17 June 2026

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Noel Whittaker’s take on the budget Australia has no death duties. Technically.Welcome to Firstlinks Edition 662 with weekend update How inflation is quietly moving the goalposts on retirement How to minimise tax with a will

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Edition: 505

1-8 out of 8 results.

Welcome to Firstlinks Edition 505 with weekend update

20 April 2023
15

The Reserve Bank faces the biggest changes in its structure for decades, and here are the details. Plus fund managers play a role in managing the expectations of their clients by discouraging investors from responding to short-term noise and their natural behavioural tendencies. It's an awkward position when fund managers can perform only as well as their worst investors allow them to.

ASIC's yin and yang design rules need a rebalance

Graham Hand
19 April 2023
13

In designing rules to protect investors, ASIC prevents reinvestment in products some people have held for years, even when investors qualify as 'wholesale'. How can ASIC change the rules to correct the imbalance?

Meg on SMSFs: Total Super Balance quirks unpacked

Meg Heffron
19 April 2023
25

The Total Superannuation Balance (TSB) may sound self explanatory but many people with large super balances are about to care far more about exactly what goes into a TSB. And there are some quirks to understand.

Passive investing has risks too

Shane Woldendorp
19 April 2023
2

Last year was rough for investors, especially where equity and bond portfolios were not as diversified as they thought. Spreading the risk sounds simple but watch that funds are not all doing the same thing.

Can the battling Aussie dollar find a friend?

Andrew Canobi
19 April 2023
1

The Aussie dollar hit 80 US cents in late 2020 but has generally been in the 65-70 cents range for the last year. The exchange rate has a major impact on returns from unhedged offshore investments, so what's the outlook?

Private debt returns rise with inflation and less risk than equities

Andrew Lockhart
19 April 2023
1

As the global economy slows, private debt can be an attractive option for income investors. It provides reduced capital volatility and reliable income, as well as risk-adjusted returns that are linked to inflation.

Five reasons fund managers don't talk about skill

Joe Wiggins
19 April 2023
1

Active funds cost more than passive because the investor is paying for the skill of the manager, so why are fund managers reticent to describe their skill rather than their outcomes. Here are five reasons.

Focus on death taxes, resource taxes and negative gearing

Peter Martin
19 April 2023
48

Asked to choose the fairest ways to raise billions, half of the surveyed economists backed introducing inheritance taxes, while one-third chose both winding back super tax concessions and increased resource taxes.

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Most viewed in recent weeks

Noel Whittaker’s take on the budget

Marketed as a fix for inequality and housing affordability, the latest budget instead delivers a tangle of tax changes that leave everyday Australians worse off.

Noel Whittaker
20 May 2026

Australia has no death duties. Technically.

Australia may not levy formal death duties, but a growing web of tax measures is quietly shaping what wealth passes between generations. Now, the 2026 budget adds another layer.

Rachael Rofe
20 May 2026

Welcome to Firstlinks Edition 662 with weekend update

The debate over the budget is increasingly shaped by frustration and perceptions of unfairness, rather than clear-eyed assessment of policy outcomes.

Mark LaMonica CFA
14 May 2026

How inflation is quietly moving the goalposts on retirement

Inflation doesn’t just raise today’s bills - it quietly increases the amount needed to retire, while simultaneously making it harder to save. Three steps to take before June 30th to improve retirement outcomes.

Jen Richardson
13 May 2026

How to minimise tax with a will

Inheritance tax implications in Australia may surprise some, as poor estate planning without proper wills or trusts can lead to costly tax bills and delays for beneficiaries.

Shani Jayamanne
3 June 2026

Back to the future - Why indexing CGT is a good idea

A return to indexation of capital gains would be a fairer way to compensate households for the effects of inflation than the current discount. Importantly, it opens the door to future, broader reforms to stop the taxation of inflation.

Matt Nolan
20 May 2026

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