NewsBite

Smart Investor

Yesterday

Have spare cash? Here’s where to invest $5000 now

With Donald Trump still engaged in a trade war with China and tariff hikes for the rest of the world on hold for the next 90 days, turbulent market conditions are here to stay.

The general transfer balance cap will increase for the third time in 2025-26 to $2 million.

I’m 72 with $2.3m in super. How much more can I contribute?

There is a lifetime limit on the amount of super that can be transferred into your tax-free pension accounts.

How markets just got real for these 4 Millennial investors

Meet four young investors who this week experienced their first major market shock (albeit a very quick one). Here’s what they plan to do next.

This Month

The S&P 500 index slumped toward a “bear market” before a wild rally a day later.

One surprising group sailed through the Trump turmoil - here’s how

As markets plunged, jumped, slumped and soared around them, the one thing this group didn’t do was panic.

Average house prices surged 13.1 per cent a year in Howard’s 11 ½ years in power – far and away the biggest gain of any national leader in the past 35 years.

The best (and worst) PMs in house price history, and what it tells you

Residential property values have surged almost five times as much under Coalition governments than Labor ones over the past 35 years. Here are the reasons.

Advertisement
A breach can trigger significant tax penalties, non-compliance risks and potential trustee disqualification.

Why your SMSF is not a de facto private bank

Many self-managed super fund trustees continue to cite a handful of persistent myths to justify – or excuse – unlawful loans.

ATO commissioner Rob Heferen.

‘Feels like the commissioner is sitting at the kitchen table’

What was once a relatively simple formula has become a maze of complex decisions with potentially severe tax consequences.

Some exposure to bonds may be protecting your super from the worst of the share market falls.

This will cushion your super balance during the Trump slump

Bonds typically act as a counterbalance to equities, providing ballast during share market corrections. But this time around there’s a wrinkle in the system.

To make the downsizer contribution, you’ve got to be 55 or older selling a property that you’ve owned for at least 10 years.

How can I add a downsizer contribution and inheritance to super?

There is the potential to contribute a combined $1.32 million to your super fund and that of your spouse.

Trading platforms observed sharp upticks in retail investor activity, as investors piled into bruised American tech stocks, global ETFs and gold.

Three things ‘buy the dip’ investors are snapping up in Trump slump

Digital platforms notched up record trading volumes by retail investors seemingly unperturbed by the global markets downturn.

legend has it that Holmes a Court carried an unsigned will around in his briefcase for years that he just never got around to finalising.

Don’t repeat this estate planning mistake by Robert Holmes a Court

Australia’s first billionaire died of a heart attack in 1990 at the age of 53. The problem was he didn’t leave a valid will.

There may be good opportunities as shares fall, but advisors say it is difficult to find a bargain while things are so heavily in flux.

Six things for investors to do right now (and one to avoid)

Retail investors, superannuation savers and retirees are understandably jittery, so we asked financial planners for advice. 

President Donald Trump steps out of a red Model S Tesla vehicle on the South Lawn of the White House Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Washington. (Pool via AP)

Six things to know before buying an EV

Prices are falling across the market, with Tesla models up to $20,000 cheaper than two years ago, and BYD making strong inroads.

For a second year in a row, active managers in Australian fixed-income investments outperformed the passive benchmark in 2024.

Passive investors are smashing active ones – except in one key area

One of the fastest-growing asset classes in Australia is also a rare happy place for active managers. We explain why.

xxxxxxxxx

The average sum Australians will inherit and what to do with it

Inheritances can be life-changing – so long as the money is spent wisely. Here are four options.

Advertisement

4 charts reveal whether to cash out as markets tank

Warren Buffett, Li Ka-shing and Chanticleer emeritus Tony Boyd cashed up before Donald Trump roiled markets. Did they do the right thing?

Leaving assets to a pet can lead to bitter disputes.

What a beach house and dog called Trouble teach us about succession

Estate planning is where wealth collides with family politics, and nowhere does that hit harder than with lifestyle assets.

One bias we often experience when investing is herding behaviour.

4 questions to answer before leaping into ‘trendy’ assets

If you truly can’t resist, consider dedicating a small portion as “fun money” to your experiments with trendy assets.

March

There are nine types of investor. Which are you?

This 5-minute test promises to make you a better investor

It’s never been easier to get a “money personality” assessment that offers to unlock your personal investing secrets. But is there any science to it?

Expat Denise Moloney says the UK pension deal is a ‘no-brainer’.

How this expat turned $6300 into a UK pension worth $370,000

Experts say 2 million Australians could qualify for a UK pension when they retire, but the opportunity is about to become less lucrative.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/afr-smart-investor-1mu8