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3 March 2026
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Superannuation reforms needed, Social Benefit Bonds, gold prices since 1860, financial benefit of delaying retirement, better capital allocation. Coming soon: the Markowitz Interview.
The recent superannuation reforms were just tinkering around the edges of Australia’s retirement savings system challenges. We need far more radical policy changes if our nation is to survive its demographic time bomb.
Social impact investing is an emerging new asset class that provides opportunities for investors to generate both a financial and a social return.
The ideal outcome approaching retirement is to have the ability to extend a working career as a conscious choice, or if financially and personally appropriate, make the farewell speech.
If a company is growing, with increasing equity and profits, how does an investor know that management and the board are dudding shareholders?
For much of the last 2,500 years, one ounce of gold has been able to buy items worth the equivalent of around USD500 in today’s dollars adjusted for inflation. But retail buyers are rushing to buy physical gold at current levels.
The renowned investor says 2025’s real story wasn’t AI or US stocks but the shift away from American assets and a collapse in the value of money. And he outlines how to best position portfolios for what’s ahead.
The post-World War Two economic system is unravelling, leading to huge shifts in currency, bond and commodity markets, yet stocks seem oblivious to the chaos. This looks to history as a guide for what’s next.
Our cost-of-living pressures go beyond the RBA: surging house prices, excessive migration, and expanding government programs, including the NDIS, are fuelling inflation, demanding bold, structural solutions.
The capital gains tax discount is under review, but debate should go beyond its size. Its original purpose, design flaws and distortions suggest Australia could adopt a better, more targeted approach.
A more rational taxation system that supports home ownership but discourages asset speculation could provide greater financial support to first home buyers.
This is my last edition as Editor of Firstlinks. I’m moving onto a new role though the newsletter will remain in good hands until my permanent replacement is found.