A recent report by ASIC (Australian Securities & Investments Commission) has shed some light on what consumers think of financial advice and of the advisors who deliver it. The report explored the use of financial advisors, and attitudes towards them. Results reveal that people who have already sought advice, or intend to, are more likely […]
In this case study, Mr and Mrs Brown from Perth were referred to one of our financial advisors by their daughter. They’re both in their early sixties and would like to retire as soon as they possibly can. They own the home that they live in, and they also own an investment property – the […]
“World stock markets have rounded off a wild and difficult year,” the article began, pointing to multiple uncertainties in a polarised US political system, a crisis–ridden Eurozone and a rapidly slowing Chinese economy. Does that sound familiar? That was from a calendar year wrap–up of markets published by BBC News on 30 December 2011, more […]
It’s nearly Christmas …. cue – “Money management tips for the festive season.” Same messages, different year. All sensible tips about setting a budget, set up a Christmas club account for next year, paying off credit cards quickly and so on. But Christmas time is hardly the best time to talk about budgeting. First, it […]
The Federal Budget Analysis prepared by the MLC Technical team, part of GWM Adviser Services Limited, appears below. 3 May 2016 Treasurer Scott Morrison has handed down his first Federal Budget—the Coalition Government’s third. The winners are low and middle income earners and small business owners. There are significant changes to superannuation that could warrant further discussion with […]
As I observe in my book, “Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett,” one of the great anomalies in investing is that while investors idolize Warren Buffett, they tend to ignore his advice, especially when it comes to efforts to time the market. The following are just a few of his many “words of wisdom” […]
Digital innovation has democratised access to financial information to the point where anyone with a smartphone, a few apps and real-time news and data feeds can be like a pro trader. But who wants to do that? And do you need to? In the world of information flows, speed is barely an issue anymore. And […]
Sound investing for the long term is not just about sticking to your chosen pathway. It also means staying off those investment paths that can derail your journey. In the 1998 British-American romantic comedy ‘Sliding Doors’, the story revolves around two contrasting life outcomes for the central character, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, all stemming from […]
There are two ways of learning. You can be taught how to do something correctly or you can be shown the consequences of doing it wrong. In the world of investment, it’s a lot cheaper to learn from others’ mistakes. A recent edition of a television current affairs program detailed how elderly Australians, many of […]
Trying to correctly time your entry point to the market is never easy. Just ask the experts. In early February, strategists at a global investment bank were becoming alarmed at political events in Europe, the sequestration “crisis” in the US Congress and what they saw as an unseemly rush into equities. The word went out […]