Oil has swung from a war premium to ceasefire calm to renewed conflict and back again in the space of five months, wrong-footing forecasters at every turn. Understanding what’s driving the chaos arguably matters more than picking a side on where the oil price goes next.
Ask most investors what determines their long-term returns and they’ll most likely talk about their asset allocation, the way they select their fund managers or their track records at getting macro calls right.
When it comes to ETFs, a few stereotypes abound. Passive, low cost, flexible, broad exposure. While there’s some truth rooted in the stereotypes – some ETFs are index-trackers and have lower fees after all – investors should be wary of leaning too closely on these in their approach to ETFs.
Oil has swung from a war premium to ceasefire calm to renewed conflict and back again in the space of five months, wrong-footing forecasters at every turn. Understanding what’s driving the chaos arguably matters more than picking a side on where the oil price goes next.
Ask most investors what determines their long-term returns and they’ll most likely talk about their asset allocation, the way they select their fund managers or their track records at getting macro calls right.
When it comes to ETFs, a few stereotypes abound. Passive, low cost, flexible, broad exposure. While there’s some truth rooted in the stereotypes – some ETFs are index-trackers and have lower fees after all – investors should be wary of leaning too closely on these in their approach to ETFs.
Sustainable investing has been through plenty of challenges of late. After a string of political and social backlashes, the return of a US president who appears to be opposed to creating a more sustainable future, a rise in greenwashing cases and a challenging period of relative performance, sustainable investing has become more demanding and, arguably, more useful.
Australia’s GDP rose 0.3% in the March quarter and 2.5% over the year. While that’s not recessionary, it’s hardly exuberant and was once again negative in per capita terms. The main headwinds are subdued household and government consumption, while adverse weather hampered mining production and exports. On a more positive note, there’s been a lift in business investment linked to data centre machinery and equipment.
The Federal Reserve has a new chairman in position. Kevin Warsh recently chaired his first meeting and the message was clear: global markets need to get used to less hand-holding looking forward.
Retiring soon and wondering how to structure your investments? There are a range of strategies you can follow, from maintaining your existing approach to shifting into a new strategy. One approach investors use is known as the 3-bucket strategy.
The SpaceX IPO may go down as one of the defining market events of the decade. Not simply because of its size, or its role in catapulting Elon Musk into the world’s first trillionaire. And not even because it’s trading at a somewhat shocking 2026 EV/EBITDA ratio of 222x.
For decades, the “60/40 portfolio” felt like the smart, set-and-forget way to invest: 60% in shares for growth and 40% in bonds for stability. When shares wobbled, bonds usually rose. Simple. Reliable. It worked through bull markets, mild recessions and falling interest rates.
Underperformance by an actively managed fund in your portfolio is uncomfortable, but it’s not always a sell signal.
Because context matters. Whether a fund is temporarily out of favour, structurally flawed, too expensive, or no longer fit for your portfolio should change your response to underperformance.
ETFs have grown in popularity in the last decade, and beginner investors are often encouraged to consider them. But beginner doesn’t mean foolproof and even investments like ETFs can go wrong when investors don’t know what they are really buying and how best to use them. It’s also worth noting that beginner doesn’t mean that ETFs can’t be part of more sophisticated strategies either.
First the bad news: many Australians in their 20s and 30s feel they are already late to investing. Property prices seem out-of-reach, the cost-of-living pressure is real, and social media can make everyone else’s financial life appear rosier than it really is. For many, the right pathway forward can feel out-of-reach.
Australia’s 2026-27 Federal Budget has dramatically changed the tax conversation in ways few budgets have. In particular, the Government’s plan to replace the 50% CGT discount with cost-base indexation and a 30% minimum tax rate from 1st July 2027 has massive investment implications.
The only certainties in life are death and taxes, as the saying goes. Of course, what can be less certain is exactly how tax is applied to your earnings, particularly those from investments. Depending on the type of investment you have and what type of earnings you receive from it, tax can be affected.