Why it pays to contribute to your partner’s super

Why it pays to contribute to your partner’s super If your other half is a stay-at-home parent, working part-time or out of work, adding to their super could benefit you both financially. If your spouse (husband, wife, de facto or same-sex partner) is a low-income earner or not working at the moment, chances are they’re accumulating little or no super at all to fund their retirement. The good news is, if you want to help …

Why passive investing now won’t deliver all your goals

Why passive investing now won’t deliver all your goals Passive investment funds used to be a relatively obscure part of the market. But with their popularity soaring in recent years, many investors might now be sceptical about paying for active investment. Market performance over recent years would reinforce that scepticism. Holding a passive mix of mainstream assets has performed very well over the last 5 years. For example, an investor who suffers a permanent 25% …

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 …

Why Wo/ Man and machine is the future of finance

Why Wo/ Man and machine is the future of finance Dr Bernard Meyerson, IBM’s chief innovation officer, was in the room in 2011 when his company’s powerful artificial intelligence (AI) computer, Watson, famously won Jeopardy, defeating the game show’s two most successful contestants. “There was an incredible euphoria,” Meyerson said in a presentation at AMP’s recent Amplify program. “Watching the system do that was mind blowing.” Watson’s historic win was victory of “machine” over “man”, …

Why listed real estate faces Amazon-like disruption

Why listed real estate faces Amazon-like disruption Investors have recently focussed on the impact of Amazon’s plan to roll out its full retail offering in Australia on local retailers. But fewer investors have been considering the impact of Amazon-style disruption – and other global social trends – on real estate. Global listed real estate has been a lynchpin of investor and client portfolios, generating strong income yield and capital growth. But just as has happened …

Why tax aware investing can help boost retirement income

Why tax aware investing can help boost retirement income With the huge bulge of baby boomers entering retirement, and yields at near-record lows, there is an emerging rediscovery of the vital role equities can play in delivering retirement outcomes. Equities provide retirees with a regular and reliable income that grows over time. They not only generate income and strong expected returns, but also protect against inflation risk and longevity risk (the risk of outliving your …

Why goals succeed where resolutions fail

Why goals succeed where resolutions fail By now school, work and daily routines may be ruling your week once again. And if you made any resolutions over the holiday season, chances are you’re probably slipping back into your old ways. Don’t worry. Researchi has proven resolutions rarely work. Mainly because resolutions tend to expect us to change habits we’ve built over a lifetime, overnight. Psychology professor Peter Herman calls them the “false hope syndrome” because …

Estate planning and why you need a super plan

Estate planning and why you need a super plan When it comes to passing-on your super money, you need to put specific plans in place so the right people end up with it when the time comes. You’d probably rather be doing something other than thinking about your own mortality. But because your super can become a significant amount of money, you’ll want to make sure it goes to the right people when you die. …

Why cyber security matters

  Why cyber security matters As technology advances and we become increasingly more connected, the risk of cyber crime and data corruption rises. Shareholders are seeking assurance that the companies they invest in are prioritising data and cyber security at a board level.Shareholders should – and are – becoming increasingly savvy to the impact data and cyber security can have on their investments. With the security risks that are presented by data collection and storage, …

4 Reasons Why Money Shouldn’t Be A Worry For You

4 Reasons Why Money Shouldn’t Be A Worry For You The importance of money in a person’s life is almost unparallel and there is no denying this aspect either. With such high integrity to a particular aspect, it is almost natural for people to make money earning and managing one of their top most priorities. The problem with this approach is that it leads to them facing issues and problems when money related issues don’t …