Cover story
Changes to the retirement system will split us into two groups: those who care and those who don’t. Zoë Fielding explains how taking an interest could make a $630,188 difference.
Features
Managers can make or break a business and be the difference between a great investment and a poor one. Patrick Commins consults the experts to find Australia’s best-managed companies.
Residential investment isn’t as simple as it looks, Zoë Fielding writes, but we’ve compiled a list of suburbs in four different cost brackets that may be an ideal match for your money.
Putting people like you on the spot alongside the professional money experts, Penny Pryor finds divergent views on markets, growth, jobs, interest rates and the dollar.
If you lie awake at night worrying about mortgage repayments or credit card balances, and your attachment to debt is holding you back financially, you need to look at the steps you can take to get off the credit treadmill, Jackie Pearson writes.
Investing in shares, or any other asset for that matter, is no easy task. Acting on the advice of a trusted friend, relative or adviser might be one way of deciding which companies to invest in, but never act on tips alone and always do as much research as you can.
Up to speed
Offshore investors have lately abandoned our sharemarket, dragging down performance but, as Sally Patten writes, they may start to return as the outlook for earnings improves.
Chris Wright examines a new fund that's not afraid to take risks, and road tests another on the more conservative fixed income side. A small company fund also gets a look and there’s something for the budding photographers with a new time-lapse gizmo.
Australian equities may have outperformed their overseas counterparts over the past few years but that doesn’t mean you should exclude global shares from your portfolio. Take our test below to find out whether you’re ready for the ride.
Interest rates started rising back in October last year but the Reserve Bank of Australia paused in May. We ask five experts to air their views on where interest rates will move and what property owners and investors should do about their mortgages.
News: Market moves Polls and performance | Emerging companies Service with a smile | Your shares, your say Exercise your right to vote | Wall Street Greed will never die | Online trading Fee fall | Agribusiness Food for thought | Big numbers | Well-being Don’t worry, be happy
State of play
Structural changes in the global economy will drive winners and losers, and local investors should be looking for opportunities overseas, Chris Selth tells Patrick Commins.
As China’s influence has grown, fears that a property crash is likely there have hurt global markets, but there are now signs a sharp fall can be avoided, David Bassanese reports.
With a strong balance sheet, and years of consolidation, CSL looks set to benefit from a new development in one of its main products and possible acquisitions, Glenn Mumford finds.
Bottom line
The chief executive of CSR building products is set to become CEO of the entire CSR group late this year. AFR Smart Investor meets a leader as passionate about housing issues as he is about his iconic brand.
Plumbing and bathroom supplies business Reece has cleaned up so far. Graeme Adamson discovers whether the encroachment of Woolies and Wesfarmers into hardware will hurt.
Traditional news and media companies have lost their shine over the past few years but there are still a few gems worth taking another look at, Trevor Hoey finds.
Trevor Hoey finds that companies that supply niche, downturn-proof information technology services to clients are worth investigating.
The government’s review into super had 29 recommendations for self-managed funds, but only a few are likely to be adopted once the election dust settles, Daryl Dixon writes.
Anxiety may be keeping investors out of managed funds and shares, but the time-proven tactic of setting and sticking to a sensible course will win in the end, Barrie Dunstan writes.
Hybrid securities can be difficult to understand. Investors might be smitten by an offer but they need to consider how company intentions might affect yield, Philip Baker writes.
Only self-managed super funds can take out critical illness cover for members, but there have been suggestions that this privilege should be withdrawn for all funds, Zoë Fielding writes.
Major indicators of business and consumer sentiment impact on currencies’ performance. Traders have to learn how to interpret and respond to this data, Zoë Fielding writes.
Sensible borrowing to invest in shares can be a great wealth-creation strategy, but rising interest costs may mean the numbers don’t stack up, Debra Cleveland writes.
Answers to readers’ questions.
John Budge prefers to use bricks and mortar to build a sound foundation for his investments, with stocks as an afterthought, Jackie Pearson writes.
Stockwatch
Snapshot: Stocks that have attracted the attention of Si writers. Ambition Group | Ardent Leisure Group | Avoca Resources | Dart Energy | Domino’s Pizza | Funtastic | McPherson’s | Mincor Resources
Supplement: How to build a winning portfolio
Allocation of assets must be based on your own needs and preferences, and structured to put you where you want to be at your chosen point in time, Penny Pryor writes.
Owning shares in a healthy business is still a good way to build wealth, but the honeymoon is over for indiscriminate investors, Patrick Commins writes.
Are you an active investor or do you prefer to let the index do all the hard work? There are pros and cons for both options, and tax comes into it, too, Penny Pryor writes.
Property is the type of asset that adds stability to a portfolio.But deciding what sort of property you want exposure to, and how to go about getting it, is not so straightforward, Patrick Commins writes.
Fixed-income investments are the flavour of the year, offering a variety of rates and competitive yields – from the tried and tested term deposit through to new listed bonds, Jackie Pearson writes.
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