Cover story
Property prices are set to take off across the nation but it won’t happen everywhere. You need to zoom in on the fine detail if you want to profit. Patrick Commins reveals two suburbs in each state where demand is outpacing supply.
Features
Stocks that perform through thick and thin are the ones investors want in their portfolios. AFR Smart Investor has trawled the sharemarket and found 14 shares with a proven record of delivering consistent growth. David Ciampa reports.
A good self-managed super fund administrator can help take some of the hard work out of running your own fund and keeping it compliant, Jackie Pearson reports. The 10 listed here offer superior, comprehensive and professional service.
When it comes to making financial decisions, there’s a right time for everything, including borrowing or paying out, studying or travelling, building up or sizing down, Zoë Fielding writes.
Planning ahead will ensure sharp investors can enjoy financial health in retirement, Debra Cleveland writes.
Editor’s letter
With all the depressing news about housing affordability and interest rates, you’d almost be forgiven for thinking about giving up on the property market – almost, but not quite. There are still plenty of opportunities for the real estate investor and recent data confirms house prices are definitely on the rise.
Up to speed
Insider: ASIC muscles up | For and against: Is there a Chinese bubble? | Intergenerational report: Getting rich from getting old | Superannuation: Size it up | Fund fees: Watch the performance
The company (the New Zealand arm of Tower) provides risk insurance and wealth management products and services throughout New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
The Commonwealth government’s announcement in January that it will legislate to remove shareholders’ ability to pursue claims as unsecured creditors will remove one of the few avenues open to investors who have lost their money after being misled by company management.
You’d think at least one economist would have taken a punt on the Reserve Bank of Australia keeping rates on hold at its February meeting. Instead, 10 out of 10 market economists bet on a rise, and got it wrong. So why did the RBA keep rates steady? Partly, it was the increasing gap between the official cash rate target and banks’ mortgage rates.
Credit card debts can get scary if they’re out of control. With interest rates creeping higher, now’s the time to make sure you’re on top of repayments, especially if you’ve still got the ghosts of Christmas presents past haunting your statement.
Patrick Commins picks some likely winners out of the crop of new funds, looks closely at one that seeks out a range of undervalued investments in Asia and puts his money on Apple’s smart new iPad e-reader to revolutionise our consumption of the written word.
Some warm weather is left before autumn shortens the days and stifles sailing dreams, so buckle on a life jacket and get out on the water in style. Winds and tides will give you an unforgettable perspective on Australia’s coastal grandeur, Zoë Fielding writes.
Interest rates are rising and pushing monthly mortgage repayments higher. It’s time to take stock of your home loan to make sure you have secured the best possible conditions. Are you making the most of your situation? Take our acid test to find out.
Prices for commercial real estate were hit hard by the global financial crisis, while overextended listed REITs took a tumble. We ask five experts in the sector whether they believe the worst is behind us and how investors can get good exposure to any recovery.
State of play
The big shift to emerging economies should shape investment decisions for some time to come, Macquarie Funds Management portfolio manager Neil Carter tells Patrick Commins.
An encouraging recovery from Australia’s near-recession is firmly in place, despite some engine trouble. Interest rates are close to a more neutral setting and job losses have peaked, David Bassanese writes.
Computershare has always been a class act but Glenn Mumford feels apprehensive about the growing gap that’s developed between its share price and the value of underlying businesses.
Bottom line
Mermaid Marine Australia (MRM)
Orica isn’t afraid of change, Graeme Adamson writes. That’s why, unlike many other mature businesses, it continues to achieve growth and offers investors good long-term earnings and dividend yields.
The performance and share price of each of these suppliers of business services have languished in recent times, but as they emerge from stagnation, they have been largely overlooked, Trevor Hoey writes.
Retail is a challenging and competitive business, but astute investors willing to shop around can find worthwhile value in this sector, Trevor Hoey writes.
The sole purpose of a superannuation fund is to provide retirement benefits. To avoid the wrath of the regulator, trustees must forsake all temptations to stray from the path, Daryl Dixon writes.
Investors trying to pick the best fund based only on one-year returns face a tough task and they should really be considering performance over a much longer period, Barrie Dunstan writes.
Traders and overseas investors snapped up Australian bonds during and after the recent downturn, but rising interest rates will affect yields, Philip Baker warns.
The Australian dollar is edging closer to parity with the greenback, but anxiety about our country’s dependence on China’s fortunes could bring the Aussie under downward pressure, Zoë Fielding writes.
Stockwatch
Snapshot: Mid and small-cap stocks that have attracted the attention of Si writers:
Amadeus Energy | AWB | Boral | Bow Energy | Cromwell Group | Kathmandu Holdings | Navitas | Mesoblast | Orocobre | Village Roadshow | Westgold Resources
Wealth wise
If you're worried about investing in the sharemarket, the process can be much easier than you may think, Zoë Fielding writes. Just follow these guidelines and prepare for an amazing journey.
What would lead a director to risk disgrace and worse by illegally profiting from inside information?
Letters from readers. Email George Cochrane if you have a question.
Although he has never had more than small amounts of money to spare, enthusiastic investor Nathan Jordan takes pleasure from simply being in the market, Karin Derkley writes.
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