After the calm of 2017, 2018 is proving to be anything but with shares falling in February on worries about US inflation, only to rebound and then fall again with markets back to or below their February low, notwithstanding a nice US bounce overnight. So what’s driving the weakness and what should investors do?
Australia continues to defy recession calls. Against this, economic growth is well below potential, with per capita growth running at just 0.8% year on year, which is below that in most major countries. So where to from here? And what will be the impact on interest rates? AMP Capital's Shane Oliver gives us his views for 2018 and beyond...
FROM THE VAULT:
(Originally posted on 24 November 2016)
The 9 Habits of highly ineffective investors...
As the Trump rally continues, its important to stop, take a deep breath and think about potential pitfalls going forward as the fear of missing out and 'animal spirits' take centre stage.
Many of the mistakes investors make are based on common sense rules of thumb that turn out to be wrong...
Does investing in a financial planner really pay off? According to the latest research from Sunsuper you could be thousands of dollars better off when you make choices based on professional financial advice. Plus you’ll take more family holidays, have greater peace of mind and more confidence in your financial decisions...
5 Vital chats to have...
With the HSC exams finished and new graduates about to begin the next stage of their education, perhaps it’s a good time to start thinking about a new challenge ahead: how your teenager will fund his or her life at university.
Of course, you can always give your childs a helping hand with their finances during this time. But it’s also important to get them ready to stand on their own two feet during and after their studies.
For some parents, this may be a great opportunity to have those crucial chats about money and the financial workings of the world.
Before your big day, much of the financial talk may have been around budgeting for your wedding and planning your honeymoon. But while not nearly as exciting, there’s another vital part of your new partnership that should be considered: your future finances.
Finances can be one of the biggest sources of stress and tension in a marriage. However, open communication and careful planning now can help you avoid many problems down the road.
Here are five important areas to examine before you walk down the aisle:
The global risks to inflation and bond yields are finally shifting to the upside, with investment markets starting to take note as evident in the pullback in global share markets seen over the last few days. But how big is the risk? Are we on the brink of another bond crash that will engulf other assets like shares and property?
Although 2017 saw the usual worry list – around President Trump, elections in Europe, China, North Korea and Australian property – it was good for investors. Balanced super funds had returns around 10%, which is pretty good given inflation was around 2%. This year has started favourably but volatility may pick up as geopolitical threats loom a little larger and US inflation rises. This note provides a summary of key insights on the global investment outlook in simple dot point form...
Deep down, we all know that New Year's resolutions just don't work. Consider the empirical data…
* 25% of people abandon their resolutions after just one week. * 60% of people abandon them within 6 months. * The average person makes the same resolutions 10 times without success. * Even after a heart attack, only 14% of patients make any meaningful change around eating or exercise...
By the standards of recent years, 2017 was relatively quiet. Sure there was the usual “worry list” – about Trump, elections in Europe, China as always, North Korea and the perennial property crash in Australia. And there was a mania in bitcoin. But overall it has been pretty positive for investors...
