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21 January 2025
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Wasted effort chasing stock picks, Ralston on franking, Montgomery’s big rule, vale Jack Bogle, Prugue’s manifesto, super choices, what is risk?
Labor thinks disallowing excess franking will generate billions of dollars of additional revenues, but there is growing evidence that behaviour changes will severely limit the amount raised.
Most investors think the relationship between interest rates and prices only applies to fixed rate bonds, but the rate impact on discounting future cash flows applies to all income-producing assets.
Where once it was difficult to differentiate between the superannuation policies of the two major political parties, the 2019 Federal Election will deliver some stark choices for voters.
As Warren Buffett said: "If a statue is ever erected to honour the person who has done the most for American investors, the hands-down choice should be Jack Bogle." The 'father of indexing' died last week.
With the Royal Commission Final Report a week away, and a new year stretching ahead of us, it's time for all market professionals to decide what they stand for, and call out bad behaviour that affects everyone.
Selecting 10 winners from hundreds of alternatives presents major challenges, and there are no guarantees past performance will continue. It mainly targets only $1 billion from the $150 billion contributed each year.
Two tenets of a successful investment philosophy: risk is the permanent loss of capital, and never succumb to either irrational exuberance or unjustified gloom. It takes discipline and strict adherence.
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.
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.
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.
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.