Investing
GETTING SETTLED
Beware spruikers who just 'feed the chooks'
Marcus Padley Most investments you're likely to invest in in your SMSF are regulated financial products, but one of the biggest asset classes isn't. And that's property.
INSIGHT
Low interest encourages risk-taking - but be prepared
Clancy Yeates If you have savings on hand, where's the best place to put the money?
THE CHARTIST
NAB likely to pause at 2007 high
Rod Myer The big bank's progress, and prospects, may give us a perspective on the wider market.
CROWDFUNDING
Flocks a way to golden egg
Nina Hendy Review of the crowdfunding rules could give investors more incentive to take a small share of a start-up.
GETTING STARTED
The real reason banks are on a roll
David Potts If the banks can make record profits when they're having trouble lending, imagine how they'll go once the economy picks up.
QUIRKY INVESTMENTS
Old salts' legacy pays a premium
James Cockington It was standing room only when a vast collection of scrimshaw, whalebone objects, paintings of ships and naval weapons went under the hammer.
INTELLIGENT INVESTOR
Cootes crash highlights IPO risks
Nathan Bell Only a few weeks ago the headlines pronounced that fund managers and wealthy families were backing the impending float of McAleese Group, a trucking company with roots dating back to the Great Depression.
HOT STOCK
China upturn helps make BHP a buy
Greg Smith The mining giant will benefit from stabilising growth in China and improving sentiment towards iron ore.
Intelligent Investor
SMSFs hardest hit by flawed super tax exemption cap
Richard Livingston If you've set up an SMSF to buy property you might be stung by the $100,000 cap on the tax exemption that applies to superannuation in the pension phaset.
UNDER THE RADAR
Freedom Foods share price defies logic
Richard Hemming Cereal maker has soared in the past six months, rising from just over $1 in April to $3.36 today.
Top bosses fear striking out
JOHN COLLETT Increasing shareholder scrutiny is leading to a drop in top executives' fixed pay.
Men spend up on hairy matters
Sylvia Pennington Personal grooming is becoming a high budget priority for increasing numbers of Australian men.
QUIRKY INVESTMENTS
Classic cars are pulling in the bids again
James Cockington From a Lamborghini Miura to the first Australian-made Holden an upcoming auction has a classic car for everyone.
The Chartist
Commodities may be on an edge
Rod Myer Commodity prices are off their 2008 speculative highs but could be reinforced if world growth picks up.
GETTING SETTLED
Winning start to commercial career
Christine Long The long leases make commercial property attractive to investors.
ETHICAL INVESTING
Invest with conscience
Penny Pryor As investors get more involved with where their money is going, ethical investing is changing and having a bigger impact.
Australia's first Holden offered for sale at $1m
James Cockington The first Holden to be made in Australia, a prototype for what became known as the 48-215 - now referred to as the FX or Holden Humpy - is up for sale at the Motorclassica auction at Melbourne's Exhibition Building on Saturday.
INTELLIGENT INVESTOR
Demergers let shareholders multiply by division
Nathan Bell Demergers are back in fashion and, unlike the '90s "grunge" look, we're pleased to see them again, as there's plenty of evidence they create value for shareholders.
UNDER THE RADAR
Nothing fishy about under-the-radar stocks
Richard Hemming Spotting stocks that don't have institutions on the register could mean big returns.
METAL FATIGUE
Gold has flunked the crisis test
David Potts I like gold as much as you but unfortunately, most of the time it can't be trusted as an investment.
STYLE
It's all in the bag
Stephen Crafti From the clutch to the tote, to the ubiquitous backpack, designer bags are one of the first items to sell out in store and online.
HOT STOCK
Boral set to cement its position
Brian Han Industry-wide gloom is masking what is a strong cyclical play with a healthy balance sheet.
Local bourse will suffer if US defaults
JOHN COLLETT The picture is a worrying one for Australian investors if the impasse with the US debt ceiling is not resolved by the Thursday deadline.
UNDER THE RADAR
A good investment, but has business grown too fast?
Richard Hemming Shares in iProperty have doubled in value in the past three months but some insiders say it's gone too far, too fast.
GETTING STARTED
Go on, get involved - AGMs can be fun
David Potts The remuneration report is enticing shareholders to show up for the free entertainment of watching executives squirm.
THE 'HONEST' BROKER
What does money mean to you?
Marcus Padley Money is an amazing motivator; it causes us to do astonishing things. But does it make us happy?
THE CHARTIST
The bond that ties
Rod Myer The US Quantative Easing program has been so big it has changed the normal relationship between shares and bonds.
