Australian Investment Education

In the labyrinthine corridors of American governance, one provision stands out as a bastion of fiscal restraint: the Debt Ceiling. Etched into the fabric of the Constitution, this mechanism delineates the maximum threshold of government borrowing, compelling Congress to deliberate on the nation's financial trajectory. As the debt inches closer to this constitutional limit, the ensuing debates underscore the delicate balance between fiscal discipline and economic imperatives. At its essence, the Debt Ceiling symbolizes a commitment to fiscal prudence and responsible stewardship of public resources. By imposing a cap on borrowing, it compels lawmakers to confront the consequences of deficit spending and evaluate the sustainability of fiscal policies. In doing so, it serves as a bulwark against unchecked government expansion and the accumulation of unsustainable debt burdens. Yet, the history of the Debt Ceiling is fraught with tension and political maneuvering. Far from being a routi...

Introduction : In the realm of fixed income investing, Bond Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) have emerged as a popular and efficient option for investors seeking exposure to the bond market. Offering diversification, liquidity, and flexibility, bond ETFs provide a compelling alternative to individual bonds. In this article, we will explore the benefits, considerations, and strategies associated with investing in bond ETFs for fixed income portfolios. Benefits of Bond ETFs : Diversification: Bond ETFs offer investors exposure to a diversified basket of bonds, typically representing a particular sector, maturity range, or credit quality. This diversification helps mitigate risk by spreading investments across multiple issuers and securities, reducing the impact of individual bond defaults. Liquidity and Flexibility: Bond ETFs trade on exchanges, providing investors with intraday liquidity. This feature allows investors to buy and sell shares throughout the trading day at market prices, provi...

Building wealth is a long-term goal that requires careful planning, discipline, and strategic decision-making. One key aspect of wealth accumulation is asset allocation, which involves distributing investments across different asset classes to optimize returns while managing risk. In this article, we will delve into the importance of wealth accumulation and explore the concept of asset allocation as a fundamental strategy for achieving long-term financial success. Wealth accumulation refers to the process of systematically increasing one's net worth over time. It involves setting financial goals, saving consistently, and investing wisely. The primary objective of wealth accumulation is to generate and grow assets that will provide financial security , fund future goals, and potentially create a legacy for future generations. A critical component of wealth accumulation is asset allocation. Asset allocation involves dividing investments among different asset classes, such as stocks, ...

The focus of this podcast is usually ways to attract money but this week we have something a little different. Join us as we discuss some of the things we consider to be money repellents and how you can avoid some of these. Don’t Rely on Hope People often say that things will get better if they just give it time without noting anything they should be doing to make it better. Good things come to those who take action and simply sitting back and waiting is a good way to ensure you do not progress. Host Andrew Baxter’s advice – get yourself set with a plan and specific action steps you can take in order to work towards your goal. The very first step is deciding what it is exactly that you want and then setting up your actions around that. A good start is planning out how you use your time and what exactly needs to get done to achieve your goals. Benchmarking Against Others The age of social media has brought a certain pressure on many people as they see people onlin...

 The stock market is a massive puzzle that is changing every day. Nobody knows everything about the stock market, however we have a few things for you that you may not know. Join us this week as we dive into 5 things you may not know about the stock market: Money is Never Lost in the Market For many who have seen their accounts become smaller and smaller over time, this one may be tough to believe. The truth is however, money never simply disappears on the stock market, it merely changes hands. Host Andrew Baxter points out that where there are buyers, there are sellers meaning there is always someone else on the opposite side of any trade you take. What is happening is merely a transfer of ownership between people who have different opinions on where the price is going to go where someone is wrong and someone is right. The majority tend to find themselves on the losing side with a small percentage of people occupying the winning side. When frustrated with the stock...

  The importance of a trading calendar is often overlooked by those actively in the market. The key to successful trading is being organised and layering multiple tools and skills on top of each other and a comprehensive trading calendar and knowing what is coming is an integral part of that. Tune in this week on why trading calendars are so important and how to set one up: Broad Market Focuses In uncertain market periods, investors look to the release of economic data to gauge where the market is at, and where it might be headed. Major data points can have major impacts on the market and quite often it is the risk you were not aware of that is the biggest. Host Andrew Baxter notes that there are some key ones you should be on the lookout for, particularly now when economic conditions are the main focus. Consumer Price Index and Producer Price Index come to mind, along with employment data and housing starts. Standalone, these fragments of data do not provide all t...

  We are now in the US earnings season. Months of anticipation will finally be satisfied as companies across the US show investors how their business has been affected amidst rising inflation and surging interest rates. Join us this week as we run through what might happen: What is the Earnings Season? Once every quarter in the US, publicly listed companies are required to release their earnings. In Australia, companies are only required to report earnings every 6 months. This is done over the course of about a month and offers current and potential investors the chance to see how a business has performed. Host Andrew Baxter is particularly intrigued this time round given the current conditions of the economy making the business world a very tricky place to navigate. It will certainly be interesting to see how companies have performed with increased interest rates and inflation remaining a major issue to contend with. If you’re a stakeholder in a company, it can be ...

The buzzword of ‘sector rotation’ has one mentioned by investors across markets. As we start to see the end of the Coronavirus pandemic. With biotechnology companies announcing new vaccines, our road to economic recovery looks much clearer, and thus our fundamental view on sectors ever-changing. Here’s why sector rotation is so important and how you can profit from these kinds of big stories: What is sector rotation? Unless you live under a rock you’ve probably seen or heard every news broadcast, radio or article talk about the buzzword of sector rotation right now. Out of one, into another. Sector rotation, says host Andrew Baxter, is something quite tricky to understand however something that is critically important. So, what is sector rotation? Well, if you imagine a big cake that has been cut into slices. Each slice represents a sector that you are invested in with the cake acting as your entire portfolio. Some examples might be the banking sector, the tech sector,...

With so many options available to the everyday Australian, the notion of asset allocation can be a daunting one. Is it in crypto? Property? Cash at the bank? Needless to say, your money can always be working harder when you allocate your assets correctly. A few simple questions Asset allocation can be tough – especially with so many easily accessible places to put your money at the touch of a button. The truth is before you make any decisions you have to ask yourself a few simple questions to get the ball rolling. Firstly, what’s my risk? Any pro knows that weighing up your risk before anything else is paramount. Secondly, what kind of return can I expect? Chasing returns in assets classes you don’t understand is a recipe for disaster. Of course, this will depend on how much capital you have available and how much time you actually have – sometimes our most scarce commodity. if you want to learn about how to buy back 3-5 hours a week, make sure to check out Winning the G...

  As the power of technology evolves, the ability to use A.I to automate your investment decisions is becoming ever more popular amongst traders. Here’s why having a robot hit the go button for you is so advantageous in today’s market conditions: How does A.I Fit into Trading? Artificial Intelligence (A.I) has the ability to evolve its algorithms over time, self-teach and gain advantages in areas of statistics. In the trading world, says host Andrew Baxter , more and more traders are using A.I to evolve their trading decisions based on back-tested results over a given period of time. The ability for A.I to automate specific entry and exit points as per a trading system is based purely on logic and statistics which is rarely something a human can do effectively and consistently. In any game of statistically based outcomes, computers will always have the upper hand compared to humans and so factoring this into your trading is certainly a worthy inclusion for thos...

  A common theme in our podcast is adapting to the current environment and selecting strategies is no different. Join us in this week’s episode as we look at 4 different types of timeframe investing and what conditions might be most suitable for each: What Works For You? Most people want to make money, but diving in and trying to you are best served to figure out what sort of strategy is best suited to you. Through decades of experience and countless clients, Host Andrew Baxter points out that figuring out what sort of investor or trader you are is a critical step in being successful. Everyone has different risk appetites and different strategies do bring different risks into play. The type of income can vary greatly across strategies – whether it be income, capital growth or passive and establishing what you are after will be one of the determining factors of which way you go. If you are time poor, you may need to consider the requirements of different strategies....

  As you would have heard, Anthony Albanese for the Labor Party is the new Prime Minister of Australia. Join us for this week’s episode where we talk through all of the major takeaways from the election itself, and what Labor’s Australia might look like over the next few years Secondary Voting – The Election Decider Labor won the election in what has been touted as a convincing fashion. The reality, however, is that the major parties attracted between 30 and 35% of the vote each and the Liberal party actually took more of the two. The impact of secondary voting in Australia’s political system is hugely impactful, and it seems odd that a majority government can be formed after not receiving the bulk of primary votes. Host Andrew Baxter notes that the world has changed and perhaps our political system should be reviewed, but perhaps that’s an issue for another podcast. A large contingent of Independent and Greens candidates winning seats led to Labor’s majority and th...

In what is a hot potato property market with over-inflated prices and high barriers to entry. As we approach an election, we’re starting to see politics play a large part in our market. Here’s how the most recent property policies are affecting our market: Property is Expensive, Like Really Expensive It wouldn’t be an episode chatting about a property if we didn’t cover just how unaffordable it. And over-inflated property prices are right now. In what was covered in podcast episode number 26. And host Andrew Baxter makes mention of just how hard it is to get into the market. Now, we’re see over 64% of first homebuyers bankroll by Mum and Dad. To the average amount of a whopping $94,000 just to get them to start. And with interest rates so artificially low. Also, we’ve seen the property market propelled to extremely overvalued levels. In what is has all-encompassing growth across regional. And urban areas in Australia. Now, over two thirds of Aussies own their own prope...

What do you do when a trade goes wrong? How do you re-evaluate what happened and make sure it doesn't happen again? That's one of the topics Andrew Baxter dives into in this week's MONEY AND INVESTING show, so if this is a topic you want to learn more about - make sure you don't miss this one. Click the link for the full episode, and let us know in the comments what was most helpful for you in re-evaluating your own trading setbacks after listening to it.

As the financial scammers are getting more and more sophisticated even the best of us can be caught in their traps. In this week's episode of MONEY AND INVESTING Andrew Baxter shares an example of a scam one of his friends was presented with, that was a very sophisticated one.  Andrew also shares some of the red flags you are aware of and how to do your due diligence to find out the legitimacy of an offer.

As it turns out, it’s not just oil prices that have skyrocketed lately - there has also been a coal shortage in some of the main producing countries like India and Germany. What that means for our day to day living and our investment strategies is the hot topic of this weeks MONEY AND INVESTING PODCAST with Andrew Baxter and Mitch Olarenshaw.  

  Like with any new skill you acquire in life, it’s easiest if you learn the basics right the first time around so you don’t have to back and change an already ingrained behavior that’s wrong. It’s the same with trading and investing . If you want to be actively trading, you need to be able to develop a stable approach to it. Advertisements Occasionally, some of your visitors may see an advertisement her.

  Many “would be” investors think the best way to make profitable trades is to get a trading platform, look at the charts and just give it a go. If only it were that easy… Over a thirty year professional trading career and having helped “rehab” thousands of investors, I have learned that there is a lot more to it than that! And that’s where Investment News comes in.

What is Stagflation? As the name would suggest, stagflation occurs when your economy starts to stagnate. This typically will include slowing economic growth, rising inflation, and rising unemployment – just to name a few. Host Andrew Baxter says that is exactly what you don’t want for a healthy economy, rather, you want growing economic activity and inflation under control to maintain strength. For example, here in Australia, our CPI figure of 3.8% last month has already surpassed the target mandate amount set by the RBA (which is supposed to be between 2-3%) meaning the inflation cat is already out of the bag. Not to mention our slowing economic growth as per the most recent GDP figures indicating that we could be entering a period of economic stagflation. The same is true for the US economy too having similar data. The Challenge with Stagflation Once you enter a period of stagflation in an economy, it becomes very difficult to get out of. If we think back to the 197...

  We’re living in unprecedented times and keeping the economy afloat is of paramount concern for not only governments but also banks. In order for our economy to keep ticking over, we need people to buy houses and invest in businesses – which they can only do with a loan from the bank. Fewer loans means less revenue, which means more provision of bad debt. The end result – a continual and consistent cut to dividends for their shareholders. And so the vicious cycle continues..