Risk on, Risk off but do you want to play the game?

risk on risk off it will lead to repetitive strain injuries if you let it

“Risk on, risk off” is a phrase used to denote the massive trading shifts taking place at institutional levels in the post-GFC (“global financial crisis”) world. The phrase encapsulates the skittish approach investors have taken to the day-to-day news and data feeds that are highlighted on the evening finance news segment. The question for us … Read more

Australian Sharemarket Long Term Views

Long term investing involves the old trees and the forest idea

Investors and their financial planners have now endured over 5 years of turmoil since the onset of the Global Financial Crisis. The extended nature of this slump in markets of all types has sapped the energy, patience and temper of everyone connected to the world of money. As i have a number of times before, … Read more

Self Managed Super non-compliance penalties

do it yourself super

Self Managed Superannuation Funds (“SMSF’s”) have long lived under a very harsh penalty regime. If a trustee failed to meet their obligations then the Australian Tax Office (ATO) was able or even required to declare the fund “non-complying”. That was a nuclear bomb option as it resulted in the fund assets being taxed at the … Read more

The Libor scandal and investor confidence

Bank fraud erodes investor confidence at all levels, and levies a cost on everyone

What is the “Libor scandal” and what does it mean to you? The term “Libor” stands for “London Interbank Offered Rate” (no, it does not stand for Let’s Investigate Banksters’ Organised Rate-rigging…) and it is a benchmark commonly used to determine interest rates on business loans worldwide. The real impact on you and i, dear … Read more

A hundred billion dollar error in the housing market

Dr Evil can ransom the entire world for one hundred billion dollars - so it's a LOT of money.

  There are few arguments more heated than those based around the future direction for house prices. i am about to make some statements that many people will find disturbing so please, if you have a weak stomach for discussion on house prices, change channels now… A hundred billion dollar error One of the great difficulties that … Read more

“Risk On/Off” and the marginal pricing of shares

Estimating share prices is a tricky thing

Financial media have started using the terms “risk on” and “risk off” to describe the daily swings that are so vividly apparent in market pricings around the world. Just what do these terms refer to? Markets are priced at the margin Deep breath, and please bare with me on this one because it is extremely … Read more