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25 August 2025
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This is a primer on high yield bonds - their risk and returns compared to investment grade securities, diversification benefits, and strategies for selecting high yield investments for enhanced portfolio yields.
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.
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.
The market has seen a major widening of credit spreads as investors demand greater compensation for liquidity risk. Has the market reached the point where it offers value?
When a company fraud is uncovered there are many losers, and companies are not run to benefit bondholders. The main protection against such unforeseeable risks is to maintain a well-diversified portfolio.
Advances in technology have allowed peer to peer lending to thrive, offering credit to more potential borrowers at lower interest rates than those offered by banks. How does it work and will it last?
There's no straightforward answer to the question of whether a bond is liquid. Unfortunately, at the time when you most want to sell, everyone is likely to be running for the exit.
In response to a reader's question regarding bond funds, we asked our bond guru to explain, in layman's term, the workings of bond funds and what features to look for before investing in this asset class.
Individuals have their credit history checked by financiers whenever they apply for finance. Why isn’t there a way for retail investors to check the credentials of financial institutions before investing their money?
In the world of credit risk, you need to understand the capacity of the borrower to pay what they’ve promised, then assume that they will let you down anyway and avoid concentrating your portfolio.
The risk that bond investors should be most concerned about is credit risk. Market risk does not produce a permanent loss of capital, and higher yields result in increasing returns over time.
Each generation believes its economic challenges were uniquely tough - but what does the data say? A closer look reveals a more nuanced, complex story behind the generational hardship debate.
Australia could unlock smarter investment and greater equity by reforming housing tax concessions. Rethinking exemptions on the family home could benefit most Australians, especially renters and owners of modest homes.
The Labor government is talking up tax reform to lift Australia’s ailing economic growth. Before any changes are made, it’s important to know who pays tax, who owns assets, and how much people have in their super for retirement.
This goes through the different options including shares, property and business ownership and declares a winner, as well as outlining the mindset needed to earn enough to never have to work again.
Everyone has a theory as to why housing in Australia is so expensive. There are a lot of different factors at play, from skewed migration patterns to banking trends and housing's status as a national obsession.
China's steel production, equivalent to building one Sydney Harbour Bridge every 10 minutes, has driven Australia's economic growth. With China's slowdown, what does this mean for Australia's economy and investments?