News articles

Life can be so busy we forget the important things in life. Being with family, friends and your community are often wonderful times.

How does Australia compare to the countries we hear about in the news? A recent report by Credit Suisse lists many statistics about virtually every country in the world.

Make a difference to your life in 2012. Research shows that some of the most common resolutions are to spend more time with family, get fit, lose weight, quit smoking, get out of debt and get organised.

If walking is too slow for you, try riding To really see the world you need to ditch the car and riding can provide many opportunities for fun and adventure. There is a wide range of tours available both here and overseas for as short as half a day to multi-day tours.

Life is fluid......things change. Economies like all of nature continue to evolve. Nothing stays the same.

It is a common maxim for investors – hold a diversified portfolio for the long term. So when share markets crash, who is doing the selling?

The daily news focuses on the S&P/ASX200 or the All Ords but there’s more to investing in shares than the share price index.

One of the major drivers of economic growth is the middle class. Millions of people in developing countries aspire to achieve this status.

If you want a base to explore Europe, Vienna, the capital of Austria is a great place to start.

The populations of many developed countries are ageing fast, sometimes with surprising outcomes. Falling birth rates and improving mortality rates are translating to more white hair in our communities.

Since 2008 the Aussie dollar has been rising against most currencies. The headline exchange rate is always A$ versus US$ and after a period of near parity the A$ seems to have settled comfortably over that level.

There is no other country like Australia. But how do we compare with others, Canada for example. Both Australia and Canada started out in the same way as colonies of Great Britain before they became Federations.

Sydney was first and now Auckland and Brisbane have followed in allowing you to climb their iconic bridges.There are only three bridges that can be legally climbed in the world – and they are all down under.

While Australia may have sailed through the Global Financial Crisis seemingly unscathed, the economic environment has changed. This means a review of your plan to rebuild wealth and/or generate an income is important.

We live in a world where we are often asked to show our ID. If you are investing, banking or taking out a loan you will need to prove who you are.

The media would have us believe that some large companies are making ‘obscene’ profits. But what are the facts?

The Kimberley region of northwest Australia is wild and untouched, rugged and beautiful, yet easy to visit and enjoy.

2010 will go down in history as yet another year full of uncertainty and surprises. As the developing nations in Asia continue to thrive with an expanding middle class and significant wealth creation many of the developed nations in the West are struggling to cope with the financial and social consequences of their new austerity measures.

A - It all depends on which stage of retirement you are in We are all living longer and retirement can last for 25 years and more. Your needs, desires and income requirements will vary throughout those years.

Protecting what you can’t afford to lose is vital for a small business.

The Caribbean has over 7,000 islands, islets, reefs and cays. And they’re all different.

In the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis, it is clear that the world has changed. Most of the larger developed countries are likely to endure sluggish growth (at best) for some time whilst the developing nations will play a much larger role in the global economy. Some are dubbing this scenario as “the new normal”.

This term has been bandied about in recent months but it’s nothing new.

After a period of dismal performance the future for listed property is looking brighter.

Head directly east from Port Macquarie, one third of the way to New Zealand and you’re there.

We human beings are a strange lot. We crave stability but when change is forced upon us we are pretty good at adapting.

Government policy aims to better target benefit recipients.

I have been writing for Avenue Capital Management since 2003 and this article relates a personal experience that may prepare you for one of the perils of living longer.

This year is the 200th anniversary of the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese, the event that started the Munich Oktoberfest.

After what has been called the Great Recession, there are positive signs for a return to global growth.

A few clues – they have won the football world cup five times and will host the 2014 football world cup and the 21st Olympics in 2016. And the answer is…Brazil.

Downager is the badge given to baby boomers who feel younger than their chronological years. Now that’s Downager not dowager*

With a history rooted in Celtic tradition you can expect ‘a hundred thousand welcomes’ if you visit Nova Scotia.

Investment markets move in cycles and looking back over our recent newsletters it shows the path from crisis to the beginnings of a recovery.

Each asset class performs differently each year. Sometimes shares are winners, sometimes property, sometimes bonds. Even cash is sometimes the best place to be.

The last thing you need if you are sick is money worries. In the words of the doctor who came up with the idea of ‘trauma’ insurance, “a doctor can repair a man physically, but only insurers can repair a patient's finances”.

How would you like to meet Santa’s reindeers? Everyone knows Rudolf but what are the other eight called?

At the prestigious 2009 Avenue Annual Chairman’s dinner, Avenue recognised a number of performers for their special achievements during what was a particularly difficult year for the Financial Planning industry.

Last issue our lead article explored the emerging ‘green shoots’ of recovery. The big question is – "Do these shoots have good roots?”

Charles Darwin said that it is not the fastest or strongest who survive but those who adapt the best to change.

When asset prices are jumping all over the place it is easy for investors to get sidetracked with current valuations and forget all about the income.

"Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't." (Erica Jong)

There are only three places in the world where you can swim with humpback whales and Tonga is the closest*.

Global share markets have shown some consistent gains and despite being only a fraction of what was lost since the peak in November 2007, there are also a few positive signs indicating a potential turnaround in the global economy.

"Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense." (Gertrude Stein)

This article is designed to provide an overview of the changes that are most applicable to investors with long-term financial plans.

It's time to get those old sports shoes out and to rekindle the inspiration from your sporting past!

"What we know about the global financial crisis is that we don't know very much." (Paul A. Samuelson)

With daily news headlines persistently negative towards asset values, you could be excused for thinking: How can we contemplate investing in anything at the moment?

Investing is a long-term process. Ignore the noise and stick with your plan.

Where can you put your money to make it work for you? It goes without saying that income generation is a very difficult task at present – particularly when you are attempting to stop any further erosion of your capital.

The lower Australian dollar may be good for tourists coming to Australia, but not so good if you want to travel to many popular destinations overseas. Rather than going abroad, take the car and explore the enchantment of your own backyard.

Daily media reporting on the financial crisis makes it difficult to see the big picture.

Avenue's new website provides tailored information and tools to assist in meeting the needs of our clients and advisers.

Probably the reason we all go so haywire at Christmas time with the endless unrestrained and often silly buying of gifts is that we don't quite know how to put our love into words. [Harlan Miller]

There are winners from a lower exchange rate.

Are bikes, books and Barbie dolls a choice they will really appreciate?

With the fun of the Melbourne Cup behind us, here are some alternative Australian racing carnivals.

It was only two issues ago that we looked at the benefits some investors were reaping from higher interest rates. Now it appears that the Reserve Bank may have pressed a bit hard on the economic brakes and there is a broad expectation that interest rates are now on a downward trend.

With superannuation now the preferred "low-tax environment" to accumulate long-term savings, we can expect to see big increases in superannuation balances in the future.

The government calls it a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) and the opposition calls it a tax. Everyone else calls it carbon trading. Most Australians are in favour of it, even though most of us don’t know what it is.

For a holiday destination that’s geographically and climatically remote from the Australian experience, Iceland and Greenland would have to be high up on the list.

If you can count your money, you don’t have a billion dollars. [ J. Paul Getty ]

Many of the forces pushing up prices lie outside our control. The Consumer Price Index for the year to the end of March 2008 was 4.2% - well over the target of 2 to 3% set by the Reserve Bank. A little bit of inflation is a good thing...

Superannuation funds will check your identity before paying benefits. Identity fraud is reported to be one of the fastest growing crimes. Someone poses as you and gets credit in your name or gets their hands on your money.

These techniques allow investors to make money even when share markets are falling. The traditional way of investing in the share market is to buy the shares of good companies and hold them for the long term.

When you are the flattest country in the world, even a small rise in sea level is a worry. In the last 100 years, sea levels have risen by 20 centimetres and the trend is leading to disaster in paradise.

Higher interest rates may be a concern for borrowers, but good news for some investors. Rising interest rates have been front page news lately, with the emphasis on the pain they cause borrowers.

An examination of Labor’s plans for tax, superannuation, first home buyers and inflation. So will we see much of a change to the economic landscape under Labor?

Share prices are volatile, whereas the value of companies is usually much more stable. Our last newsletter included an article on volatility, a warning that investors can expect periods when the share market falls significantly in value.

London has a deserved reputation as one of the world’s great cities. As well as being a major centre for finance and fashion, it’s rich in historical and contemporary treasures.

There's no business like show business, but there are several businesses like accounting... [ David Letterman ]