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Graham Hand

The value of 'trust' in financial institutions

Nobel Laureate, Robert C. Merton, says technology and fintechs will find it difficult to build trust, but how much trust do we have in "the contradiction of the country’s most hated company"?

Howard Marks on the mindless shouldering of risk

Howard Marks issues a regular memo to his clients, and the latest shares his concerns about high market valuations and tech companies priced for perfection. He accepts 'looking like an old fogey'.

Clear winner and loser in 2017/2018 survey

Any person responsible for constructing an investment portfolio must make decisions about asset allocation, requiring educated guesses about future returns. Are these results the Wisdom of Crowds?

4 rules Amazon uses to avoid painful decline

Amazon is changing retailing, and Jeff Bezos has driven his company with paranoid customer focus and 4 rules that avoid going into a death spiral. How many big companies are capable of adopting them?

Spaceship stalls on the launch pad

The marketing of Spaceship super has been better at engaging young people than any superannuation fund before it, but does it have the right product for a long-term flight?

How you invested due to super changes

It's revealing to read what investors actually did with their superannuation in response to the 1 July rules changes, and the comments show many people are tired of the constant tinkering with the super rules.

Latest Updates

Weekly Editorial

Welcome to Firstlinks Edition 628 with weekend update

Australian investors have been pouring money into US stocks this year, just as they start to underperform the rest of the world. Is this a sign of things to come? This looks at 50 years of data to see what happens next.

  • 11 September 2025
Exchange traded products

Are LICs licked?

LICs are continuing to struggle with large discounts and frustrated investors are wondering whether it’s worth holding onto them. This explains why the next 6-12 months will be make or break for many LICs.

Retirement

We need a better scheme to help superannuation victims

The Compensation Scheme of Last Resort fails families hit by First Guardian and Shield losses, as well as advisers who are being wrongly blamed for the saga. It’s time for a fair, faster, universal super levy solution.

Investment strategies

5 charts every retiree must see…

Retirement can be daunting for Australians facing financial uncertainty. Understand your goals, longevity challenges, inflation impacts, market risks, and components of retirement income with these crucial charts.

Economy

How bread vs rice moulded history

Does a country's staple crop decide elements of its destiny? The second order effects of being a wheat or rice growing country could explain big differences in culture, societal norms and economic development.

Investment strategies

Small caps are catching fire - for good reason

Small caps just crashed the party like John McClane did in the movie, Die Hard - August delivered explosive gains. With valuations at historic lows, long-term investors could be set for a sequel worth watching.

Defensive growth for an age of deglobalisation, debt and disorder

Today’s new world order appears likely to lead to a lower return, higher risk investment environment. But this asset class looks especially well placed to survive, thrive, and deliver attractive returns to investors.

Economy

Will we choose a four-day working week?

The allure of a four-day week reflects a yearning for more balance in our lives. Yet the reliability of studies touting a lift in productivity is questionable and society may not be ready for such a shift anyway.

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