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5 July 2026
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Sixty per cent of the ASX200 total return is due to dividends, and for Financials, it rises to more than 70%. Moves to limit dividends could both reduce investor incomes and affect valuations.
The results of three studies suggest that companies undertake less tax avoidance due to franking credit refundability. It gives an incentive to pay corporate tax and franked dividends to satisfy Australian shareholders.
Cuffelinks has received over a thousand comments on Labor's franking credit proposal. Here is a selection in favour of the policy to balance the generally critical nature of most comments and articles on the policy.
Amid the many strategies proposed to overcome Labor's franking policy if adopted, often overlooked is building a portfolio of the right types of bonds and hybrids as an alternative source of income.
Dividend streams tend to be stable and determined by fundamental factors. Unlike capital valuations, which are affected by estimates of prospective returns which are, in turn, strongly affected by market sentiment.
Australians love dividends and complain when a company cuts its payouts. But neither Amazon not Berkshire Hathaway are ever likely to pay a dividend, and it doesn't bother most of their investors.
Many capital management techniques are used by LICs in an attempt to narrow or eliminate the discount at which the price trades relative to net tangible assets – all with varying success.
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.
Proposed Budget changes to taxation are casting new uncertainty over testamentary trusts, prompting closer scrutiny of estate planning structures and the real implications of reforms still taking shape.
New CGT rules could tip the scales in the super vs non-super debate. For those facing the Division 296 tax, the case for withdrawing has gotten more complex. A "comparison rate" tool may help assess decisions.
Beneath the dominance of the ASX's largest stocks, much of the market has been left behind. High-quality companies are now trading at levels rarely seen, offering opportunities for investors willing to look deeper.
Retail investors face an increasingly complex product environment, but simplicity may be the most overlooked advantage in building a portfolio you can actually live with.
The downfall of the giant and three lessons for investors.