Why Advice

This Is Not About Oil

April 2, 2015

First published 2 April 2015 for Mancell Financial Group Ever heard the saying “a lie gets half way around the world before the truth puts it pants on”? Well, when it’s a financial lie and it’s being repeated often enough by lazy journalists, a lie can do a few laps of the world before the […]

First published 19 March 2015 for Mancell Financial Group If you work with a financial advisor, it always helps to remember what they exist for. A financial advisor exists to help you with your financial circumstances and decisions – whatever they may be. It may seem strange to state that, but sometimes the clients of […]

First published 5 March 2015 for Mancell Financial Group Have you noticed there are never any boring headlines in the investment media? Read the headlines and there are often only two things that can happen – crash or boom. If we’re not careening upwards at breakneck speed, alternatively we’ll be losing our shirts in the […]

First published 26 February 2015 for Mancell Financial Group If you hadn’t noticed, something’s going to give in this country’s retirement sector. We keep hearing about debt and what needs to be cut. Recently retirement options have again been under the microscope. The sustainability of the age pension is questioned. The ability to continue superannuation tax breaks […]

Port Hedland Boom & Bust

February 20, 2015

First published 20 February 2015 for Mancell Financial Group While no one we know was there to see it, we can imagine it was a very sombre moment. Earlier this month a rather ordinary looking peach coloured fibro house in the mining port town of Port Headland was up for auction. The auction didn’t go […]

The Good Oil On Predictions

February 19, 2015

First published 19 February 2015 for Mancell Financial Group This week we learned that oil was going to $10! It was the latest in an endless stream of hyperbolic attention seeking predictions from investment commentators and financial institutions. While most peoples’ true interest in the price of oil relates to how much it affects the […]

First published 6 February 2015 for Mancell Financial Group The world’s in a mess! Oil’s tanked. Greece and the European Union are fighting over debt (again). Australia has a Prime Minister hanging on by the fingernails (again). The Australian dollar has cratered against the US. Madmen are running riot through the Middle East (again). Interest […]

A Lesson In Diversification

December 11, 2014

First published 11 December 2014 for Mancell Financial Group “I’m starting to think I should be focusing on less volatile investments.” It was an offhand comment, but it was clearly thrown in my direction in the hope I’d ask him to elaborate on the volatile investments he’d been focusing on. Dabbling in the riskier end […]

A Simple FoFA Amendment

November 28, 2014

Published 28 November 2014 for Mancell Financial Group In case you missed it, our friends in the Senate experienced a little bit of drama recently. The on again/off again FoFA laws were switched on again. And the drama then echoed throughout the financial planning industry. With Jacqui Lambie’s office within shouting distance of our own, […]

When Filtering Doesn’t Work

November 21, 2014

Published 21 November 2014 for Mancell Financial Group If you intend to pick the best shares to buy it helps to have some sort of system to sort the wheat from the chaff. Amateurs and professionals alike usually need their system so they can justify their final picks to themselves or their intended audience. The […]