INSIGHTS

It seems like no time has passed since the last Federal Budget.

For our latest episode of The Financial Spotlight podcast, James Cavanough is joined by special guest: Harry Moffitt, CEO & Psychologist - Stotan Group, a former SAS Team Commander, and author of Eleven Bats.

Welcome to the Financial Spotlight podcast series - presented by Lantern Advisory.

As featured on Eureka Report, James Cavanough looks into how trustee behaviour and investment decision-making can impact the performance of an SMSF.

As you know this year has been turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic. The global and local economy has been dealt a hammer blow with a force not seen before and we are unlikely to return to a pre-COVID environment anytime soon.

There have been a couple of rounds of economic stimulus announced by the Government, to help us cope with the economic and social displacement caused by the Coronavirus. These measures are designed to assist people suffering hardship and include early access of superannuation, temporary reduction of superannuation minimum drawdown rates, and a reduction in social security deeming rates.

There are of course a range of business measures for owners and employees alike, such as cash flow assistance, JobKeeper payments and more, in addition to possible loan repayment relief.

The dramatic fall in share prices over the past few weeks has generated much media coverage and uncertainty around of the effects of the coronavirus on individuals, supply chains and the broader economy. This is understandable, given the rapid fall in shares of around 15%, but let’s put things into perspective.

We are of the view that this event is just another correction, although share prices may still have more downside.

What is a lumpy asset and how do you begin to manage the issues and risks around having a large, dominating asset in your SMSF portfolio? A “lumpy asset” is an asset that cannot be acquired in small increments, but must be obtained in large, discrete units.

We regularly design investment portfolios for clients, considering their unique circumstances, individual requests, needs and objectives, as well as specific investment selection criteria like valuation, balance sheet health, earnings growth, governance, and overall quality. Below are some of the common circumstances, considerations and life events that are associated with the different stages of your personal and financial life and what we can do to ensure your portfolio’s optimal performance.

Wow, there sure is a lot of noise in the financial media these days. There is nothing like a bit of fear mongering and misuse of information to stir up a bit of chaos and confusion. Is any of this news actually useful and what does it all mean?

A lot of recently published articles on the economy might be ‘newsworthy’, but lack perspective and rarely rationally discuss the long-term implications.