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Kate Howitt

Investors face their own Breaking Bad moment

Savers are making small decision after small decision that leads them away from investing and closer to outright speculating. Time will tell if this ends in a bloody climax or we all live happily ever after.

Beware of burning down the barn to bury the debt

At some point, policymakers will turn to the task of deleveraging, to work off massive debt burdens built up during the pandemic. Australia is already ticking the boxes on many policies used in the past.

The three main factors when the next storm hits

Markets always come back to fundamentals, valuations and liquidity, even when faced with a global pandemic. The key question is whether liquidity can hold up the market as the economic storm hits.

Failed IPOs show power of active vigilantes

Equity market vigilanties, particularly resisting poor Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), are showing the benefits of active managers not simply buying everything put in front of them.

3 key risks: banks are too big to behave badly

Australia's major banks face many challenges but they are strong and remarkably adaptive and resilient. They have also finally accepted they are too big to behave badly.

Latest Updates

90% of housing is unaffordable for average Australians

A new report shows that only 10% of the housing market is genuinely affordable for the median income family, and that drops to 0% for those on low incomes. This may be positive for the apartment market though.

Taxpayers betrayed by Future Fund debacle

The Future Fund's original purpose was to meet the unfunded liabilities of Commonwealth defined benefit schemes. These liabilities have ballooned to an estimated $290 billion and taxpayers continue to be treated like fools.

Property

The net benefit of living in Australia’s cities has fallen dramatically

Rising urban housing costs in Australia are outpacing wage growth, particularly in cities like Sydney and Melbourne. This is leading to an exodus of workers, especially in their 30s, from cities to regions. 

Shares

Fending off short sellers and gaining conviction in a stock

Taking the path less travelled led to a remarkable return from this small-cap. Here is the inside track on how our investment unfolded, and why we don't think the story has finished yet.

Planning

The nuts and bolts of testamentary trusts

Unlike family trusts, testamentary trusts are activated posthumously, empowering you to exert post-death control over your assets. Learn how testamentary trusts offer unique benefits and protective measures.

Investing

The US market outlook is more nuanced than it seems

Investors are getting back to business after a tumultuous election year. Weighing up the fundamentals is complicated, however, by policy crosscurrents that splinter the outlook in several industries.

Investing

Book and podcast recommendations for the summer

Dive into these recommendations for your summer reading and listening. Uncover the genius behind a secretive hedge fund, debunk healthcare myths, and explore the Cuban Missile Crisis in gripping detail.

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