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Chris Cuffe

Let’s kick this political football out of the ground

There’s only one way we can go with this divisive debate, as super is too important to be punted around. We need a completely independent and bipartisan group to provide guidance, opinion and direction.

Small can be beautiful

There are important advantages that relatively small investors have over large institutions. Small can be beautiful, even if the big guys can also do well throwing their weight around.

Outperformance: unique skill or free gift?

The ability of active fund managers to produce outperformance is generally attributed to a unique skill set. However, there are proven contributors to performance which are persistent and systematic, not manager skill.

What financial advice is worth paying for?

The value in good financial planning is understanding a client’s needs and setting and adhering to a realistic long-term strategy to achieve a desired outcome for the client. That is worth paying for.

To be perfectly franked, and pay no tax

Kerry Packer openly admitted that he managed his companies to minimise their tax bills. He would have loved superannuation and franking credits. A super fund needs only 32% of its assets allocated to fully franked shares to pay no income tax on its entire portfolio.

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Shares

Looking beyond banks for dividend income

The Big Four banks have had an extraordinary run and it’s left income investors with a conundrum: to stick with them even though they now offer relatively low dividend yields and limited growth prospects or to look elsewhere.

Exchange traded products

AFIC on its record discount, passive investing and pricey stocks

A triple headwind has seen Australia's biggest LIC swing to a 10% discount and scuppered its relative performance. Management was bullish in an interview with Firstlinks, but is the discount ever likely to close?

Superannuation

Hidden fees are a super problem

Most Australians don’t realise they are being charged up to six different types of fees on their superannuation. These fees can be opaque and hard to compare across different funds and investment options.

Shares

ASX large cap outlook for 2025

Economic growth in Australia looks to have bottomed, which means it makes sense to selectively add to cyclical exposures on the ASX in addition to key thematics like decarbonisation and technological change.

Property

Taking advantage of the property cycle

Understanding the property cycle can be a useful tool to make informed decisions and stay focused on long-term goals. This looks at where we are in the commercial property cycle and the potential opportunities for investors.

Investment strategies

Is this bedrock of financial theory a mirage?

The concept of an 'equity risk premium' has driven asset allocation decisions for decades. A revamped study suggests it was a relatively short-lived phenomenon rather than the mainstay many thought.

Vale Graham Hand

It’s with heavy hearts that we announce Firstlinks’ co-founder and former Managing Editor, Graham Hand, has died aged 66. Graham was a legendary figure in the finance industry and here are three tributes to him.

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