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Home / Author: Ramani Venkatramani

Ramani Venkatramani

Super needs more rethinking outside the box

The Government has made two changes to super rules that would once have been considered highly unlikely, but there are other amendments which would not compromise the overall aims of super.

Are retrospective tax policies fair or foul?

One person's unjust retrospective policy change is another's overdue and necessary reform. Did people objecting about unfavourable policy retrospectivity complain when they benefitted from a retrospective change?

Anti-detriment abolition: death duty on the sly

Few people understand how valuable the 'anti-detriment' benefit was, which means there is little focus on how the Budget will collect $350 million from you in only two years. Imagine if they announced new death duties.

A lesson in bargaining, Medibank-style

The Medibank sale was carefully handled to ensure not much was left on the table, but that did not prevent a scramble for shares. Both retail investors and institutions were allocated a fraction of their bids.

Personal investors need credit reporting too

Individuals have their credit history checked by financiers whenever they apply for finance. Why isn’t there a way for retail investors to check the credentials of financial institutions before investing their money?

Epilogue: Death duties, where angels fear to tread

An article in November 2013 suggesting death duties be considered as a public finance tool attracted some strong criticism, and in the context of the need to fund ever-increasing deficits, the author defends his views.

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Investment strategies

UniSuper’s boss flags a potential correction ahead

The CIO of Australia’s fourth largest super fund by assets, John Pearce, suggests the odds favour a flat year for markets, with the possibility of a correction of 10% or more. However, he’ll use any dip as a buying opportunity.

9 ways to fix Australia's housing crisis

Decades of policy failure have induced a fall in housing affordability. Unless painful changes are made, an underclass will emerge in a society that is supposed to boast the one of the world's highest standards of living.

Shares

Australia: why the chase for even higher dividend yields?

Australia boasts one of the world's highest dividend yielding sharemarkets, providing substantial benefits to investors and retirees. Despite this, individuals often stretch for even more yield, to their detriment.

Shares

MIGA – Make Income Great Again

The Australian sharemarket seems to be rewarding a number of unprofitable companies on the promise of future riches. Yet profits and cashflows still matter, as a recent case study of Domino's Pizza shows.

Shares

Mapping future US market returns

Exceptional returns from the US sharemarket over the past decade have driven by sales growth, margin expansion, rising valuations, and dividends. Predicting future returns requires careful consideration of these factors.

Shares

Read this before you go all in on US equities

US equities rule global markets, but history is littered with examples of markets that seemed invincible — until they weren’t. Diversification will be key for investor portfolios going forwards.

Property

What impact would scrapping stamp duty have on housing?

Increasing house prices pose challenges for housing affordability. This investigates the impact of stamp duty on the property market, and how removing the tax could help address several key issues.

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