Graham Hand

We interviewed Sir Michael Hintze while his credit-focused hedge fund CQS was at the height of its powers. Since then, he’s changed the firm’s investment strategy and found a buyer in Canadian giant, Manulife.

Confirmation bias is seeking information which is consistent with your beliefs, and everyone from fund managers to investors to politicians does it. Treasurer Chalmers uses superannuation balances over $100 million to justify his new $3 million tax but what about analysis of inequality in Australia?

Retiring means your salary stops and you need to fund your lifestyle using savings plus any Age Pension income entitlements. Here are some suggestions about the best ways to make the money last through retirement.

Australians don’t need dodgy schemes in Caribbean islands to hide their wealth. There are plenty of legal ways to avoid paying tax but they will leave personal income tax carrying a heavy burden for future generations.

Like negative gearing, discounted capital gains tax, especially on residential investment properties, is criticised for giving investors an edge over first-home buyers. A discount is justified but at what level?

The 500th Edition of Firstlinks includes a free eBook where 30 fund managers reveal the key part of their investment process, two external views on the 10-year journey, and our first Reader Survey for years. Plus more on the $3 million tax and where super money may go.

To mark the 500th Edition, extracts from two publications give context to the development of Firstlinks. Greg Bright brings an authoritative voice in a forthcoming book, while Telum Media asks about the content.

The Government is preparing the ground for changes relating to both superannuation and personal taxation. The tax amendments in the coming Budget may be modest but several critical areas face greater scrutiny.

Are super fund allocations to private markets a form of ‘volatility laundering’ as one commentator suggests? Perhaps, but it’s crucial to distinguish between different segments of private markets for a complete picture.

Ask 400,000 people to toss a coin and there will be 200,000 tails and 200,000 heads. If the game continues, one person versus another, after 15 tosses, about a dozen winning flippers will remain. They become the tossing experts explaining their success. They have an instinct for it. Is funds management different?