Thoughts on money, from a Financial Planner in Perth
Michael O'Hara 
Further to my note of the 30th June, here is a little more detail in relation to some of my broader comments on global imbalances. No pondering of the market today is going to make sense unless you have a handle on these imbalances and the political arguments that are made around them. Major Imbalance … Read more
i don’t know about you but at this time of the year i don’t sleep all that much. A financial planner looks at the end of the financial year as a one-way farm gate – if you don’t get all of your clients’ assets and details through that gate then there are opportunities that are irretrievably … Read more
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The May employment figures showed 36,400 new full-time jobs, and unemployment falling to 5.2%. Sometimes figures can mean nothing when taken in isolation. How about considering the fact that data from the United States suggests private employment rose there rose by only 41,000 in May? That is an amazing result – especially when you consider … Read more
Why do markets go up? Why do markets go down? What impact do changes have on expectations for the future? Will gold move above $2,000 an ounce? Will Greece default on its sovereign debt? Will the Chinese property market bubble burst? There are so many unknowns in the world today that the arena of investment … Read more
Happy Birthday to you! Some people really like to keep their birthdays as quiet affairs, with minimal noise or disruption to their day. In Wealth & Security Planners’ offices, it is John who best fits this description, so it is only fitting that we make minimal mention of the fact that it is John’s Birthday. … Read more
Come on, admit it – we all love to be able to point and say, “i told you so”. Sadly, i also am all too human. Therefore, i’m going to point to an example that is already emerging of my warning that the current changes afoot in the industry will move towards greater bias and less … Read more
Who are YOU calling “PIG”? There is a demeaning acronym given to Euro countries under the spotlight at the moment – “PIGS” (Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain). This labelling fuels the feelings of superiority on the part of the finger-pointers and the feeling of oppression by those being pointed at. But how valid are those pointy … Read more
Financial planners can spend many hours agonising over exactly which investment is or is not suitable for an individual portfolio. Some clients want to participate in direct investment themselves and others want professional funds management to take care of the specific selection and administration work, leaving time for advisors to focus on the broader issues. However, … Read more
Do you think that Governments in Australia will ever realise the impact their decisions can have in a country to relies on foreign capital to the extent that Australia does? In the face of wildly flutuating commodity prices – driven by massive, temporay global stimulus efforts and a surfeit of hot and fast speculative money – … Read more