Why Diversification is a Smart Strategy for Australian Investors
Read MoreInvestors continue to navigate a dynamic global financial landscape, with interest rate shifts, economic uncertainty, and historical market trends shaping portfolio decisions. The Mercer Asset Class Performance Report – February 2025 provides a deep dive into market performance over the past decade and beyond, analyzing key events that have impacted asset growth.
Read MoreWe are constantly comparing ourselves to others but savvy investors focus on progress against goals. Why does my car have a four-letter word instead of four interlocked rings on its nose? What can I do to lower the first two digits of my postcode to 20, 30 or 40? Social comparison is how we evaluate ourselves against others.
Read MoreIn our modern world, advice firms are continually evolving their value proposition and service offer to meet the needs and wants of their clients. Over the last three years, portfolios have changed, their use of digital technology and their expectations from their financial adviser has evolved.
Read MoreUnlisted assets make up a growing and significant portion of many industry superfunds. AustralianSuper had 26.6% of their funds in unlisted assets at March 2022. Australian Retirement Trust’s Super Lifecycle investment strategy (Balanced) is 32.93% at June 2023. Nearly 50% of Hostplus’ Balanced MySuper option is in unlisted assets.
In 2023, central banks tightened policy severely, hoping their actions would return their economies to normal without causing a sharp recession in the process. We think policymakers will largely achieve their goals in 2024 and 2025, and we will let historians decide whether this was by luck or good judgment. We think labor markets, wage growth and inflation will return to somewhere near normal levels as a period of policy-induced weak growth rebalances labor markets and economies as a whole.
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