Australia’s superannuation system is often described as “world-class”. It is a phrase repeated by governments, industry bodies, and fund executives, and it has become part of the national mythology. Yet when judged against the basic economic principles that should guide a retirement income system, the claim does not hold.
In this piece we concentrate ...
The hardest part of transferring wealth is not only transferring the assets. It’s preparing the people who will inherit responsibility for them.
Australia is in the midst of what has become known as the Great Wealth Transfer. In JBWere’s recent Great Wealth Transfer Myth report, I set out to challenge the familiar idea that significant family wealth ...
Bank hybrids have long been a familiar source of income for Australian investors. But that source is drying up.
More than A$9 billion of bank hybrids are expected to be redeemed by mid-2027, with approximately A$30 billion more maturing through 2032 as APRA's phase-out of Additional Tier 1 (AT1) securities progresses.
So, what happens when those ...
I attended the Goldman Sachs ‘Communacopia’ technology conference in San Francisco in September with panel sessions from, among others, OpenAI, Nvidia, SpaceX and Google Cloud. These are the key takeaways coming out of the 40 sessions I attended over three days.
1. Token-cost economics
If 2025 was the year of “token-maxxing”, with corporates aiming to ...
For almost six decades, investors have studied Berkshire Hathaway for lessons on how to allocate capital. The events of 2026 offer a rarer lesson: what a well-run succession looks like, and how to judge whether the discipline behind a great business survives the departure of its founder.
On 18 September, Warren Buffett, now 96, stepped down as ...
It's challenging to work out how much a retiree can withdraw from super to fund a spending level that's sustainable throughout their retirement. So, it's disappointing that so much space is wasted in Australia talking about the so-called 4% (Bengen) rule. This imported US concept is misleading for most Australians who fund their retirement spending ...
In mid-2019, a third of investment-grade bonds including government bonds – worth US$17 trillion – had negative yields. Compare that with now.
US 10-year Treasury yields, which fell as low as about 0.55% in 2020, have topped 5.20% in recent weeks, as investors fret about inflation and Washington’s strained public finances, and investors redirect money ...
For years, one of the most famous economic findings was that money could improve wellbeing only up to a point. I think this likely provided many with a sense of comfort, because it suggested there were limits to what the pursuit of additional wealth could achieve.
More recently, newer research by the same author has complicated the picture by implying ...
The most valuable planning happens before 1 July 2027 – and the single best lever, equalising balances between spouses, closes the moment one of them dies. What follows is general information for advisers and trustees, not advice on any particular fund.
Equalise balances while both spouses are alive
Division 296 measures each member as an individual, ...
For many couples, the family home is their biggest asset. It can also be the most emotionally complicated asset to deal with when one partner dies.
Complicating the situation further is tax. The main residence secures a CGT exemption, and the ATO allows a two-year grace period from the date of death to sell the home. If the asset is not disposed of ...
The investment analysis and historical FIIG client return figures referred to below were prepared by FIIG Securities Limited (AFSL 224659), a wholly owned subsidiary of AUSIEX.
Fixed income exchange traded funds (ETFs) have become a popular way for investors to access the bond market. They are familiar, liquid and easy to trade, making them a ...
For decades, Australians have been told a simple story about retirement. Work hard, build your super, pay off the mortgage and retire debt-free.
That vision has shaped everything from financial advice and retirement calculators to the way Australians think about financial success itself. Owning a home outright by retirement has been more than an ...
Australia’s superannuation system is often described as “world-class”. It is a phrase repeated by governments, industry bodies, and fund executives, and it has become part of the national mythology. Yet when judged against the basic economic principles that should guide a retirement income system, the claim does not hold.
In this piece we concentrate ...
The hardest part of transferring wealth is not only transferring the assets. It’s preparing the people who will inherit responsibility for them.
Australia is in the midst of what has become known as the Great Wealth Transfer. In JBWere’s recent Great Wealth Transfer Myth report, I set out to challenge the familiar idea that significant family wealth ...
Bank hybrids have long been a familiar source of income for Australian investors. But that source is drying up.
More than A$9 billion of bank hybrids are expected to be redeemed by mid-2027, with approximately A$30 billion more maturing through 2032 as APRA's phase-out of Additional Tier 1 (AT1) securities progresses.
So, what happens when those ...
I attended the Goldman Sachs ‘Communacopia’ technology conference in San Francisco in September with panel sessions from, among others, OpenAI, Nvidia, SpaceX and Google Cloud. These are the key takeaways coming out of the 40 sessions I attended over three days.
1. Token-cost economics
If 2025 was the year of “token-maxxing”, with corporates aiming to ...
For almost six decades, investors have studied Berkshire Hathaway for lessons on how to allocate capital. The events of 2026 offer a rarer lesson: what a well-run succession looks like, and how to judge whether the discipline behind a great business survives the departure of its founder.
On 18 September, Warren Buffett, now 96, stepped down as ...
It's challenging to work out how much a retiree can withdraw from super to fund a spending level that's sustainable throughout their retirement. So, it's disappointing that so much space is wasted in Australia talking about the so-called 4% (Bengen) rule. This imported US concept is misleading for most Australians who fund their retirement spending ...
In mid-2019, a third of investment-grade bonds including government bonds – worth US$17 trillion – had negative yields. Compare that with now.
US 10-year Treasury yields, which fell as low as about 0.55% in 2020, have topped 5.20% in recent weeks, as investors fret about inflation and Washington’s strained public finances, and investors redirect money ...
For years, one of the most famous economic findings was that money could improve wellbeing only up to a point. I think this likely provided many with a sense of comfort, because it suggested there were limits to what the pursuit of additional wealth could achieve.
More recently, newer research by the same author has complicated the picture by implying ...
The most valuable planning happens before 1 July 2027 – and the single best lever, equalising balances between spouses, closes the moment one of them dies. What follows is general information for advisers and trustees, not advice on any particular fund.
Equalise balances while both spouses are alive
Division 296 measures each member as an individual, ...
For many couples, the family home is their biggest asset. It can also be the most emotionally complicated asset to deal with when one partner dies.
Complicating the situation further is tax. The main residence secures a CGT exemption, and the ATO allows a two-year grace period from the date of death to sell the home. If the asset is not disposed of ...
The investment analysis and historical FIIG client return figures referred to below were prepared by FIIG Securities Limited (AFSL 224659), a wholly owned subsidiary of AUSIEX.
Fixed income exchange traded funds (ETFs) have become a popular way for investors to access the bond market. They are familiar, liquid and easy to trade, making them a ...
For decades, Australians have been told a simple story about retirement. Work hard, build your super, pay off the mortgage and retire debt-free.
That vision has shaped everything from financial advice and retirement calculators to the way Australians think about financial success itself. Owning a home outright by retirement has been more than an ...
