It is a week out from the US Presidential election. We’ve deliberately avoided the election until the very last moment. Why? Its lack of importance. We hear ‘this is the most important election of our lifetime’ almost every election. On some issues, maybe it is. When...
The delayed and momentous 2020 Federal budget has been handed down. It contains some amazing figures. The normally fiscally conscious Liberal Nationals have turned spendthrifts in a bid to lift the country out of the COVID-19 induced recession. It wouldn’t be a budget without heroic assumptions...
ESG investing. You’ve probably heard the term, but what does it actually mean? ESG stands for Environmental, Social and Governance, it may also be termed sustainable investing. You may say it is an investment decision based on your beliefs. It is a wide term as it...
We’re deep in a global pandemic. The positive? Governments are responding. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures. Interest rates to near zero. Governments putting money into bank accounts. Financial support for business. Government quickly realised the time for half measures was over. President Trump especially. He’s...
When the market falls 7% in a day. There’s no sugar coating it. It’s very painful. What now? We’ve been through this many times before. Our experience tells us to do nothing. With every previous market fall there has been a recovery. Every financial adviser has a...
For weeks there was calm. Then suddenly there was panic. Admittedly, it was surprising. Markets have been moving upwards without a hitch for a while and initially, they shrugged the Coronavirus off. Australian investors, getting little joy from cash, may have been pushing into the...
With the election over, stories of the relieved industries and individuals are populating the media. The real estate industry is telling anyone who will listen that the bottom is in after two years of falls in Australia’s major capital cities. But when hasn’t it been...
Neil Woodford has a neck thick like a rugby player and a head shaped like it was chiselled out of granite, it could be mounted somewhere on Easter Island. Imposing is an appropriate word to describe his appearance. Woodford is a man screaming conviction. Charlie Aitken...
Economic Overview Global equities posted sharp declines in the December quarter, delivering their worst yearly performance in seven years largely on the back of the final three months. The major concerns were global trade, slowing economic growth and the US Federal Reserve’s plans for further interest...
How far do we get without commitment and perseverance? Any task we begin in life is going to require some commitment and perseverance if we wish to pursue it thoroughly. That commitment may begin early in life. As children, we may show an interest to...
