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14 February 2026
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If instead of lavishing your guests with expensive wine at an outrageously over-priced location with a million flowers and expensive bands, you had headed down to the Registry Office and had a drink at the pub instead, this is how much your wedding day lump sum would be worth. Note – it’s best to be seated whilst doing this when you realise how much your wedding expenses would be worth now. There are two messages from this: the value of saving and the power of compounding.
The wedding calculator comes from Slate.com, and was sent to us by Jonathan Hoyle, Chief Executive Officer at Stanford Brown, whose own numbers are shown in the diagram.
Wealth accumulation has four main drivers. Evaluating long-term investment risk requires shifting the focus on shorter-term losses and volatility towards failure to achieve long-term objectives.
We may prefer a fast pay off but a long-term approach to investing will result in a less stressful journey and a more successful outcome.
Watching the market each day to pick a winner is not the best way to handle a retirement plan. A better and less stressful approach for your investment portfolio is to avoid losers, sit back and watch the grass grow.
What are the best ways to build a simple portfolio from scratch? I’ve addressed this issue before but think it’s worth revisiting given markets and the world have since changed, throwing up new challenges and things to consider.
Treasury has released draft legislation for a new version of the controversial $3 million super tax. It's a significant improvement on the original proposal but there are some stings in the tail.
The renowned investor says 2025’s real story wasn’t AI or US stocks but the shift away from American assets and a collapse in the value of money. And he outlines how to best position portfolios for what’s ahead.
The predictions include dividends will outstrip growth as a source of Australian equity returns, US market performance will be underwhelming, while US government bonds will beat gold.
We don’t have a housing shortage; we have housing misallocation. This explores why so many bedrooms go unused, what’s been tried before, and five things to unlock housing capacity – no new building required.
My mother developed dementia before eventually dying in June last year. She was in three aged care homes before finding the right one. Here is what I learned along the way.
The capital gains tax discount is under review, but debate should go beyond its size. Its original purpose, design flaws and distortions suggest Australia could adopt a better, more targeted approach.
The assumption that falling house prices are electorally fatal has shaped policy for decades. Evidence from upzoning suggests affordability can improve without reducing overall housing wealth.
Investment bonds can be a versatile and a tax-effective option for building wealth for longer-term investment goals. They can also be used as an estate planning tool, enabling the smooth transfer of wealth to younger generations.
Investors are jumpy as valuations continue to rise and income investing may provide a respite. In a challenging market for income investing AML offers their top picks.
CEO Simon Doyle is retiring after 38 years in the finance industry. In an interview with James Gruber, he shares the three main lessons he’s learned, and where he sees opportunities and risks in markets today.
Investors may overlook the US midterms amid global events, but they could still impact markets. History shows markets react during midterm years, with increased volatility and lower returns. Will this year be any different?
Increasing geopolitical tensions has investors on edge but one study shows evidence of a war premium for equity markets.