Reverse mortgages – A solution to the asset rich, cash poor trap

Reverse mortgages – A solution to the asset rich, cash poor trap If you’re a home owner who falls into the “asset rich, cash poor” category, a reverse mortgage could hold appeal in retirement. Over the next 40 years an estimated seven million Australians are expected to start living off their super savings, but many simply won’t have enough to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. The benefit of a reverse mortgage is that you can access money to …

Why we’re thinking about yield all wrong

Why we’re thinking about yield all wrong No doubt about it, institutions will have an edge over the Average Joe or weekend warrior when it comes to information and investment insights; financial institutions employ the best and brightest and draw on research garnered from all over the world using tools out of the reach of most of us individually. But there are times when it makes sense for individual investors to play to their strengths …

Volatility could present buying opportunities in 2018

Volatility could present buying opportunities in 2018 Volatility and the first meaningful lift in inflation coming from the United States will likely be the main differentiating features in global financial markets in 2018 compared to this year, according to Dr Shane Oliver, AMP Capital’s Head of Investment Strategy and Chief Economist. The dips in share markets experts anticipated in 2017 are more likely to materialise in the new year, Oliver notes. But with global growth …

Debunking 3 myths around global listed infrastructure

13 December 2017 Debunking 3 myths around global listed infrastructure Did you know it takes 957 gallons of water to create a single Big Mac? Some 550 million Big Macs are consumed each year in the US alone. That’s a lot of water. But we simply wouldn’t have Big Macs without the infrastructure to filter and transport water to each part of the Big Mac production process. It’s easy to forget that infrastructure is a …

How the yield trade is shaping our view of the world

13 December 2017 How the yield trade is shaping our view of the world The so called yield trade – which has pushed investors out along the risk curve into more risky assets seeking income – has trained individuals to think more critically about their assets they include in their investment portfolios, reckons Dr Shane Oliver, AMP Capital’s Head of Investment Strategy and Chief Economist. Since central banks have dropped interest rates to record low …

2017 has been kind to investors

  2017 has been kind to investors As we head towards the end of 2017, it’s worth taking a look at how investment markets have fared over the year. It turns out we’ve enjoyed a pretty good 12 months – especially if you haven’t had a significant chunk of your wealth tied up in cash. The last 12 months have been steady on a number of financial fronts. Even the official cash rate has remained …

When it’s time to listen to the herd

10 November 2017 When it’s time to listen to the herd Are we in bubble territory? Will there be a correction? You could spend every day looking at valuations and broker notes to form a view on whether the equities bull market is about to run out of steam, but it’s possible the best clues to whether we’re in bubble territory could be gleaned from your taxi driver, at your friend’s BBQ or at the …

How to make the most of investment and economic research

16 August 2017 How to make the most of investment and economic research In a world where people can be bombarded with information, AMP Capital Head of Investment Strategy and Chief Economist Shane Oliver recommends taking a strategic approach to investing. “If you are to be a successful investor you have to have an investment process,” says Oliver. The trick, he says, is cutting out the noise and sticking to the fundamentals. AMP Capital’s approach …

Bubbles mean trouble

16 August 2017 Bubbles mean trouble What is a bubble? AMP Capital Head of Investment Strategy and Chief Economist Shane Oliver puts it down to two main factors. “The first thing is a degree of over valuation. That is a situation where the price of an asset has diverged dramatically from the underlying fundamentals of the asset. Share prices have risen dramatically relative to earnings and dividends, or property prices have risen dramatically compared to …

How to create visibility on spending goals in retirement

How to create visibility on spending goals in retirement Retirees looking to develop a sustainable financial plan face a challenging technical problem. So it makes sense to simplify some of the inputs. Those of us who focus on the production of investment returns for retirees’ financial assets often choose to make simple assumptions about consumption patterns in retirement. However a more detailed understanding of priorities for spending in retirement can inform the design of appropriate …