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29 March 2025
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With fixed term deposit rates declining and bank hybrids being phased out, what are the best options for investors seeking income? This goes through the choices, and the opportunities and risks involved.
With the RBA having lifted interest rates by 4.25% over 18 months, many investors now see cash as an attractive investment option. That ignores the silent tax of inflation, which makes other assets better investment alternatives.
Australian banks are the Pilbara of the global financial system, with irreplaceable assets that are among the world's best. Current bank hybrid prices offer favourable rewards with limited risk for investors.
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.
Major bank transaction accounts are paying poor rates on cash at exactly the time when many SMSF trustees are holding more cash than usual due to tough bond and equity markets. Here are some rules and opportunities.
Banks are awash with cash and are turning away deposits while reducing rates. Retirees who rely on their savings for income should not expect a respite until at best 2024 and are encouraged to turn to risky assets.
Australian bank liquidity regulations are continuing to tighten, adversely affecting access to cash and the ability of SMSFs to earn the same returns from bank deposits as individuals.
The government guarantee on deposits has finally been legislated and based on information released by APRA you'd be forgiven for assuming that superannuation bank deposits would be covered. Not necessarily.
The nation's savings are in superannuation and the nation's funding needs are in the banks. Yet the regulators and the new liquidity rules make it even more difficult for the two to get together, with another free kick to SMSFs.
* APRA has told deposit-takers they must implement a Single Customer View regime before 1 January 2014, to prevent multiple coverage under the government guarantee.
* Better and cheaper availability of wholesale funding for major banks will reduce retail term deposits rates, as CBA takes its foot off the gas.
The sad fact is the government guarantee on deposits does not apply for individuals investing in deposits offered by public superannuation funds.
This time last year, I highlighted 16 ASX stocks that investors could own indefinitely. One year on, I look at whether there should be any changes to the list of stocks as well as which companies are worth buying now.
The CIO of Australia’s fourth largest super fund by assets, John Pearce, suggests the odds favour a flat year for markets, with the possibility of a correction of 10% or more. However, he’ll use any dip as a buying opportunity.
The ABS recently released figures which are used to determine key superannuation rates and thresholds that will apply from 1 July 2025. This outlines the rates and thresholds that are changing and those that aren’t.
With the arrival of the new year, the first members of ‘Generation X’ turned 60, marking the start of the MTV generation’s collective journey towards retirement. Are Gen Xers and our retirement system ready for the transition?
The intergenerational wealth transfer, largely driven by a housing boom, exacerbates economic inequality, stifles productivity, and impedes social mobility. Solutions lie in addressing the housing problem, not taxing wealth.
Warren Buffett's annual shareholder letter has been fixture for avid investors for decades. In his latest letter, Buffett is reticent on many key topics, but his actions rather than words are sending clear signals to investors.