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22 January 2025
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Post retirement silver bullet, fossil fuel investments, born at the 'wrong' time, changes to two-member SMSFs, too many households missing out on advice, the not-so-idle retirement, and fine music.
The ideal post retirement product for many combines capital protection with the potential for growth, without high fees and capital charges. The search for the silver bullet goes on.
Looking at the big picture, the world will gradually move away from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Progress will be slow and timing uncertain, but investments will need to adapt to the change in energy usage.
Is it paranoia, or are the goal posts always changing for Generation X? Read the musings of a disgruntled Gen-Xer, lifting the lid on our government's secret plan to thwart her kind at every turn.
The majority of SMSFs have just two members, typically husband-wife. One of the most common problems with an SMSF is what happens if one member dies or becomes incapacitated.
A broader study of household financial situations reveals that quality financial advice eludes the very people who would benefit from it most. Every Australian should have equitable access to our financial system.
With years in retirement increasing and the tendency of modern retirees to be fitter and healthier, we find there's more to life than sitting back and watching the world go by. In fact, it's almost impossible.
Markets have become instrumental in finding new ways for investors and philanthropists to make a social impact with the potential for good returns.
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.