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Edition: 523

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Welcome to Firstlinks Edition 523 with weekend update

  • 24 August 2023
  • 4

The latest Intergenerational Report was released this week. The rising cost of health, social security, interest payments and defence will consume half the budget, and there will be 40 million of us by 2062. Although the forecast is for budget deficits every year into the future, there is little detail on the reforms needed to finance the dramatic changes.   

It’s dismal: good news is bad news … and vice versa

Almost every economic data point or announcement can be interpreted as good news or bad news, which is confusing for investors looking for guidance. 'On the other hand' is a catchphrase of the dismal science.

Clime time: Asset allocation decisions for SMSFs

Asset allocation explains up 70% of total investment returns, making it of critical importance to SMSFs. Here are some guidelines for how they should go about it and the macroeconomic events that could influence allocations.

Global consumer and corporate resilience surprises everyone

Despite recession predictions, consumer activity and corporate earnings are holding up well. Global long-term interest rates probably peaked last October, and there are signs of corporate earnings re-acceleration.

Admin fees on large super funds vs SMSFs

From going it alone with an SMSF to defaulting into a large super fund's balanced option, administration time and fees for super vary materially. Here's a guide to the costs involved and the potential impact on returns.

Matildas reality check: little impact on the A-League

The Matildas sold out stadiums and set television viewing records, thrilling millions of Australians who had never watched a football match before. Despite the excitement, few will now watch the domestic competitions. 

Podcast: Andrew Clifford on finding gems amid China rubble

Featuring Platinum Asset Management's Andrew Clifford on why he's finding value in China and Japan, Graham looks at life expectancy and returns, while Peter explains what CBA's result tell us about the outlook for banks.

Opportunities but not a time to make major risk decisions

While this is no time to be making major calls on asset allocation, there are abundant opportunities for generating incremental returns. US government bonds, Japanese stocks, and commodities offer value for investors.

Most viewed in recent weeks

Vale Graham Hand

It’s with heavy hearts that we announce Firstlinks’ co-founder and former Managing Editor, Graham Hand, has died aged 66. Graham was a legendary figure in the finance industry and here are three tributes to him.

Australian stocks will crush housing over the next decade, one year on

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.

Avoiding wealth transfer pitfalls

Australia is in the early throes of an intergenerational wealth transfer worth an estimated $3.5 trillion. Here's a case study highlighting some of the challenges with transferring wealth between generations.

Taxpayers betrayed by Future Fund debacle

The Future Fund's original purpose was to meet the unfunded liabilities of Commonwealth defined benefit schemes. These liabilities have ballooned to an estimated $290 billion and taxpayers continue to be treated like fools.

Australia’s shameful super gap

ASFA provides a key guide for how much you will need to live on in retirement. Unfortunately it has many deficiencies, and the averages don't tell the full story of the growing gender superannuation gap.

Looking beyond banks for dividend income

The Big Four banks have had an extraordinary run and it’s left income investors with a conundrum: to stick with them even though they now offer relatively low dividend yields and limited growth prospects or to look elsewhere.

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