Christmas is a wonderful time of year in Australia, filled with summer foods, decorations and of course, gift giving. Here are a few ideas to help you stretch your Christmas gift budget further, so you can enjoy more family time, without the financial hangover. Overspending at Christmas time is commonplace in Australia, with many people … Read more
What’s the meaning of Christmas in your household? While it can sometimes feel like spending a small fortune on gifts and food is non-negotiable, it’s not the only option. And, if you have kids, the holidays are a great time to teach them about the value of money – while having a heap of fun … Read more
If you’ve thought about how much money you need to save so you can retire comfortably, it might feel a little daunting. Maybe so much so, you’d rather not think about it at all. But, according to AMP Technical Strategy Manager John Perri, there are three simple rules anyone can follow that make saving for retirement … Read more
While an exposure to hedge funds can provide a lift to a portfolio’s performance, they also offer the potential to generate high returns – at a risk. Hedge funds play a very important role in investment markets and come in many shapes and sizes. Because of this, it’s important for investors to understand what they … Read more
As you age and your health starts to deteriorate, having a financial safety net and protecting your nearest and dearest may become even more important. So, how old is too old for insurance, and do you or your parents still need cover if they are nearing retirement or no longer have an income? The answer … Read more
The impacts of interest rate hikes on consumers are well known; higher interest means that mortgage debt servicing costs will go up which is negative for consumer spending. Rate hikes are also bad news for home prices, which will create another negative for households via the destruction of wealth and the associated “wealth effect”. Housing … Read more
Once a staple investment allocation, the traditional balanced portfolio of shares and bonds has had some challenges in delivering positive returns in today’s market environment. Institutional investors, such as superannuation funds and endowments have been investing in alternatives for many years and it is a rapidly growing asset class in the global investing landscape. Individual … Read more
It’s natural to feel nervous when markets fall. News about inflation and rising interest rates may prompt you to make an emotional investment decision. But history tells us that markets trend upwards in the long run – and switching investment options at the wrong time can have a negative impact on your overall long-term investment … Read more
Up until the 1980s the dominant theory was that financial markets were efficient. In other words, all relevant information was reflected in asset prices in a rational manner. While some think it was the Global Financial Crisis that caused faith in the so-called “Efficient Markets Hypothesis” (EMH) to begin unravelling, this actually occurred in the … Read more
Pleasingly, global share markets fared well in October and recovered most of their lost ground from September. Locally, the S&P/ASX 200 Index re- turned 6.0%. The sharp reversal in sentiment was typical of this year; market volatility has picked up meaningfully over the past few months, resulting in substantial swings in equity prices. Fixed income … Read more