Are we having fun yet?
Frank Gelber looks back over an interesting period in the history of property markets in Australia, and concludes that an upswing is coming. At the risk of alienating those caught up in the course of events, I must say that, as a forecaster/researcher, I haven’t had this much fun since the 1980s boom and 1990s
December 07, 2009
Nothing to fear but fear … and greed
Basic human emotions are the overwhelming drivers of investor behaviour. Craig Hobart looks into why. In the last edition of Professional Planner we started to delve into the wonders of behavioural finance theory, focusing specifically on the role that investor psychology, emotions and confidence can play in investment decisions and in turn their influence in
December 07, 2009
On the hunt for future funds
Future2, the charitable foundation of the Australian financial planning industry, is searching for new sources of contributions. Simon Mumme reports. Most of the money raised by the financial planning industry’s charitable foundation, Future2, has so far been supplied by two companies. AMP gave $100,000 on the heels of the Financial Planning Association’s (FPA’s) annual conference
December 01, 2009
Addressing the big issue of gearing
The traditional model for investing in direct property is not broken, argues Dug Higgins. But watch out for debt While the green shoots of economic recovery are valiantly emerging from the wreckage of the credit crisis (with no guarantee that they will not suffer some wilting), the short-term outlook for the unlisted property funds sector
October 07, 2009
Beware the common wisdom
Frank Gelber explains why we should not believe everything we read. Commentators tend to treat the here and now as though it will last forever. Accordingly, the weight of current opinion sways in the breeze, buffeted by each piece of good or bad news, usually biased towards reflecting the latest piece of news. Now, after
October 07, 2009
Why smart people do dumb things
After receiving average annual returns of around 25 per cent for four consecutive years, Australian share investors have experienced a rude shock over the past two financial years, with the S&P/ASX 200 Accumulation Index falling 13 per cent in 2007-08 and 20 per cent in 2008-09.
October 07, 2009
More than just money
With less money to give, recession-struck donors need to sharpen other philanthropic tools, writes Simon Mumme. The core mission of strategic philanthropy is to overcome entrenched social problems – so during times of economic turbulence, funders should be trying their hardest to maintain their commitments. The downturn shouldn’t stop funders from dedicating time and resources
October 01, 2009
Watch out – surf’s up!
David Wright questions whether AS IC’s “swim between the flags” approach to investment risk will really work Going to the beach on hot, summer days is a great Australian pastime. A quick observation of those beach-goers taking a dip in the ocean demonstrates that the vast majority of swimmers swim between the surf- lifesaving flags.
August 07, 2009
Five facts about recessions
Knowing where the economy stands is more difficult for share investors than it seems. Ron Bewley explains The threat of a possible recession in the Australian economy late last year sent a chill down the spine of most investors. As we stand today – and if we use the simplistic “two consecutive quarters of negative
August 07, 2009
Blame the boom, not the bust
Frank Gelber says the aberration was the financial engineering boom, not the financial crisis bust. Here is his chronicle of the wages of greed. Most commentators focus on the impact of the “financial crisis” on markets and on the economy, forgetting that it was the excesses of the preceding boom that are being unwound. It’s not
August 07, 2009
A big win for philanthropists
New Government guidelines for private giving vehicles will help sustain philanthropy in Australia, writes Simon Mumme. It takes a lot of money to set up a private ancillary fund (PAF): about $500,000 is the accepted minimum. But committing this capital is only one part of philanthropy. Trustees running PAFs, formerly known as prescribed private funds (PPFs),
August 01, 2009
GFC brings structures into focus
The GFC reminds us that a product’s structure is critically important – even more than its potential return, says David Wright The severity of the global financial crisis (GFC) and the impact it has had on financial markets and investor returns has brought a strong focus on virtually all financial services participants and their practices.
June 07, 2009
