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21 January 2025
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Australians are generally optimistic about retiring comfortably but their confidence lags retirement savers in other countries. They are also the most unsure about future returns and withdrawal rates in retirement.
REITs come in many forms and the impact of inflation varies by the type of inflation and the REIT subcategory. Some trends, such as the end of 'just in time' and greater power of labour, have a widespread impact.
Our sincere thanks for the amazing personal stories of how wealth was built by hard work or where some were not as fortunate. Another 600 readers have taken part in the survey since the last update.
The investment industry is looking for the best ways to engage with millennials. While younger people want to invest, they are either saving for a home or cannot afford to invest at the moment.
While every generation has its unique opportunities, the majority of Firstlinks readers agree that Boomers have had a better run than others. But the real highlights here are in the comments.
Young woment are showing increasing confidence in the sharemarket, promising a better future than the Boomers and Gen X women who hold significantly less assets than males of their generation.
Mercer says the nature of the workforce is changing and many part-time workers in the gig economy are excluded from super. It contributes to widespread disengagement and apathy towards super.
Bernard Salt's smashed avocados are now part of our lexicon, even if the way we are using it was not his original meaning. Whatever, lots of expenses such as concert tickets add up significantly with compounding over time.
The future of ETFs appears strong as the millennials increase their share of the investment pie, and the majority of financial advisers now comfortable with ETFs.
Research suggests a strong trend toward responsible and ethical investing. Valuation effects of disclosure in NZ recently were dramatic, and Australian financial institutions should take heed.
History does not always repeat, and the future will not be the same as the past. Investors need to watch these five megatrends to minimise the chance that some of their assets may become worthless.
Impact investing is moving out of the fringe and into mainstream investing, and the trend is supported by millennials who will soon benefit from a massive wealth transfer.
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.