April 2024 | 8 min read Life in retirement keeps getting more expensive By Tony Kaye, Senior Personal Finance Writer Retirement The latest rise in the Age Pension rate still falls short of what many people may need to have a modest lifestyle in retirement. Around 2.58 million Australians received a 1.78% government Age Pension…
Updated March 2024 | 5 min read Investment trends aren’t always your friend By Tony Kaye, Senior Personal Finance Writer ETFs Trendy ETF products can be enticing, but they don’t necessarily have staying power. The growing use of exchange traded funds (ETFs) by millions of investors worldwide can easily be described as an investment trend…
February 2024 | 8 min read The investment benefits from the return to “sound money” By Tony Kaye, Senior Personal Finance Writer Investing Strategy This is what investors can expect as interest rates remain at higher levels. Around the world, central banks are in no hurry to start cutting interest rates. It’s all about inflation.…
December quarter 2023 Markets rallied to close out the year as hopes of a soft landing once more came to the fore. Bond yields fell as central banks signalled a pause and markets began to price in a potential path for rate cuts. This spurred a rally in bonds and propelled developed markets equities back…
By Tony Kaye, Senior Personal Finance Writer Investing for life events Some investing steps to get you through the holiday season, the new year, and for the future. It’s about that time of the year again, with Christmas fast approaching and the new year just around the corner. It’s a time to unwind, to reflect…
Is it smarter to pay down a mortgage or invest? The answer depends on a range of factors. Many borrowers don’t have the financial capacity to make additional repayments on their loans, especially during times when interest rates are rising. However, some borrowers are in the position of having accumulated savings and regular surplus income…
Christopher Cachia has been shortlisted for the ifa Excellence Awards 2023. The ifa Excellence Awards is the most highly regarded awards program across Australia recognising exceptional professionals in the Australian financial services industry. This prestigious national awards program presents an exceptional opportunity for leading professionals to showcase their achievements, attract more clients, and propel their…
ETFs and LICs may appear to be similar products, but they’re very different. Australian investors, like many investors around the world, are increasingly turning to listed products that give them instant exposure to shareholdings in a large number of companies. For many, the products of choice are exchange traded funds (ETFs) that invest in every…
The Reserve Bank has stated is has a low tolerance for a slower return of inflation to its target band. Interest rate movements are difficult to predict. The Reserve Bank (RBA) board will meet again on Tuesday 7 November to determine its next rates move – once again on the same day millions of Australians…
Share markets remain jittery. Should investors be worried about the October effect? October has a notorious reputation for being a bad month for investors. In fact, if you search for media articles written over the past fortnight you will find plenty of references to “the October effect”, linking the month of October to past share…