Generous to a fault
Australians are generous when it comes to giving gifts, spending almost $20 billion a year – $1200 a year for every adult, according to new research. The Financial Planning Association is kicking…
Unclear BOMAD arrangement ends up in court
Increased reliance on the bank of mum and dad to help young people get into…
JP Morgan launches cryptocurrency
US bank JP Morgan has announced plans to issue its own cryptocurrency to be used…
Today’s Best Videos
SMSF asset allocation shifts to international funds
The investment portfolios of self-managed super funds have shifted slightly away from listed shares and…
SMSFs can’t be used as a backstop for disaster recovery
A couple has lost an appeal against disqualification from running their SMSF, which called on…
Q&A, 8 May
Q: Do I have to withdraw a minimum amount from amounts transferred to an accumulation account, as I do with my pension account? A: No, only account based pensions and transition to retirement pensions require a minimum set percentage of…
Investors are over-exposed to banks
Despite a backdrop of socioeconomic uncertainty and increased financial market volatility, growth in the personal savings of Australians remains strong. As of June 30 last year, total personal investments stood at $2.3 trillion, representing an even larger pool of savings…
Private Eye: Evan Hughes
Years ago when I was an art dealer, my father Ray’s gallery was the venue for a raucous financial services Christmas bash held jointly by Shed Enterprises, a related party to the publisher of this newsletter and Principle Advisory Services.…
Life insurance health check
Investors have learned some important lessons about the life insurance market over the past year, as successive reviews of the industry have revealed poor claims handling, flaws in product design and high costs. The most important takeaway is to review…
Banks’ mortgage bonanza under threat
Mortgage re-pricing and robust mortgage volume growth have supported banks’ earnings in recent years but that may be coming to an end. Macquarie Securities estimates that banks’ ability to continue to re-price mortgage is diminishing and, increasingly, banks need to…
Qantas a strong buy
Qantas stock has traded strongly on the Australian Securities Exchange over the past few months, with the airline company’s share price climbing 31 per cent from a low of $3.01 in November last year to its current level around $3.94.…
Rumble in the Jungle
Online retailer Amazon has confirmed that it will set up operations in Australia. The company says it is looking for a warehouse (what the company calls a fulfilment centre), which may be the first of many. It is also looking…
