AMP Capital’s goal is simple: to secure the financial future of as many investors as possible. As part of that I am always looking for new ideas, trends, conversation starters and stories that make me think. Contemplating the future is what Cuffelinks and its array of authors does best. Here are five of my favourites.
1. Let’s start at the beginning, with the basics of investing. The holiday season is a time for reflection and a couple of years ago, Cuffelinks put together a comprehensive guide to investing by asking more than 30 investment professionals to provide advice to their 20-year-old selves. From the power of compound interest to the exhortation to 'start now!', from playing to your strengths to learning to manage your emotions, it’s full of gems, and is linked here. As this article was also selected by a previous Guest Editor, I have chosen another ebook on the basics of investing, focussed more on lessons from making a mistake. What is an enduring investment lesson you learned from making a mistake?
2. Noel Whittaker’s 20 Commandments of Wealth is a classic. He tells us to ignore the prophets of doom that fill our media and make sure we take professional advice before investing, not after. The list is full of wisdom. The 20 Commandments of Wealth for Retirees
3. Focusing more closely on share market investment, the eloquent Roger Montgomery offered a timeless primer back in 2015 that still holds true. He says first, identify superior businesses, and second, estimate their true value. And then he laments how hard it is for investors to follow these simple rules. How to think rationally about shares
4. In a similar vein is David Bell’s argument against get rich quick schemes. There’s no easy way to make money, he says. And that really is a truism of investing. No easy way to make money
5. And finally, this time of the year is a time of thanks – thanks for the life we’re living, the society that allows us to live so well and the people with whom we spend our time. No article contemplates this better than Chris Cuffe’s own thoughts on life, family and death - and his frustration at the still true fact that 45% of Australians do not have a valid will. What could be more important than ensuring your loved ones are safe and cared for after you’ve gone? Chris contemplates the basics and benefits of leaving an enduring legacy for your children and grandchildren. But also, perhaps more importantly, he considers how we can also leave an enduring gift for society at large – the very society that has enabled us to live so well in the first place. Planning to make your money live forever
Tim Keegan is Global Head of Marketing, Digital, Innovation and Direct at AMP Capital, a sponsor of Cuffelinks.