When things go well, investors have a tendency to reflect on how smart they are. And when things go badly, well, that’s surely just bad luck, right? This preferential bias towards our own perceived excellence is difficult to escape. After all, this bias makes up who we are as people, yet alone as … [Read more...]

While most people have been busy watching the FIFA World Cup, I’ve spent some time scanning the world of investments. And I came across a couple of interesting findings! Firstly, I found an amusing and intriguingly titled index fund, called the Nifty 50. Yes, that is it’s real name. The Nifty 50 is … [Read more...]

Wealth and value is a paradox. We all want more wealth, but really, we are seeking greater value; greater value to our lives and our family’s lives. The reason wealth is the primary driver in our decision making is because it’s easy: you can count wealth and you can easily plot wealth on a graph. … [Read more...]

In an ideal world, there would be separation of political noise and stock market movement. Yet unfortunately, this is the phenomena of signalling theory: when noise effects the way investors think about products, despite knowing little about the source of the noise. This week, we can anticipate … [Read more...]

Any plan requires good communication. And sometimes, catching up for a chat is a big deal. Just look at the fuss caused so far by the meeting between North Korea and the USA: news headlines, fluctuating diplomatic relations and volatile stock markets. Yes, that’s right, a man called Kim having a … [Read more...]

Edition 49 of Ascent Insights, the penultimate edition of the half century, comes at a time when Australia needs great financial planning more than ever. And, just as importantly, at a time when Australians needs to be reminded of the benefits of intelligent financial advice. Financial planning is … [Read more...]

We all have a financial plan. Yours is titled: whatever you are doing right now. And it may be more sophisticated and convoluted than you think. Your financial plan involves cash flow decisions; ordering Uber Eats while watching the royal wedding. It includes a real estate component; renovate the … [Read more...]

It feels like a lifetime ago that stock markets were like a boulder rolling down a hill, and we the investors, were like the mythological Greek King, Sisyphus; condemned to watch our boulder roll down the hill, only to have to try push it back up again. In other words, investing felt hopeless; … [Read more...]

While our Canberra counterparts sit back and have a toast at the prospect of a declining national debt, the media and general public have a chance to absorb the proposals of the 2018 Federal Budget. And it's fair to say that the initial response from the media is positive. Scott Morrison’s third … [Read more...]