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28 April 2024
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Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan is the most powerful commercial banker in the world, and his just-released letter to shareholders warns that while the current economy looks fine, the storm clouds ahead differ from the past.
This banking crisis in the US and Europe is very different to the one which caused the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. If right, it provides an opportunity to find undervalued stocks unfairly pulled down with the bank carnage.
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.
The ATO has released all the superannuation rates and thresholds that will apply from 1 July 2024. Here's what’s changing and what’s not, and some key considerations and opportunities in the lead up to 30 June and beyond.
Life has radically shifted with my brain cancer, and I don’t know if it will ever be the same again. After decades of writing and a dozen years with Firstlinks, I still want to contribute, but exactly how and when I do that is unclear.
Australia will have 3.7 million more people in a decade's time, though the growth won't be evenly distributed. Over 85s will see the fastest growth, while the number of younger people will barely rise.
Being rich is having a high-paying job and accumulating fancy houses and cars, while being wealthy is owning assets that provide passive income, as well as freedom and flexibility. Knowing the difference can reframe your life.
Investor disgust, consolidation, de-listings, price discounts, activist investors entering - it’s what typically happens at business cycle troughs, and it’s happening to LICs now. That may present a potential opportunity.
How useful are the retirement savings and spending targets put out by various groups such as ASFA? Not very, and it's reducing the ability of ordinary retirees to fully understand their retirement income options.