Sophisticated Access

Bitcoin and the Crypto scams

Feb 06, 2018 admin Alternative Assets, Australian economy, Equity, Global economy, news, SMSF 0 Comment

It was just before Christmas that I was at a function, listening to a learned colleague boast about his son’s prowess at investing in Bitcoin. I was told Bitcoin was the currency of the future. That Bitcoin was better than gold, a brilliant store of value, and with blockchain technology could settle in an instant.

Global Market Review December 2017

Jan 03, 2018 admin Alternative Assets, Australian economy, Fixed Income, Global economy, news, SMSF 0 Comment

This year has started with a bang, and (thankfully) it wasn’t from the Korean Peninsula. Instead we were treated to Oprah mulling over a potential Presidential race in 2020 as the US (and world) grow increasingly frustrated over Trump’s behaviour.

All that glitters – are not Bitcoins

Dec 12, 2017 admin Alternative Assets, Australian economy, Equity, Global economy, innovation, news, SMSF 0 Comment

There’s a lot of hype in the market at the moment with regard to Bitcoin. Almost every session on my weekly radio segment, a listener is asking;

Gender gap in Financial Advice

Nov 22, 2017 admin Australian economy, Equity, Fixed Income, news, Property, SMSF 0 Comment

Why is there such a disparate gender gap in Advice?

An article on Commsec's The Front Foot publication points to research by Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) and Financial Executive Women (FEW) which shows women currently make up just 20 percent of the financial advising profession.

The data from Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) shows women make up 55.7 percent of the financial and insurance services industry, and that the 1-in-5 figure is abysmal.

The Advice industry typically offers flexible work hours with significant earning potential along with the opportunity to positively impact lives. These tend to be some key points for women in choosing careers. The problem may actually come down to not educating young girls about possible career options early. The 2014 Allstate Foundation survey shows the inherent biases between males and females when it comes to money. Most startlingly it shows how parenting creates different rules for gender.

Does this then mean Industry needs to work harder to explain options to kids?

Yes.

A 15 year old girl may not be thinking about when she will be planning career breaks to have children. But she certainly should be more aware about jobs and roles that exist where she can either work for herself or within an organisation, earn well, help people with life decisions, and have the option of flexibility down the track. Both parents and Industry need to rethink their approach to money and children.

Global Market Review October 2017

Nov 08, 2017 admin Alternative Assets, Equity, Fixed Income, news, SMSF 0 Comment

The ASX bounced a solid 4% this month as Quarter 3 business conditions lifted to new post-GFC highs. The Jobs market recorded strong 3.3% y/y growth, which helped unemployment fall to 5.5% (a 4 year low). The jobs growth is now the fastest since 2008.