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Home / Author: Graham Hand

Graham Hand

Cuffelinks Firstlinks Edition 304

In the six years I have been writing these introductions, I have been reluctant to make macro forecasts. There are so many factors at play that predictions become an unsatisfactory 'on the other hand' exercise.

Sebastian Evans: hanging on until the market catches up

A fund manager on the wrong side of the market must tough it out and have the strength of their convictions, satisfied that their investment process will bear fruit over the long term. The LIC structure gives more time.

Frank(ing) exchange with Bowen: "Is it fair?"

Labor's franking credit proposal will reduce the income of many retirees who do not believe they are wealthy. Here's an exchange with a reader who just wants an answer to "Is it fair?"

Where is the super industry heading?

SMSFs are currently the largest segment of superannuation, but by 2020, industry funds are expected to dominate, having recently overtaken retail funds. Labor's franking proposal will accelerate the trend.

Comment on franking and ‘direct investment’

The 'direct investment options' may have structural advantages for franking credit refunds, but that does not mean SMSFs do not have their own specific advantages. What's best for the superannuant?

Phil King on the long and short of investing

It's as legitimate an investing technique to short sell an expensive company as it is to buy or go long a cheap company, with the added advantage of less competition on the short side.

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Investment strategies

Trump's US dollar assault is fuelling CBA's rise

Australian-based investors have been perplexed by the steep rise in CBA's share price But it's becoming clear that US funds are buying into our largest bank as a hedge against potential QE and further falls in the US dollar.

Investment strategies

With markets near record highs, here's what you should do with your portfolio

Markets have weathered geopolitical turmoil, hitting near record highs. Investors face tough decisions on valuations, asset concentration, and strategic portfolio rebalancing for risk control and future returns.

Property

Soaring house prices may be locking people into marriages

Soaring house prices are deepening Australia's cost of living crisis - and possibly distorting marriage decisions. New research links unexpected price changes to whether couples separate or silently struggle together.

Investment strategies

Google is facing 'the innovator's dilemma'

Artificial intelligence is forcing Google to rethink search - and its future. As usage shifts and rivals close in, will it adapt in time, or become a cautionary tale of disrupted disruptors?

Investment strategies

Study supports what many suspected about passive investing

The surge in passive investing doesn’t just mirror the market—it shapes it, often amplifying the rise of the largest firms and creating new risks and opportunities. For investors, understanding these effects is essential.

Property

Should we dump stamp duties for land taxes?

Economists have long flagged the idea of swapping property taxes for land taxes for fairness and equity reasons. This looks at why what seems fairer may not deliver the outcomes that we expect.

Investing

Being human means being a bad investor

Many of the behaviours that have made humans such a successful species also make it difficult for us to be good, long-term investors. The key to better decision making is to understand what makes us human and adapt.

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