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Asset allocation in a low interest era

  • On 27/07/2016
Superannuation funds face critical questions about whether their strategic asset allocations and performance targets remain appropriate for what may be an extended period of more subdued, uncertain and volatile returns in a low interest era. Are widely used targets for balanced (default) portfolios to exceed CPI by 3% to 4% a year over rolling 10-year […]
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Super ambitions: Can we get to $1.6 million-plus?

  • On 20/07/2016
There is much misinformed comment that two of the Federal Budget’s core superannuation proposals will significantly hamper the ability to save in superannuation. It has been stated that fund members who can afford to make large contributions will not be able to reach the new pension cap of $1.6 million.  However, modelling by Rice Warner […]
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Default pension portfolios – Different needs require different buckets

  • On 13/07/2016
Extreme market volatility following the Brexit vote is yet another reason why Australian pensioners are nervous about the financial markets and worried about the security of their benefits. Each year, risk-averse people entering retirement and paranoid about investment losses place about $5 billion into bank term deposits even though today these only pay about 2.5%, […]
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Does robo advice compute?

  • On 07/07/2016
The increasing attention in Australia to technology-driven financial advice, dubbed robo-advice, raises numerous questions for investors, super funds, fund managers and financial advisers. What is robo-advice? Robo-advice, commonly referred to as digital advice and automated advice, is built on a foundation of rules and algorithms using client data to drive automated advice recommendations. In broad […]
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FUTURE SHOCK: HIDDEN GOVERNMENT DEBT

  • On 16/06/2016
All Australian Governments are battling to balance their annual budgets. The main theme of the Parties leading into the current Federal election is how best to set the levels of taxation and expenditure.  The decisions are inherently difficult and the Coalition and Labor have both retreated from positions of returning the Budget to surplus in […]
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