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22 January 2025
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When an SMSF audit goes awry, being an informed investor, trusting financial planners, taxing of pension payments, investing by theme not index, and results from our roboadvice survey.
Each year, SMSFs are required to have their financial accounts audited. In most cases everything ticks along nicely but what happens when a red flag pops up? Early rectification is always best to avoid the ATO's wrath.
Everyone can be a naive investor at times, even the professionals. Outside of a sphere of expertise, the quality of investment decisions can suffer. Try to avoid being the 'patsy' in a transaction.
Financial planners should be part of a profession that ranks highly for trust, but survey results are disappointing. An unrelated profession shows how to build greater public support.
Where there is a choice of receiving your superannuation as an income stream or a lump sum, it could be better tax-wise to receive it as a lump sum. There are complex rules here, so work with an expert on this one.
The concept of thematics is gaining traction with investors as a way of tailoring a portfolio to suit the trends that resonate at an individual level, rather than accepting everything contained in an index.
Results from our roboadvice survey are available to view. Thanks to all our respondents who contributed their opinions. It will be interesting to see which businesses emerge from the pack.
Last year, I wrote an article suggesting returns from ASX stocks would trample those from housing over the next decade. One year later, this is an update on how that forecast is going and what's changed since.
The housing market was subdued in 2024, and pessimism abounds as we start the new year. 2025 is likely to be a tale of two halves, with interest rate cuts fuelling a resurgence in buyer demand in the second half of the year.
This examines the performance of key asset classes and sub-sectors in 2024 and over longer timeframes, and the lessons that can be drawn for constructing an investment portfolio for the next decade.
The renowned investor has penned his first investor letter for 2025 and it’s a ripper. He runs through what bubbles are, which ones he’s experienced, and whether today’s markets qualify as the third major bubble of this century.
Key lessons include expensive stocks can always get more expensive, Bitcoin is our tulip mania, follow the smart money, the young are coming with pitchforks on housing, and the importance of staying invested.
Check out the most-read Firstlinks articles from 2024. From '16 ASX stocks to buy and hold forever', to 'The best strategy to build income for life', and 'Where baby boomer wealth will end up', there's something for all.