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3 July 2024
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At any point in time, regardless of the existence of a severe event like COVID-19, the outlook is always unclear and range of outcomes uncertain. Rather than speculate about markets, it’s better to stay the course with a diversified portfolio based on your attitude to risk. Author and personal finance expert Noel Whittaker talks with Graham Hand.
From the Morningstar Individual Investor Conference, 30 October 2020
The Morningstar 2020 Individual Investor Conference was held over 29 and 30 October and drew over 2,000 registrations. It offered investors the opportunity to tap into the expertise and knowledge and Australia's leading investors.
Some of the highlight sessions include:
Get access to all the recordings and explore all Premium benefits with a free Morningstar Premium trial. No credit card required.
Noel Whittaker is one of the world’s foremost authorities on personal finance and an international bestselling author. His latest book, Retirement Made Simple, is available at www.noelwhittaker.com.au.
I agree completely with CC. Also, once you have about $100,000 in a super fund, why not create your own index fund? Just invest in the largest 10 or 12 Aussie shares, weighted by market capitalisation. Adjust a couple of times a year and the results will be close enough to the index. I started doing this in 1993 and it works with little effort. After their fees and other costs, I beat most super fund managers most years and often beat them all.
Simply invest in Argo Investments (ARG) and/or Australian Foundation Investment (AFI).
VERY STRONG HINT.....because I am not "licensed to give financial advice".........there are management strategies available.... . BUY NOEL'S BOOK !
28:28 "...and watch that they don't charge too much in fees. .... a 1% $40,000 fee on a $4m share portfolio is ridiculous." It would be interesting to know the % increase in wealth to a client from using a financial planner/advisor, compared to the % increase in wealth to the financial planner/advisor from using a client.
37:30 in the video, re. paying your financial advisor. It's not a good question as the answer surely depends upon what said advisor is doing for you. If they're providing investment advice and managing your portfolio, then a % of FUM is reasonable - so long as it's a reasonable %. If they're giving you advice on this or that particular topic - say estate planning, financing into a retirement home, general investment strategy when not in control of particular assets, then a $/hr charge seems more appropriate. What I have a huge problem with is this insistence on % of FUM when the advisor essentially does absolutely nothing active but review your portfolio once a year. Nice work if you can get it. My partner got into a conversation with FPs about transferring her UK pension assets to Australia, and I was gobsmacked that there was a 1%-ish fee for organising the transfer, and an ongoing 1% on FUM for "advice" because the vehicle into which the funds (being superannuation) required a FP to operate it - ie. make any changes. Given the amount in question was some $600K or thereabouts, that seemed like theft to me. The cost to transfer assets is independent of the size of the assets, and the cost of making changes to the investments is as well. She didn't proceed for reasons other than the fees, but it all just seemed like money for jam for the FP firm involved to me.
You'd do much better to manage your shares and managed funds by yourself, as I do. it's really not that hard. particularly these days with low fee ETFs, index funds, etc.
Chris Cuffe has spent four decades selecting fund managers for multi-manager portfolios, and he explains what he looks for and why active management can work, as well as updating his investment lessons.
The nine lessons include there is always a cycle, the crowd gets it wrong at extremes, what you pay for an investment matters a lot, markets don’t learn, and you need to know yourself to be a good investor.
Of all the questions facing an investor, when to sell is perhaps the hardest. Unlike with the decision to make an investment, selling it requires you to undo something you have invested intellectual, emotional and financial capital.
Two commonly asked questions are: 'How much do I need to retire' and 'How much can I afford to spend in retirement'? This is a guide to help you come up with your own numbers to suit your goals and needs.
There seems to be more confusion than clarity about the mechanics of how the new $3 million super tax is supposed to work. Here is an attempt to answer some of the questions from my previous work on the issue.
Washington H. Soul Pattinson is an ASX top 50 stock with one of the best investment track records this country has seen. Yet, most Australians haven’t heard of it, and the company seems to prefer it that way.
We are often quoted life expectancy at birth but what matters most is how long we should live as we grow older. It is surprising how short this can be for people born last century, so make the most of it.
A new report suggests Australian housing is twice as expensive as that of the US and UK on a price-to-income basis. It also reveals that it’s cheaper to live in New York than most of our capital cities.
Here are 10 rules for staying happy and sharp as we age, including socialise a lot, never retire, learn a demanding skill, practice gratitude, play video games (specific ones), and be sure to reminisce.
The best way to lose money in markets is to chase the latest stock fad. Conversely, the best way to build wealth is by pursuing a timeless investment strategy that won’t be swayed by short-term market gyrations.
Australian consumers have held up remarkably well amid rising interest rates and inflation. Yet, there are increasing signs that this is turning, and the weakness in consumer spending may last years, not months.
It's that time of year when investors sell underperforming stocks at a loss to offset capital gains from profitable investments. This tax-loss selling is creating opportunities in three quality ASX stocks.
Across the globe, leaders are concerned about the fallout from declining birth rates and shrinking populations. Australia, though attractive to migrants, mirrors global birth rate declines, and faces its own challenges.
Australians are paying almost two billion dollars in credit and debit card fees each year and the RBA wil now probe the whole payment system. What changes are needed to ensure the system is fair and transparent?
Many Australians neglect key retirement planning tools. Investment bonds are increasingly valuable as they facilitate intergenerational wealth transfer and offer strategic tax advantages, thereby enhancing financial security.