It’s only Day Five of the war but surely the epic stupidity of Australia so cravenly backing the US Israeli invasion of Iran is evident by now. Michael West reports. We are led by fools and sycophants. The illegal, unprovoked invasion of Iran is not just garden variety stupidity. This
The need for a reliable source of retirement income is a demographic shift 70 years in the making. Yet, it is only one of three megatrends currently disrupting the retirement sector.
An ageing population is placing pressure on Australia’s superannuation and retirement system, while driving a sharp rise in demand for better aged care. Underlying these ...
Australia’s February reporting season should not have been much of a surprise. By the time companies started to report results, evidence for a strong reporting season had been piling up for months. Economic growth through the second half of 2025 was consistently firm, financial conditions remained supportive and business indicators were improving. ...
What happens to our super when we die? Most Australians have superannuation accounts but about one in five of us die before we can retire and actually enjoy that money.
If we do die early our money is paid out as super “death benefits”. They can be substantial. Even people who die young can have $200,000–$300,000 of death benefits through super life ...
SMSF borrowing requires timing and precision that would be unexpected for someone buying an investment property. The investment property in a DIY structure is not held in the borrower’s name but by the trust that administers the super fund.
Before engaging in a limited recourse borrowing, the superannuation trust deed may need to be amended before the ...
There are several studies that show that retail clients who get advice from brokers do not end up with better portfolios or improved performance. Here is a classic study from Canada that shows that while good advisers can create enormous value for clients, the average adviser does not. What made me perk up, though, was when I came across a study of ...
The AFL has announced a move this season to a Final Ten by adding a ‘wildcard’ round to its existing Final Eight format. But has it got the formula right?
First, a recap of the Final Eight system that has been in place since 2000, according to final ladder positions.
Week 1
Game One: 1 v 4
Game Two: 2 v 3
Game Three: 5 v 8
Game Four: 6 v 7
Week ...
I’ve written many articles on aspects of annuities. [For example, one on annuities, longevity risk and investment risk; another on the role of deferred annuities.] It occurs to me that there are psychological angles that are worth reviewing, some of which are financially relevant and others of which affect our thinking even if they’re not ...
BHP has had almost an entire court case muzzled and its demands met to toss out a coal miner’s case without even filing a defence. Stephanie Tran reports. In a judgment published on Monday evening, Justice Needham of the Federal Court found that Simon Turner’s case “had no reasonable prospects
On Pittwater Road in North Manly, there’s a community health centre building being repurposed to provide tangible support to women at risk.
Spinifex is an opinion column. If you would like to contribute, contact us to ask for a detailed brief.
Sign up for our free newsletter.
By the end of 2026, this former community health ...
Among the multiple questions that have been stimulated by the proposed demolition of Melbourne’s 44 public housing towers is the cost of building social housing.
A new report, along with a parliamentary inquiry tabled in December, unveils the internal tug of war on information to prevent further probing into why the towers needed to be demolished, ...
A decision brief on protecting the threatened Maugean Skate shows the Labor Government puts extinction second to politics. Transparency Warrior Rex Patrick reports. A long-awaited brief, prepared by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), has now been released after an FOI fight in the Administrative
It’s only Day Five of the war but surely the epic stupidity of Australia so cravenly backing the US Israeli invasion of Iran is evident by now. Michael West reports. We are led by fools and sycophants. The illegal, unprovoked invasion of Iran is not just garden variety stupidity. This
The need for a reliable source of retirement income is a demographic shift 70 years in the making. Yet, it is only one of three megatrends currently disrupting the retirement sector.
An ageing population is placing pressure on Australia’s superannuation and retirement system, while driving a sharp rise in demand for better aged care. Underlying these ...
Australia’s February reporting season should not have been much of a surprise. By the time companies started to report results, evidence for a strong reporting season had been piling up for months. Economic growth through the second half of 2025 was consistently firm, financial conditions remained supportive and business indicators were improving. ...
What happens to our super when we die? Most Australians have superannuation accounts but about one in five of us die before we can retire and actually enjoy that money.
If we do die early our money is paid out as super “death benefits”. They can be substantial. Even people who die young can have $200,000–$300,000 of death benefits through super life ...
SMSF borrowing requires timing and precision that would be unexpected for someone buying an investment property. The investment property in a DIY structure is not held in the borrower’s name but by the trust that administers the super fund.
Before engaging in a limited recourse borrowing, the superannuation trust deed may need to be amended before the ...
There are several studies that show that retail clients who get advice from brokers do not end up with better portfolios or improved performance. Here is a classic study from Canada that shows that while good advisers can create enormous value for clients, the average adviser does not. What made me perk up, though, was when I came across a study of ...
The AFL has announced a move this season to a Final Ten by adding a ‘wildcard’ round to its existing Final Eight format. But has it got the formula right?
First, a recap of the Final Eight system that has been in place since 2000, according to final ladder positions.
Week 1
Game One: 1 v 4
Game Two: 2 v 3
Game Three: 5 v 8
Game Four: 6 v 7
Week ...
I’ve written many articles on aspects of annuities. [For example, one on annuities, longevity risk and investment risk; another on the role of deferred annuities.] It occurs to me that there are psychological angles that are worth reviewing, some of which are financially relevant and others of which affect our thinking even if they’re not ...
BHP has had almost an entire court case muzzled and its demands met to toss out a coal miner’s case without even filing a defence. Stephanie Tran reports. In a judgment published on Monday evening, Justice Needham of the Federal Court found that Simon Turner’s case “had no reasonable prospects
On Pittwater Road in North Manly, there’s a community health centre building being repurposed to provide tangible support to women at risk.
Spinifex is an opinion column. If you would like to contribute, contact us to ask for a detailed brief.
Sign up for our free newsletter.
By the end of 2026, this former community health ...
Among the multiple questions that have been stimulated by the proposed demolition of Melbourne’s 44 public housing towers is the cost of building social housing.
A new report, along with a parliamentary inquiry tabled in December, unveils the internal tug of war on information to prevent further probing into why the towers needed to be demolished, ...
A decision brief on protecting the threatened Maugean Skate shows the Labor Government puts extinction second to politics. Transparency Warrior Rex Patrick reports. A long-awaited brief, prepared by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), has now been released after an FOI fight in the Administrative
