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22 May 2022
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We become more different from each other over time. Our own remaining time frame is unique. By just focusing on ‘community’ longevity, we lose sight of how different we are and how differently we respond.
Life expectancy numbers are often interpreted as the likely maximum age of a person but that is incorrect. Here are three reasons why the odds are in favor of people outliving life expectancy estimates.
Focussing on companies that will benefit from slow moving, long duration and highly predictable demographic trends can help investors predict future opportunities. Three main themes stand out.
Retirees want better returns but they have limited appetite to dial up their risk exposure in order to achieve it. Financial advice and protection strategies in portfolios can enhance investment outcomes.
The first of five articles on modern retirement income products that aim for an increasing pension that lasts for life and on average should not decline in real terms. They are not silver bullets but worth a look.
The super industry wants larger contributions to super, but the funds haven’t earned the right to more money. The industry has had decades to solve the longevity problem but it has produced nothing of note.
There are many items in the 'too hard basket' for super. Remember the proposed Retirement Income Covenant? It required trustees to develop an appropriate strategy for members, and it's time to progress with it.
Average life expectancies are a weak predictor of individual outcomes, and it's better to consider a range of probable lifespans. A plan that lasts to the average will disappoint every second retiree.
Over 50s make up 27% of Australia’s population and hold 50% of private wealth. Yet only 2% of marketing briefs focus on targeting this audience, which is active, ambitious, purposeful and diverse.
With more people living longer, retirement expectations are being reshaped and redefined. Now is the time to consider the financial and cultural solutions for making the most out of the gift of a longer life.
While financial solutions to longevity are worth pursuing, it is more important to educate people on what the late-stages of life are likely to deliver, and the time to prepare is now.
The financial concerns of those in or close to retirement are focussed on health and housing. Lower interest rates, rising healthcare costs and lifespan uncertainty legitimately compound those concerns.
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?
Single-member SMSFs face challenges where the eventual beneficiaries (or support team in the event of incapacity) will be the member’s adult children. Even worse, what happens if one or more of the children live overseas?