There are two sensible ways to build an ETF portfolio. The first is to use a diversified ETF such as VDAL or DHHF. The second is to construct your own portfolio using several ETFs. Both can work. The right choice depends on two things: how much money you are investing, and whether you have the knowledge, temperament, and discipline to build a …
Concentration risk is something every investor needs to be mindful of. It can materially increase the overall risk of a portfolio and potentially undermine future returns. As retirement draws closer, the focus should arguably shift towards lowering portfolio risk, while still positioning investments to deliver strong long-term returns. What is concentration risk? Portfolio concentration occurs when too much of …
For most investors, putting a large sum into the share market all at once feels risky, even reckless. That is why many prefer to drip-feed money into the market over time. But is that caution reducing risk, or simply creating a different kind of cost? My view on this has changed When investing large sums into share markets, I have generally preferred to …
For some time now, I have been questioning why diversified portfolios in Australia typically hold almost half of their equity exposure in Australian shares and slightly more than half in international shares. For example, AustralianSuper’s Balanced portfolio has approximately 25% allocated to Australian equities and around 34% to international equities, while UniSuper’s Growth portfolio holds roughly 31% in Australian equities and 42% in international equities. These …
AI has quickly gone from tech buzzword to investment obsession, with “the AI trade” now shorthand for backing the companies most likely to benefit from its growth. But before you assume today’s obvious winners will still look obvious in a decade, it is worth revisiting the last time a world-changing technology captivated markets. The dot-com era offers a surprisingly …
There is a growing number of ethical investing options available, both as ETFs and within super funds. For most investors, the idea of investing ethically is appealing. The real question, though, is whether choosing ethical options are riskier or produce lower returns over time. If the risk and future returns are the same, or even better, then I think many more investors …
This is the third instalment in a four-part Wealth First Principles series. The first two blogs examined how wealth is genuinely created and the role of property. Shares serve a fundamentally different purpose within a portfolio. They provide liquidity, diversification, reliable income with minimal costs, and access to global growth themes that property simply cannot deliver. But investors …
After the resounding win at the federal election in May 2025, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers have been determined to pass changes to the taxation of large super funds in Australia, known as the “$3 million super cap” or more technically Division 296. Whilst we have been monitoring the developments this year and thinking ahead, ultimately, we have been advising our …
Investors cannot control market returns – they will be what they will be. What they can control is when, in which asset class, and how they invest. This is what we call portfolio construction, and it is arguably the most important decision an investor can make. Get it right, and you are on track to …
Investment markets are rarely in perfect balance. There’s almost always something that feels off – asset classes that look overvalued, others that are out of favour, some delivering above-average returns and others lagging behind. That’s what I would call a normal market. Markets are never fully rational all the time. That said, there are periods …
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