Christmas gifts that won’t blow your budget
Christmas is a wonderful time of year in Australia, filled with summer foods, decorations and of course, gift giving. Here are a few ideas to help you stretch your Christmas gift budget …
9 ways to teach kids the value of money at Christmas
What’s the meaning of Christmas in your household? While it can sometimes feel like spending a small fortune on gifts and food is non-negotiable, it’s not the only option. And, if you …
3 golden rules that make saving for retirement easier
If you’ve thought about how much money you need to save so you can retire comfortably, it might feel a little daunting. Maybe so much so, you’d rather not think about it at …
How do hedge funds work in a volatile market?
While an exposure to hedge funds can provide a lift to a portfolio’s performance, they also offer the potential to generate high returns – at a risk. Hedge funds play a very …
How old is too old for insurance?
As you age and your health starts to deteriorate, having a financial safety net and protecting your nearest and dearest may become even more important. So, how old is too old for …
Impacts from Falling Home Prices: The Wealth Effect
The impacts of interest rate hikes on consumers are well known; higher interest means that mortgage debt servicing costs will go up which is negative for consumer spending. Rate hikes are also …
Alternative Thinking: Diversifying Beyond Traditional Asset Classes
Once a staple investment allocation, the traditional balanced portfolio of shares and bonds has had some challenges in delivering positive returns in today’s market environment. Institutional investors, such as superannuation funds and …
Why staying invested matters when markets fall
It’s natural to feel nervous when markets fall. News about inflation and rising interest rates may prompt you to make an emotional investment decision. But history tells us that markets trend upwards …
Booms, busts and investor psychology: Why investors need to be aware of the psychology of investing
Up until the 1980s the dominant theory was that financial markets were efficient. In other words, all relevant information was reflected in asset prices in a rational manner. While some think it …
Economic and market overview
Pleasingly, global share markets fared well in October and recovered most of their lost ground from September. Locally, the S&P/ASX 200 Index re- turned 6.0%. The sharp reversal in sentiment was typical …