Industry Updates

Direct property on the up, but choose carefully

Dug Higgins says it will still pay to remain cautious and seek out property investment opportunities with care. As mid-2011 approaches we are starting to see some encouraging signs of life from the property funds sector

Approaching exit velocity

Ron Bewley says it's not unrealistic to look forward to another "smooth" bull market. As we run to 5000 in the index - yet again - as I write this piece, it feels a bit like “Groundhog Day” I did some really heavy-duty research a while ago, working out what “cross-sectional” volatility (CSV) is and what it does

A call to arms for those about to give

Ensuring maximum alignment of giving motivation with giving structure is the best way to ensure  personally satisfying and effective giving. Aligning motivations with the appropriate giving structure is critical and there are three basic structuring options available for giving:

How China’s Five-Year Plan will impact investors

April 2011: What does China’s latest National People’s Congress and its 12th Five-Year Plan (FYP) mean for investors? The latest plan focuses on social spending and industrial upgrades as they will help shift China’s economy to a consumption-driven model which will benefit stocks in the consumer, property and infrastructure sectors. The 12th FYP remains highly

Jumpin’ Jack Flash and The Road Not Taken

Watching all the events of the last quarter, I couldn’t help but think upon the famous poem by Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference. 2011 has started with extraordinary volatility and has been

The Winds of Change in the Middle East

The winds of change are blowing across the Middle East as citizens across the region rise up in protest against their governments and ruling families. The winds in Libya and Bahrain in particular are sending shivers down the spines of Western governments. What makes the recent developments in these countries (as opposed to Egypt and

Why low cost can sometimes mean low returns

Daniel Liptak explains why low fees are not necessarily a guarantee of higher investment returns. While it appears the rest of the world is recovering from the shock of the global financial crisis (GFC), Australia should not rest on its laurels 'High cost investment opportunities tend to protect the downside'

Global financial crisis? What global financial crisis?

Financial markets are undervalued and it's time to look forward. The global financial crisis (GFC) is over - past history, for Australia at least It’s not relevant to our future investment decisions It’s time to look to the future. It’s not

I’m more than just a baby boomer

Matt Linnert looks at future trends in segmenting client bases. If I were a financial planner and you were my client, what is the most important thing you would want from me?  Or in other words, what would you value the most?

A welcome return to normality

Quantitative analysis helps explain why the global financial crisis (GFC) has passed, says Ron Bewley. Quantitative research is designed to take some of the emotion out of decision-making Volatility tends to revert back to some mean level after these bursts

Philanthrocaptialists: a new gen of givers

The emergence of philanthrocapitalists - defined as “the new gen of givers” - has occurred through a realisation that it makes sense to use business acumen and wealth to contribute to the creation of new and innovative solutions to solve the world’s problems.

Longer-living clients provide challenges for advisers

Jeff Mitchell says knowing your client and understanding their product requirements are the keys to successfully getting them through retirement. Australians are living longer and want to live better in retirement

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