refined product market faces unprecedented stress.
The perceived underperformance of LICs compared to ETFs is due to existing comparison data excluding crucial information, highlighting the need for proper assessment and transparent reporting.
The Home Equity Access Scheme in Australia allows older homeowners to tap into their home equity for retirement income, yet remains underused due to lack of awareness and its perceived complexity.
Debate over the CGT discount is intensifying amid concerns about intergenerational equity and housing affordability. This analysis shows that the 'discount' does not necessarily favor property investors.
The new super tax, applying from 1 July, introduces more than just a higher rate on large balances. It brings into focus a misalignment between where wealth sits and where the tax on that wealth ultimately falls.
Here is a checklist of 28 important issues you should address before June 30 to ensure your SMSF or other super fund is in order and that you are making the most of the strategies available.
A retirement researcher's take on retirement and her focus on each of her six resource buckets to stay engaged during the transition and beyond.
What happens if market resilience in the face of ongoing geopolitical tensions ends? Potential decade-long market weakness shows the need for contingency planning.
Studies show that a drop in expendure during retirement leads to a happier retirement. But when costs ramp up again later in life, it's a guaranteed income that makes spending more hurt less.
A cow for her milk, a stock for her dividends. Investors are too quick to dismiss this valuation technique.
The 33% CGT discount rate being floated isn’t random. It sits at the structural break-even between trust and company for the multi-property cohort. That’s driving the conversation we’re hearing now.
How passive investing has permanently changed market structure — and why sophisticated tools are now the price of survival.