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Home / Author: Graham Hand

Graham Hand

CBA waves white flag on wealth management

There's a fundamental difference between banking and wealth management: bankers have no fiduciary obligation to their clients. It's difficult for bankers to own fund managers and financial advice and fully accept the difference.

How to sound smart watching the World Cup

It's the world game that billions are watching, and it only takes a few simple observations during a game to impress. It's equally easy to show you don't have a clue what's really happening.

Podcast: What did you do during the GFC? Warning signs and lessons for investors

The 2008 GFC actually started a year earlier in the global credit markets, but the equity markets ignored the warning signs. With hindsight, everyone had the chance to exit shares at elevated prices.

Howard Marks asks 5 questions on indexing

Howard Marks' memos to his clients are always worth reading, and when a highly successful manager acknowledges the strengths of index investing, it's worth checking what he says.

SMSFs allocating to managed funds and global

SMSFs have long lagged institutional superannuation funds in allocating to global equities, but SMSFs trustees increasingly realise the best opportunities lie overseas, and they use managed funds as the vehicle.

Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen responds on franking policy

A reader of Cuffelinks sent an email to the Shadow Treasurer complaining about the future loss of franking credit refunds. Here is Chris Bowen's response and a firm stance on the policy.

Latest Updates

Retirement

Why it’s time to ditch the retirement journey

Retirement isn’t a clean financial arc. Income shocks, health costs and family pressures hit at random, exposing the limits of age-based planning and the myth of a predictable “retirement journey".

Financial planning

How much does it really cost to raise a child?

With fertility rates at a record low, many say young people aren’t having kids because they’re too expensive. Turns out, it’s not that simple and there are likely other factors at play.

Exchange traded products

Passive ETF investors may be in for a rude shock

Passive ETFs have become wildly popular just as markets, especially the US, reach extreme valuations. For long-term investors, these ETFs make sense, though if you're investing in them to chase performance, look out below.

Shares

Bank reporting season scorecard November 2025

The Big Four banks shrugged off doomsayers with their recent results, posting low loan losses, solid margins, and rising dividends. It underscores their resilience, but lofty valuations mean it’s time to be selective. 

Investment strategies

The real winners from the AI rush

AI is booming, but like the 19th-century gold rush, the real profits may go to those supplying the tools and energy, not the companies at the centre of the rush.

Economy

Why economic forecasts are rarely right (but we still need them)

Economic experts, including the RBA, get plenty of forecasts wrong, but that doesn't make such forecasts worthless. The key isn't to predict perfectly – it's to understand the range of possibilities and plan accordingly.

Strategy

13 reflections on wealth and philanthropy

Wealth keeps growing, yet few ask “how much is enough?” or what their kids truly need. After 23 years in philanthropy, I’ve seen how unexamined wealth can limit impact, and why Australia needs a stronger giving culture.

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