What are some signs of early, but undiagnosed memory issues? Medicine and money are probably two of the most obvious. Unfortunately, they can be lagging indicators because they may not be immediately apparent in real time.

Charts are a staple of finance and investing. You can tell a lot of different stories with a chart. One of the longtime favourite charts of (some) financial advisers has been the “if you missed the best days chart”.

We’re almost there for another year, but here are a few things to remember before the 30th of June.

Over recent years, the stock markets in both Australia and the United States have rebounded to reach unprecedented heights. This journey has been marked by significant volatility, beginning with a drastic downturn in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw global markets plunge by approximately 40%.

Q4 was a very positive end to the year, and despite the gloomy outlook many had for 2023 it was a fruitful one for investors who maintained a bias towards growth in their portfolios. Inflation continued to moderate in the US, while economic growth held up, continuing to defy any recession forecasts.

When it comes to money and investing, we’re not always as rational as we think we are – which is why there’s a whole field of study that explains our sometimes-strange behaviour. Where do you, as an investor, fit in? Insight into the theory and findings of behavioural finance may help you answer this question.

Australia is on the cusp of an inheritance boom. In fact, we’re already riding the early waves of it driven in part by the Baby Boomer generation (born between 1946 and 1964) who have begun leaving behind large inheritances to their children.

Since the beginning of 2023 equity & bond markets seem to be on two different paths. Equity markets have been rising despite the continuing increase in interest rates by central banks. Bond markets have been pointing to a dramatic slowdown in the economy. How should investors interpret these mixed messages & what can they do about them?