Changes to succession laws in Queensland to affect blended families

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Walt Disney did stepmothers no favours when he created “Maleficent”, the wicked stepmother in “Snow White”. Thanks to her it is now a given that stepmothers are out to do... Read more continue reading

Why (sustained) low interest rates are not always good for real estate

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Bricks and mortar are not bonds… Whenever pundits predict medium term increases in official cash rates, there is the inevitable ‘get out of bond proxies’ hype. Empirical evidence does not... Read more continue reading

What does the future of Trauma insurance look like?

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“Change is the only constant”, or so the saying goes, and the life insurance industry is no exception. Just as the typical client of today is changing, becoming more “diverse,... Read more continue reading

SMSFs and crowdfunding: a match made in heaven or hell?

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Self-managed superannuation funds (SMSF) will shortly be able to invest in potentially high-growth unlisted companies, as a new era of crowd-sourced equity funding begins. The Federal Government’s Corporations Amendment (Crowd-sourced... Read more continue reading

New Parametric research clears a path towards responsible investing

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New research from Parametric, the global implementation specialist manager, lists five ways in which funds can adopt responsible investing, even where in the past funds may have held off for... Read more continue reading

Developments in Australian equities and the expansion of the LIC sector

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In the first of a two-part series on LICs, Ross Barker, Managing Director of Australian Foundation Investment Company (AFIC), will look at trends – past, present and future – in... Read more continue reading

Evolution or extinction? How three layers of defence in portfolios can help smooth an investment journey

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Ten years ago, Australian share investors had enjoyed their fourth consecutive financial year of returns of 20% or more. With investment returns in all asset classes rising, many thought it... Read more continue reading

Licensing just the tip of the iceberg for true SMSF compliance

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The latest moves from ASIC indicate that it has drawn the line on SMSF compliance – and it’s a hard one. The message is clear: get your SMSF house in... Read more continue reading

The future of options strategies

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Although the Australian options market as we know it commenced operations in February 1976, options of some form have been around for many hundreds of years. However, new margining requirements... Read more continue reading

Responsible investments outperforming mainstream investments

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Responsible investment funds are outperforming their average mainstream counterparts year on year, as the market for responsible investment continues to grow in Australia, the latest Responsible Investment Benchmark Report 2017... Read more continue reading