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23 May 2022
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The Big Four banks look similar but they are at fundamentally different stages as they move to simpler business models. Amid challenges from operating systems, loan growth and neobank threats, one factor stands tall.
Commissioner Hayne struggles to define 'culture' but it's important because it will guide behaviour long after the Final Report is gathering dust.
A year of editorials is collected into a summary of the Royal Commission hearings. No need to rush out and buy one of the books that will hit the stores in the next few months.
The Royal Commission has done great work, but most bank activities remain untouched, including the crucial issue of how banks price their products. Kenneth Hayne asks if banks are capable of the change required.
There is popular and political support for a bank royal commission, but what can it really achieve? Two years of bank bashing for doubtful results in an already heavily-regulated and monitored industry.
The cultural shortcomings of banking are being obscured by the more prominent scandals in wealth management. Without a legal fiduciary obligation to customers, are banks fulfilling the social role expected of them?
The Big 4 banks make up nearly 30% of the ASX, and Australian shares make up a significant proportion of most multi-asset portfolios. Even if you can't resist the bank dividends, you should review your level of exposure.
Other sharemarket opportunities than banks are likely to be more resilient in the event of a market correction. Banks have large exposures to residential property which is doubling up on risk for many Australians.
Every successful fund manager suffers periods of underperformance, and investors who jump from fund to fund chasing results are likely to do badly. Selecting a manager is a long-term decision but what else?
In almost 1,000 responses, our readers differ in voting intentions versus polling of the general population, but they have little doubt who will win and there is widespread disappointment with our politics.
Conservative investors who want the greater capital security of bonds can now lock in 5% but they should stay at the higher end of credit quality. Rises in rates and defaults mean it's not as easy as it looks.
In the last decade, ETFs have become a mainstay of many portfolios, with broad market access to most asset types, as well as a wide array of sectors and themes. Is there a favourite of a CEO who oversees 30 funds?
Believe it or not, betting agencies are in the business of making money, not predicting outcomes. Is there anything we can learn from the current odds on the election results?
At around 10.30pm on Saturday night, Scott Morrison called Anthony Albanese to concede defeat in the 2022 election. As voting continued the next day, it became likely that Labor would reach the magic number of 76 seats to form a majority government.