Reclaim the rebate
As the cost of health care prepares to go up – again – we sift through the heap of plans out there to find the best value for your premiums.
Online trading 2.0
As more people dip their toes into the cyber pool in search of stronger returns, brokers are responding with a range of tools that make online trading more accessible.
Avoid the Tax Office’s audit alarm bells
Tax officials rely on red flags to help decide which returns get a closer look. We go over what’s most likely to catch the ATO’s eye.
Living the property dream
We all want to buy our own home but anybody that’s done it can tell you it’s not easy. We put the fine print under the microscope to assist you in this quest .
Unfazed by a transition to retirement
Fewer working hours and paying less tax were the main benefits of one reader’s early retirement plans.
Evergreen’s Andrew Smith on the next big thing in REITs
Listed real estate trusts and infrastructure stocks offer investors sound inflation-linked yields plus capital growth.
CEO Hot Seat | Adrian di Marco
TechnologyOne has grown solidly since its 1987 beginnings. Founder Adrian di Marco talks about the company and his concerns over the local IT sector.
Relative advantage in acquiring wealth
For one couple, family was invaluable in building a property portfolio and now their sons intend to follow in their footsteps.
For and against: tax agents
Australia’s tax code is notorious for its complexity. But does that justify the cost of an agent? Here’s a close look.
The miracle investment tool
It’s free, it’s simple and it’s boring. But useful! Discover the tool all investors should have in their box.
America the brave
A recovering United States economy could flow through to a stronger US dollar but European problems seem certain to affect the euro, amid big doubts about bailouts.
Up to speed
Should you fix your home loan?
Low fixed rates are a lure for investors worried about where interest rates are headed. But our experts say you should not lock in your mortgage rate before considering all the issues, including how important it is for you to have budget certainty.
Big BRICs ranking high
The economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China now all rank in the top 10 biggest economies in the world.
Gizmo | Powermonkey Discovery
They’re everywhere in the UK – these portable batteries are popular with iPhones and iPads, and also work with a host of MP3s, satnavs, e-readers and the like, including BlackBerry.
Imagine insuring The Scream in your SMSF
In the past self-managed superannuation trustees have been seduced by high prices for art works such as The Scream for self-managed super funds but now the ATO has tightened regulations around collectables in SMSFs.
Top money apps
Whatever your financial or household needs, there’s an app that can help, many of them free.
Rental vacancies become scarce
Tight vacancies point to continuing good rental yields for property investors.
Snapshot
Amcor
Strong share price performance could continue as investors are attracted to Amcor’s healthy mix of earnings predictability and the potential for substantial acquisition-led growth.
Cardno
When Cardno delivers its full-year result in August the impact of several acquisitions that have been made in the past 12 months will become evident and this could potentially trigger a share price rerating.
Corporate Travel Management
While established players such as Flight Centre, Webjet, and Wotif.com Holdings tend to grab most of the attention in relation to the travel and hospitality sector, it is worth assessing the profile of Corporate Travel Management even though it is a relatively immature business.
Fleetwood Corp
The Perth-based manufacturer is likely to continue to benefit from activity in the energy and mining sectors in Western Australia, and Queensland with its decision to enter the east coast market through the acquisition of BRB Modular.
G8 Education
Given the supply of new long-day care places is lagging the rate of increase demand, G8 Education stands to benefit from considerable pricing power and improving occupancy rates.
Norfolk Group
Increasing activity in the mining sector suggests Norfolk’s medium to long-term outlook is strong and its prominent position in essential services provides a defence against a construction downturn.
Northern Star
Northern Star’s production outlook appears fairly predictable, with drilling results and subsequent resources and reserve upgrades are set to be the most likely share price catalysts.
NRW Holdings
New contract wins are the most likely share price catalyst. Given that the company has substantially better earnings predictability than some of its peers, it should continue to perform and trade strongly.
Premier Investments
The company’s strong balance sheet provides it with the flexibility to embark on different strategies to suit its various businesses. Some store expansion is likely, while in other areas PMV will enhance its online offering.
Pro-Pac Packaging
The company should continue to benefit from fragmented industry conditions and further acquisitions are likely to provide share price momentum.
RCR Tomlinson
Increasing activity in RCR’s core markets should drive revenue growth, and contributions from high margin areas – including its growing energy business – should help deliver robust profit growth.
Troy Resources
Improved earnings visibility has lifted Troy Resources’ profile, while exploration success has the potential to trigger a share price rerating.
Reviews and tests
The 10 stocks the experts are buying
Analysts’ opinions can be surprisingly diverse, so we identified the 10 stocks that get their unanimous vote. We provide a rundown on what it takes for a company to attract the highest “perfect score” rating – and the ones to run from.
Stocks that wow the crowds
Smaller investors definitely have their favourites. We take a look at the top 25 ‘mum and dad’ stocks, which as a group have outperformed the market over the past 12 months.
Top stocks: go for quality in 2012
A falling market means stocks are cheap, but that doesn’t negate the need for careful selection. Here’s this year’s 22 top stocks selected by our panel of experts who are best placed to catch a rising tide.
Learners are earners
Study is less volatile than shares and it doesn’t require as much capital as property, but the potential returns are enticing.
Supplements
DIY Super: the complete guide
Online trading - the complete guide
Build a winning portfolio
The complete guide to selecting a mix of assets to suit your goals. Get tips on gauging risk, styles of funds, property trends and more.
Share investing
The complete guide: the basics, choosing shares, asset allocation
Global investing
Online brokers - Forex trading - Managed funds vs ETFs - CFDs
I love DIY
Your guide to self-managed super funds
Stock price lookup
Columns
Saving for a very rainy day
The economy might be reasonably solid, but Australians don’t think so. And we’re also keener on putting more away for a rainy day.
A beacon of virtue
If there’s one thing markets don’t like, it’s uncertainty. And that, after a few months of comparative calm, is where we again find ourselves.
Modest cut could be tonic for shares
A softer than expected economy is likely to cause interest rates to fall over the next few months, which will take pressure off the Australian dollar.
Why I like Woolies, not Coles
The traditional market leader has stuck doggedly to the task of maintaining margins despite aggressive cost-cutting by Woolies’ rival, Coles.
Iluka’s abundant sands through the hourglass
A dominant position in mineral sands has helped Iluka Resources become one of the standouts in the Australian market, and having high dividends has also helped.
Is this time really different?
After five years of poor returns from equities, all the talk is of income. On all historic measures, however, it looks as though now is the time to buy shares – not bonds.
Time to target telecos
Separating the wheat from the chaff in the telecoms sector narrows the focus to companies which have bolstered growth prospects through targeted acquisitions.
Hazards of hybrid securities
The rush to income securities suggests investors don’t understand the risks involved. They are not the same as bank deposits and don’t have a government guarantee.
Take care with contributions
f you don’t want to be hit with a big tax slug, you need to make sure you understand the limits to what you can put in to your fund, especially after July 1 this year.
