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21 May 2025
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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.
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.
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.)
Firstlinks is a terrific source of balanced and educational information while at the same time being inspiring
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.
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.
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.
Labor has announced a $2.3 billion Cheaper Home Batteries Program, aimed at slashing the cost of home batteries. The goal is to turbocharge battery uptake, though practical difficulties may prevent that happening.
The famed investor says the rapid switch from globalisation to trade wars is the biggest upheaval in the investing environment since World War Two. And a new world requires a different investment approach.
The boss of Australia’s fourth largest super fund by assets, UniSuper’s John Pearce, says Trump has declared an economic war and he’ll be reducing his US stock exposure over time. Should you follow suit?
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Portfolio Manager Ted Alexander outlines the changes that he's made to Platinum's International Fund portfolio since taking charge in March, while staying true to its contrarian, value-focused roots.
The Trump administration has not killed the multi-decade investment opportunity in decarbonisation. These four industries in particular face a step-change in demand and could reward long-term investors.
The recent federal election outcome has puzzled many, with Labor's significant win despite a modest primary vote share. Preference flows played a crucial role, highlighting the complexity of forecasting electoral results.