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Why it’s time to ditch the retirement journey

Why it’s time to ditch the retirement journey

For more years than I care to remember, I, along with many other retirement commentators, have had an unhealthy adherence to the concept of the retirement journey. Don’t get me wrong. I do understand that, unless you die early or work forever, most people will experience some form of retirement life stage. But I am now questioning the assumption that ...
How much does it really cost to raise a child?

How much does it really cost to raise a child?

Australians are having fewer children than ever. At 1.5 babies per woman, the fertility rate is at a record low. Many attribute this to the cost of having and raising children. If this is true, it raises questions of intergenerational fairness and future planning for governments. What do we do about the young would-be parents who are opting out because ...
Passive ETF investors may be in for a rude shock

Passive ETF investors may be in for a rude shock

If you don’t know who you are, this is an expensive place to find out.– Adam Smith, The Money Game The Money Game remains one of my favourite all-time investment books. Both funny and wise, it was published during the first great tech boom, in 1967. This was a few years before Buffett decided to close his early partnerships due to a lack of value ...
Bank reporting season scorecard November 2025

Bank reporting season scorecard November 2025

Unlike the past few bank reporting seasons, there was little trepidation from investors going into the November 2025 season. The last few bank reporting seasons had been very consistent, with a similar story of high margins, solid loan growth, strong capital, and minimal bad debts. An excellent position for investors with a large weighting to the ...
The real winners from the AI rush

The real winners from the AI rush

AI has been the story of the past few years in markets. It’s an AI rush, and like the gold rush that occurred in the 19th century, those who are winning are not who you would expect. In the mid-19th century, California was home to the gold rush. People from all over the world made their way to Northern California and the Sierra Nevada Mountains in ...
Net zero’s Groundhog Day –  ‘Doing our bit for the environment’ – is not going to work

Net zero’s Groundhog Day –  ‘Doing our bit for the environment’ – is not going to work

A constant flow of opposition politicians has used the phrase “doing our bit for the environment” when asked how they would approach net zero. This feels like Groundhog Day  — it has been happening for 50 years in my experience as an academic in the environmental space. In 1972, I was in Delft, The Netherlands, studying environmental science at one of ...
NSW’s waste infrastructure woes are not over yet

NSW’s waste infrastructure woes are not over yet

Penny Sharpe, NSW Minister for Climate Change, Energy, Heritage and the Environment, has a seat at the table when budgets that can help resolve the waste issues are decided. Heres some background she needs to make the right decisions. You may have heard about the New South Wales government releasing its new Waste Infrastructure Plan. You may have read ...

Why it’s time to ditch the retirement journey

Why it’s time to ditch the retirement journey
For more years than I care to remember, I, along with many other retirement commentators, have had an unhealthy adherence to the concept of the retirement journey. Don’t get me wrong. I do understand that, unless you die early or work forever, most people will experience some form of retirement life stage. But I am now questioning the assumption that ...

How much does it really cost to raise a child?

How much does it really cost to raise a child?
Australians are having fewer children than ever. At 1.5 babies per woman, the fertility rate is at a record low. Many attribute this to the cost of having and raising children. If this is true, it raises questions of intergenerational fairness and future planning for governments. What do we do about the young would-be parents who are opting out because ...

Passive ETF investors may be in for a rude shock

Passive ETF investors may be in for a rude shock
If you don’t know who you are, this is an expensive place to find out.– Adam Smith, The Money Game The Money Game remains one of my favourite all-time investment books. Both funny and wise, it was published during the first great tech boom, in 1967. This was a few years before Buffett decided to close his early partnerships due to a lack of value ...

Bank reporting season scorecard November 2025

Bank reporting season scorecard November 2025
Unlike the past few bank reporting seasons, there was little trepidation from investors going into the November 2025 season. The last few bank reporting seasons had been very consistent, with a similar story of high margins, solid loan growth, strong capital, and minimal bad debts. An excellent position for investors with a large weighting to the ...

The real winners from the AI rush

The real winners from the AI rush
AI has been the story of the past few years in markets. It’s an AI rush, and like the gold rush that occurred in the 19th century, those who are winning are not who you would expect. In the mid-19th century, California was home to the gold rush. People from all over the world made their way to Northern California and the Sierra Nevada Mountains in ...

Net zero’s Groundhog Day –  ‘Doing our bit for the environment’ – is not going to work

Net zero’s Groundhog Day –  ‘Doing our bit for the environment’ – is not going to work
A constant flow of opposition politicians has used the phrase “doing our bit for the environment” when asked how they would approach net zero. This feels like Groundhog Day  — it has been happening for 50 years in my experience as an academic in the environmental space. In 1972, I was in Delft, The Netherlands, studying environmental science at one of ...

NSW’s waste infrastructure woes are not over yet

NSW’s waste infrastructure woes are not over yet
Penny Sharpe, NSW Minister for Climate Change, Energy, Heritage and the Environment, has a seat at the table when budgets that can help resolve the waste issues are decided. Heres some background she needs to make the right decisions. You may have heard about the New South Wales government releasing its new Waste Infrastructure Plan. You may have read ...