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22 April 2025
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Australia's age pension eligibility is increasing to 67 years and it was once going to 70. The French have taken to the streets violently to object to an increase from 62 to 64. A survey on the different reactions.
Central banks need data and sources as up-to-date as possible, yet Australia's Reserve Bank sees a new CPI only once a quarter. And the US Fed's rate committee waits two months for its next meeting.
An unwanted fiscal drain will fall on generations of Australians who have seen their incomes and wealth stagnate, having missed the property boom and entered the workforce during a period of flatlining real wages.
Labor justified its franking credits policy based on the cost rising 10-fold since 2001 and heading towards unaffordable levels. But were the numbers right and would the savings ever have eventuated?
Rarely do we go into an election with such contrasting policies from the major parties, and no more so than in superannuation. The nation's decision on 18 May will have a big impact on retirement savings.
In the 2019/2020 Federal Budget, the Government made few changes to superannuation rules to assist retirement planning.
The two major political parties have opposing views on whether SMSFs should be allowed to borrow, but what is the clear argument that there should be a limit on SMSF opportunities?
Amazingly, SMSF pensioners invested in Australian shares will be much worse off under the Labor franking policy than in the ‘bad old days’ when their pensions were taxed.
This week we have a short survey on your attitudes to Labor's franking credits proposal. It should take less than two minutes to complete, unless you want to have a rant.
Investors whose income may be hit by Labor's franking credits proposal can reallocate away from fully franked dividends to other investments to maintain their income, but it will involve different risks.
Where once it was difficult to differentiate between the superannuation policies of the two major political parties, the 2019 Federal Election will deliver some stark choices for voters.
One person's unjust retrospective policy change is another's overdue and necessary reform. Did people objecting about unfavourable policy retrospectivity complain when they benefitted from a retrospective change?
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.
With an election due by 17 May, we are effectively in campaign mode with the Government announcing numerous spending promises since January and the Coalition often matching them. Here's what the election means for investors.
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.
The S&P 500's recent correction raises concerns about a bear market. History shows corrections are driven by high rates, unemployment, or global shocks, and that there's reason for optimism for nervous investors today.
The famed investor says the rapid switch from globalisation to trade wars is the biggest upheaval in the investing environment since World War Two. And a new world requires a different investment approach.
Trump's tariffs and China's retaliatory strike have sent the Nasdaq into a bear market with the S&P 500 not far behind. What are the implications for the economy and markets, and what should investors do now?