The big picture view on portfolio construction
Australian investors face a heady confluence of macroeconomic and geopolitical changes being driven by a complex set of related events. The good news is some of these tectonic changes in the global economy, many of which will attract a strong pipeline of capital for years at a time, are still in their infancy and present
March 11, 2013
Celebrity rematch on the Yellow Brick Road
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a piece for professionalplanner.com.au having a crack at Yellow Brick Road for a retirement planning promotion it staged at a recent Sydney Football Club A-League match. It was an easy target and the article accurately represented my reaction to what I saw at the time, which was pretty
March 07, 2013
Defending Steve Tucker, one of the “good guys”
Several weeks before the “Kevin ’07” election, two colleagues and I were given the opportunity to host Kevin Rudd at a 12-person, four-hour boardroom dinner. I took up the opportunity with delight and went about inviting key industry stakeholders. I ended up with an eclectic group of influencers from all walks of life. It was
March 04, 2013
In Focus: With bonds, it’s the fall that’s gonna kill you
Spare a thought for the fixed-interest investor. When they invest in a bond, the best they can really hope for is to get regular income payments, and then their money back. At worst, they can lose the lot. Full In Focus feature, It’s the fall that’s gonna kill you, is available here In investment speak, this
March 01, 2013
Cormann wins in landslide … now for the election!
The tiny municipality of Eupen in the Belgian province of Liège may have just 20,000 residents but it is one of their own that Professional Planner Online readers would like to see as Australia’s next Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation. Recently described by SPAA National Conference MC Andrew Klein as the most famous Belgian
February 28, 2013
Understanding clients starts with one question
A great interview only starts with great questions. A truly great interview depends on great answers. So the best attribute a great interviewer can possess is the ability to listen. It’s true in journalism, and it’s true in financial planning. Understanding a client’s motivation, goals and aspirations starts with good questions, but it depends on
February 28, 2013
Building an aged care value proposition
Members of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) attended Advanced Technical CPD Workshops around the country in November and December last year. In the first of a three part series, Professional Planner Online filmed the session Building your Aged Care Value Proposition – facilitated by Louise Biti, director of Strategy Steps. Each workshop ran for two
February 28, 2013
Planner challenge: be more outcome-oriented
An environment of low prospective investment returns and relatively high volatility demands more refined, “outcome-oriented” investment solutions, according to the global chief investment officer of Russell Investments, Pete Gunning. Institutional investors and financial planning firms, Gunning says, need to have at their disposal a far wider range of investment options – “componentry”, in Russell’s terms
February 26, 2013
Van Eyk takes on seasonal experts and crystal balls
Investment experts are no better at predicting the future at the start of the year and financial planners should think carefully before acting on the latest round of predictions for economies and markets. This is the view of van Eyk head of strategic research, Jonathan Ramsay, who says while crystal-ball gazing is popular at this
February 25, 2013
FSC issues March tax ultimatum on super grabs
The Financial Services Council (FSC) has issued a “hands-off” notice to government on superannuation, claiming any further taxes would be a breach of trust. Calling superannuation a “bargain between government and working Australians”, FSC chief executive John Brogden said enforced savings could no longer be treated as a honeypot to be dipped into at will.
February 21, 2013
YBR retirement promo scores own goal
An A-League football match isn’t where you expect to hear a “plan for retirement” message, but that’s what happened last Saturday night at the Sydney FC versus Adelaide United game. The retirement planning promo involved the merging of two of Mark Bouris’ interests: Yellow Brick Road (YBR), the financial services business of which is he
February 21, 2013
Accountants reject APES as FoFA swings into action
Discontent in the ranks of a peak accountancy body and confusion around accreditation for accountants wishing to offer financial advice in self-managed super funds (SMSFs) has clouded the debate on industry operating standards. Speaking at the SMSF Professionals’ Association of Australia (SPAA) National Conference on Friday, Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) chief executive, Andrew Conway,
February 19, 2013
