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21 January 2025
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The latest data from APRA and the ATO shows SMSFs continue to grow. Almost 612,000 SMSFs hold $885 billion in assets, with most of the money in listed shares, cash and term deposits, as well as unlisted trusts.
Markets have rallied hard of late. In his latest investment update, UniSuper CIO John Pearce looks at what’s behind the recent strength, whether it's justified, and the risks for the market going forwards.
Peter Drucker’s axiom “culture eats strategy for breakfast” continues to ring true. If culture is the sophisticated word for execution, Boral has been a standout over the past 12 months, while Fletcher Building has lagged.
To negate bracket creep, the thresholds at which marginal tax rates change should be indexed to inflation. Instead, governments legislate ad-hoc tax cuts to address bracket creep and announce them with great fanfare.
It's a surprise how rarely we see ‘spouse contribution splitting’ in SMSFs. This type of splitting is a special rule that effectively allows someone to ‘give’ some of their super contributions to their spouse.
In this exclusive interview, Graham Turner talks about how Flight Centre went global, what he's learned from key mistakes, the way he uses psychology to build the right teams, and his criteria for making acquisitions.
Research finds that private equity claims of offering superior risk-adjusted returns to public markets are exaggerated. Complexity, capital calls, and illiquidity are among the challenges investors face to reap potential rewards.
Stocks have had a barnstorming run of late, breaking to new highs in many markets, as they anticipate imminent cuts to interest rates in the US. Can the run continue, and if so, what are the key signposts to look for?
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.