News articles

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 ]