Recent news of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in the US and fears around the much larger and more important Credit Suisse in Europe has brought back memories of the GFC. However, regulators and central banks have the tools and the playbook from the GFC to provide the necessary responses to protect the… [Read More]
Blog
December Quarter Update – Challenges Ahead!
It was the most challenging year for investment markets since the GFC. There was a welcome improvement in the last quarter, but with some of the gains given back in December. Importantly, our portfolios have remained resilient during a challenging year and continue to be well placed as we head into 2023. It’s pleasing that… [Read More]
September Quarter Update – Are we there yet?
The number one concern dominating markets has moved from inflation to growth in recent weeks. Inflation remains stubbornly high caused by temporary supply constraints due to Chinese COVID restrictions, weather events, and the Russia-Ukraine war. The market reaction has been particularly severe because of the expectation that central banks would continue to raise interest rates… [Read More]
Protecting Yourself from Cyber Criminals
The recent data breach from Optus has put the security of personal information at the forefront of everyone’s mind. While anyone who has been a customer of Optus is rightly concerned, the reality is that data breaches are not uncommon, and there are many other methods cyber criminals use to steal personal information for their… [Read More]
June Quarter Update – The Recession we need to have?
This year we have seen inflation at 50-year highs, unemployment at 50-year lows, soaring oil/petrol prices like the 1970s ‘oil shocks’, sudden interest rate hikes, big price falls in share markets, losses on so-called ‘risk-free’ government bonds, the collapse of crypto markets, ‘one in 100-year’ floods every few months in Australia, heatwaves in Europe, new… [Read More]
March Quarter Update – War, Inflation & Rising Interest Rates
The Government’s pre-election budget was brought down in early April. Thankfully, there were no significant changes to the rules around superannuation and family structures and this appears to be the commitment coming from both the major parties in the run up to the Federal election. The only announcement of note was the extension of the… [Read More]