John Cameron's personal blog

One of my favourite pastimes each Saturday is reading the weekly column by Nikki Gemmell, in The Weekend Australian magazine. She writes about life and the lives of herself, her family and people she has known, and gently draws valuable lessons from them.

Last Saturday, she wrote about 2 people who had been high profile in their day, earning big money. However, their later years were nothing like their early years. The money ran out, their health deteriorated and they spent their last days in relative poverty.

That’s a story that we are likely to hear more of, as the population ages, but it is a problem that Financial Planners are well positioned to help you avoid.

When comparing different superannuation funds, how confident can you be that you are comparing “like with like”?

The short answer is “not at all”.

Generally when comparing funds, the media like to bunch all those with the same label (such as “balanced”) together, and then compare the performances. Funds are classified as “balanced”, “growth”, “conservative”, etc., depending on the split between “growth assets” and “defensive assets” within each fund. 

The term “Black Swan Events” has a particular meaning in investment circles.

The term refers to events that are unexpected and unforeseen. They can be either negative or positive, but such is human nature that the main focus is on negative events and their consequences. One recent Black Swan Event was the GFC in 2007 – 08. The GFC damaged a lot of people, and the overhang is still with us.

Generally, the term is used in financial markets, but then again, it can just as much be personal, and close to home – a sudden family illness, a major accident, or finding your home is riddled with white-ants and in need of major repairs. All of these could be very costly.

What you need to know on Sequencing and Retirement Income - John Cameron - The West Australian on August 21, 2016, 6:00 am. Video Presentation & Article: Different decades, different investment returns.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/32389394/sequencing-and-retirement-income/#page1

Securing Your Future' was the most viewed material on The West Australian’s website yesterday. It’s the online version of The West’s financial planning supplement.  Read more here: http://us3.campaign-archive1.com/?u=1e6f34af574ca6cbaf30d3e8a&id=4d4b85dde5 

Black swan events are unexpected happenings in financial markets that have a big impact.

During my working life I have been “fortunate” to witness two of the biggest black swan events of the past 50 years – the decision of President Nixon in 1971 to cancel the convertibility of US dollars into gold at a fixed price, and the GFC.

Both had a profound effect on investment markets, with big implications on the best way to invest your savings.