Register to receive our free weekly newsletter including editorials.
4 February 2026
Recently trending
Reader: "I can quickly sort the items that I am interested in, then research them more fully. It is also a regular reminder that I need to do this."
Ian Kelly, CFP, BTACS Financial Services: "Probably the best source of commentary and information I have seen over the past 20 years."
Jonathan Hoyle, CEO, Stanford Brown: "A fabulous publication. The only must-read weekly publication for the Australian wealth management industry."
Professor Robert Deutsch: "This has got to be the best set of articles on economic and financial matters. Always something worthwhile reading in Firstlinks. Thankyou"
Andrew Buchan, Partner, HLB Mann Judd: "I have told you a thousand times it's the best newsletter."
Reader: "Love it, just keep doing what you are doing. It is the right length too, any longer and it might become a bit overwhelming."
Reader: "It's excellent so please don't pollute the content with boring mainstream financial 'waffle' and adverts for stuff we don't want!"
Rob Henshaw: "When I open my computer each day it's the first link I click - a really great read."
Reader: "The BEST in the game because of diversity and not aligned to financial products. Stands above all the noise."
Reader: "I subscribe to two newsletters. This is my first read of the week. Thank you. Excellent and please keep up the good work!"
Reader: "Carry on as you are - well done. The average investor/SMSF trustee needs all the help they can get."
Don Stammer, leading Australian economist: "Congratulations to all associated. It deserves the good following it has."
Noel Whittaker, author and financial adviser: "A fabulous weekly newsletter that is packed full of independent financial advice."
Reader: "Congratulations on a great focussed news source. Australia has a dearth of good quality unbiased financial and wealth management news."
John Pearce, Chief Investment Officer, Unisuper: "Out of the (many many) investmentrelated emails I get, Cuffelinks is one that I always open."
Eleanor Dartnall, AFA Adviser of the Year, 2014: "Our clients love your newsletter. Your articles are avidly read by advisers and they learn a great deal."
Reader: "Keep it up - the independence is refreshing and is demonstrated by the variety of well credentialed commentators."
Reader: " Finding a truly independent and interesting read has been magical for me. Please keep it up and don't change!"
John Egan, Egan Associates: "My heartiest congratulations. Your panel of contributors is very impressive and keep your readers fully informed."
Scott Pape, author of The Barefoot Investor: "I'm an avid reader of Cuffelinks. Thanks for the wonderful resource you have here, it really is first class."
Ian Silk, CEO, AustralianSuper: "It has become part of my required reading: quality thinking, and (mercifully) to the point."
Reader: "Is one of very few places an investor can go and not have product rammed down their throat. Love your work!"
Steve: "The best that comes into our world each week. This is the only one that is never, ever canned before fully being reviewed by yours truly."
Reader: "An island of professionalism in an ocean of shallow self-interest. Well done!"
David Goldschmidt, Chartered Accountant: "I find this a really excellent newsletter. The best I get. Keep up the good work!"
Reader: "Best innovation I have seen whilst an investor for 25 years. The writers are brilliant. A great publication which I look forward to."
Reader: "Great resource. Cuffelinks is STILL the one and only weekly newsletter I regularly read."
Thank you to those who responded to last week’s reader survey. We love to hear what you think of Firstlinks and appreciate your engagement.
Some trends that have become clear already include:
I’ve included a selection of comments below. Do you have anything to add?
If you had planned to do the survey ‘later’ and haven’t quite got there, we’ll be keeping it open until Wednesday 17th July.
Lastly, thanks to the majority of readers who recommend Firstlinks to friends and family. If you know someone who would benefit from regularly reading Firstlinks, please forward this subscription link to them.
Leisa Bell is Assistant Editor at Firstlinks.
In the interests of recognizing the complete investment universe, my memory of the survey is that it did not include recognition of investments in Corporate Bonds or direct real estate although it did include things like cryptocurrencies. I think this is out of balance.
First Links' articles are informative and easy to read. Excellent mix of topics which keep the readers well informed. I look forward to reading them each week.
Firstlinks is a terrific source of balanced and educational information while at the same time being inspiring
Global data indicate that "Huston, we have a problem" (climate changes, global financial system, society decline, etc.; our current way of life, in general, is in crisis and/or in continuous decline in the past 8-10 years). The way we operate is simply not sustainable and new technology cannot solve everything, but we don't want to hear, or acknowledge any of this (i.e. not visible and/or considered anywhere in our generally optimistic view of the investment universe). Note: Past performance is not indicative of the future. :) (The future I cannot see, but I'm a pessimistic optimist.)
Hi Again (I can't add re-enter the survey, it disallows because I have already commented, so I am adding another thought here.) As someone invested in property, I separate out the Investor world of Firstlinks from more familiar territory. However when it did come up in Firstlinks some months ago, there did not seem to be the recognition of capital gains as being a significant part of the wealth creation in the comparison with other investments.
An excellent 2,135 responses to the Survey. Most readers are in older age brackets, usually with an SMSF, about 30% are market professionals, and they value our independence and lack of product flogging. 94% say they already have or are likely to recommended Cuffelinks to a friend.
The Cuffelinks team would like to thank you for your time in responding to our latest Reader Survey - your feedback is most encouraging. It gives us valuable insights into how our newsletter and website are being received.
What are the best ways to build a simple portfolio from scratch? I’ve addressed this issue before but think it’s worth revisiting given markets and the world have since changed, throwing up new challenges and things to consider.
At this time last year, I forecast that 2025 would likely be a positive year given strong economic prospects and disinflation. The outlook for this year is less clear cut and here is what investors should do.
Treasury has released draft legislation for a new version of the controversial $3 million super tax. It's a significant improvement on the original proposal but there are some stings in the tail.
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 predictions include dividends will outstrip growth as a source of Australian equity returns, US market performance will be underwhelming, while US government bonds will beat gold.
We don’t have a housing shortage; we have housing misallocation. This explores why so many bedrooms go unused, what’s been tried before, and five things to unlock housing capacity – no new building required.
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 latest draft legislation may be an improvement but it still has the whiff of a wealth tax about it. The question remains whether a golden opportunity for simpler and fairer super tax reform has been missed.
Your super isn’t a bank account you own; it’s a trust you merely benefit from. So why would the Division 296 tax you personally on assets, income and gains you legally don’t own?
Inflation consistently undermines wealth, even in low-inflation environments. Whether or not it returns to target, investors must protect portfolios from its compounding impact on future living standards.
Global equity markets have experienced stellar returns in 2024 and 2025 led, in large part, by the boom in AI. Which sector could be the next star in global markets? This names three future winners.
The case for listed infrastructure is built on stable earnings and cash flows, which have sustained 4% dividend yields across cycles and supported consistent, inflation-linked long-term returns.
The US stock market sits in prolonged bubble territory, driven by AI enthusiasm. History suggests eventual mean reversion, reminding investors to weigh potential risks against current market optimism.