Copper bull market
Most analysts believe this deep global recession has abruptly ended the powerful secular commodities bull that was born at the turn of the 21st century. And it is certainly hard to argue this point considering the dismal panic-selling-induced performance of nearly all commodities. The volatility and fear that took hold of the markets have given…
Be careful of junior gold miners
By Scott Wright, Zeal Junior gold stocks are a contingent of the greater junior resources circuit that has simply been obliterated in the recent stock panic. Even though gold has been strong over this stretch, the risk capital that usually finds its way into these gold explorers had all but left the scene. Measured by…
Super fund decimated? Strategies to get it back on track
Retirees, battered and bruised over shrinking nest eggs, should stay the superannuation course during volatile financial markets, but are advised to closely examine fund performance and investment strategy. It’s not the time for disillusioned members to make rash and emotional decisions in light of weaker equity markets during the past 18 months, although shares have…
The Aussie housing bubble is worst than the States
The First Home Owners Boost (as it is officially known) has certainly given the Government bang for its buck. By spending roughly $200 million of its own money to date, it has added about $3 billion to the housing market. But the additional $2.8 billion has come from increased mortgage debt taken on by those…
Strategies that can turn sharemarket losses into gains
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At 65, can I live off saved income and let my super accumulate for another 12 months?
I have a SMSF and turn 65 shortly. At aged 65 can I live off saved income and let my super accumulate for another 12 months before converting it to an allocated pension. Thanks, Dave. Answer: The rules applying to Self Managed Super Funds (SMSF) are no different to those affecting all superannuation when it…
Venture Capital
Investing in venture capital goes against everything the text books recommend as an appropriate investment. Venture capital in Australia has a minimal track record, the funds are mainly illiquid and the risks inherent in the portfolio of companies chosen by venture capitalists are pretty well as high as you can get. Having said that, venture…
Time decay
Traders beware: warrants become less valuable as they approach their expiry date, often declining rapidly in the last third of their life. Time decay happens regardless of what’s happening to the underlying share price, which means that buying a warrant close to its expiry date is a risky practice indeed. And if the warrant happens…
Loan To Value Ratio (LVR)
Loan to value ratios (LVRs) on shares and managed funds sound complicated but they’re not. Just think of this ratio as the amount the lender is willing to cough up. So if the LVR is 70 per cent, then the lender is willing to lend you 70 per cent of the total value of the…
Margin Call
Let’s say that you pledge $30,000 of your own shares and borrow a further $70,000 from a margin lender and invest the entire amount, $100,000, into a portfolio of shares. Your LVR in this example is 70%. If the value of the portfolio falls from $100,000 to $90,000, the LVR of 70% will be exceeded…
