Register to receive our free weekly newsletter including editorials.
The ATO's annual statistics on superannuation assets shows that SMSFs continue to grow but not as quickly as institutional funds, as the older age demographics of SMSF retirees made less net contributions.
Delving into how ATO statisticians compile SMSF data on allocations to global equities shows the information has been misinterpreted. SMSFs are still underweight global, but not as much as analysts claim.
According to the ATO, SMSFs only hold 0.5% of their portfolios in global shares, despite the institutional average being over 20%. A closer look at the ATO data sources reveals that this statistic is most unreliable.
Fund managers often quote statistics to explain their performance, but what do they really mean, and how can we make useful comparisons?
In the financial and economic world, we use medians and averages to assess our position and make decisions about the future. But as each individual is different, aggregated statistics aren't always useful.
Auction clearance rates are often quoted as a barometer of the health of the residential real estate market, but do they really reflect what is happening after the bidding stops?