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20 November 2025
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The increasing complexity of super would leave the fathers of Australia’s system wondering what has happened to their brainchild. Advisers and clients are struggling with the complexity before the looming deadlines.
Centrelink is facing a robo-debt backlash after using computers to check ATO records, replacing the usual human interaction. Likewise, roboadvice algorithms need to know more about the circumstances of clients.
The memo from Howard Marks titled 'Expert Opinion' explains how forecasting is more art than science, and we give too much weight to many expert opinions which are little more than a 50-50 guess.
It will soon be the time of year when people turn their mind to some casual reading and enjoy a quiet moment. Tell us the best book you read in 2016. It could be an oldie or a newie, but let's get a reading list going.
Given the proportion of people over 65 paying income tax has halved in the last 20 years, the structure of seniors tax may be next for reform. Should money be left inside or outside super for those who can access it?
The number one requirement for a successful startup is resilience in the face of adversity. What lessons can Australian innovators learn from early-stage Israeli ventures, and what are the chances of success?
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".
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.