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21 October 2025
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Duration is back. After years in the doghouse, shifting markets and higher yields are restoring its role as a reliable diversifier and income source - offering defensive strength in today’s uncertain environment.
Bonds have been strong performers over many decades and always play a role in defensively-positioned portfolios. There are some basic principles investors should understand such as the types of yield.
Government bond yields are so close to their lower bounds that they are unlikely to provide the returns of the past, nor act as a counter to falling equity markets. What are the investment choices?
Investors need to know the interest rate duration of their fixed income portfolios and its impact on the capital value of their portfolios ahead of potential rate rises.
We can expect a long bond yield rise of the magnitude we’ve seen in 2016 on average every three years, but that doesn't ease the pain of capital losses in the last six months.
Despite the global bond duration index nudging an historic peak of 7 years, portfolios can still benefit from holding exposure to fixed interest investments as long as investors are aware of the impact of duration.
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.
The topic of rising interest rates is heating up following recent increases in US long term bond yields. What does this mean for the value of your existing fixed income investments, and what are the bond alternatives?
Simple maths helps explain why the share market is so volatile. It’s not that it’s an irrational, casino-like beast that bucks and dives for no good reason. It’s a long duration market reacting to changes.
LICs are continuing to struggle with large discounts and frustrated investors are wondering whether it’s worth holding onto them. This explains why the next 6-12 months will be make or break for many LICs.
Younger Australians think they’ll need $100k a year in retirement - nearly double what current retirees spend. Expectations are rising fast, but are they realistic or just another case of lifestyle inflation?
Retirement can be daunting for Australians facing financial uncertainty. Understand your goals, longevity challenges, inflation impacts, market risks, and components of retirement income with these crucial charts.
In any year since 1875, if you'd invested in the ASX, turned away and come back eight years later, your average return would be 120% with no negative periods. It's just one of the must-have stats that all investors should know.
Five mega trends point to risks of a more inflation prone and lower growth environment. This, along with rich market valuations, should constrain medium term superannuation returns to around 5% per annum.
With rising home prices and falling affordability, political leaders preach reform. But asset disclosures show many are heavily invested in property - raising doubts about whose interests housing policy really protects.