Investing
QUIRKY INVESTMENTS
The fabulous estate of a late opal miner and inventor
James Cockington 12:15 AM John Wolfe St Albans, of Adelaide, donated some amazing items to public museums during his lifetime, but still left behind a shipping container of fabulous treasures when he died.
MIND OVER MONEY
What The Big Short movie can teach ordinary people
![<p>](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/z/o/m/3/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gm7ufu.png/1453265672427.jpg)
Caitlin Fitzsimmons It's exciting watching the traders short the US mortgage market before the global financial crisis, but it's not something the rest of us can emulate.
THE HONEST BROKER
Why investment in 2016 will be all about picking winners
![<P>](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/m/7/5/e/8/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gm75ca.png/1453080126267.jpg)
Marcus Padley After the worst start to the sharemarket year in living memory the obvious subject is whether we are about to see some sort of calamitous collapse in world markets.
THE MOTLEY FOOL
How to avoid investing in the next Dick Smith
![With disappointing Christmas sales, Dick Smith felt the crunch in the new year.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/m/4/w/0/e/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gm4zoo.png/1453244535690.jpg)
Scott Phillips Some simple rules could keep you out of trouble.
INTELLIGENT INVESTOR
Don't sell everything, do this instead
![The time to panic and "sell everything" is before stocks fall, not after.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/i/8/1/e/w/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gm4zqa.png/1452743794728.jpg)
John Addis The reason most investors don't beat the market is because they listen to silly advice like "sell everything".
QUIRKY INVESTMENTS
The artist discovered at age 91
![Melbourne photographer Angus O'Callaghan with his camera.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/m/4/s/r/r/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gm4rzs.png/1453079136712.jpg)
James Cockington Serendipity led to the discovery of photographer Angus O'Callaghan and the success of his 1960s photographs of Melbourne.
Why Dick Smith shareholders lost
![Dick Smith administrators address creditors at a meeting in Sydney on Thursday.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/z/y/r/p/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gm1t6g.png/1453692824685.jpg)
John Vaz The demise of Dick Smith is a stark reminder of the risks of investing in companies listed by private equity firms without doing careful research.
Kickstart 2016 with a financial health check
![The new year is a good time to review your money goals.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/m/1/5/y/7/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gm15ke.png/1452650129997.jpg)
Kate Jones The new year is an opportunity to reset your money management and build prosperity - like electrician Paul Buhagiar who paid down $26,000 of his home loan last year.
QUIRKY INVESTMENTS
Contemporary art on the rise
![A sculpture by up-and-coming Australian artist John Kelly.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/m/0/x/n/d/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gm0wmg.png/1452607591894.jpg)
James Cockington Interest in 21st-century Australian art is growing and it's only a matter of time before it hits the secondary market.
THE HONEST BROKER
The truth behind courses on how to be a trader
![Learning how to be a trader is like joining the gym - without purpose, you won't stick at it.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/h/r/x/f/7/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glysz1.png/1451887194135.jpg)
Marcus Padley Everyone wants to make money in the stock market, so you might be interested in the cynical replies of a group of stockbrokers when one of us asked, "What's the best way to lose $10,000 in the stock market?"
INTELLIGENT INVESTOR
Top 10 money mistakes of the middle-aged
![In your 40s and 50s you are more likely to have extra mouths to feed.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/6/j/9/z/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glyr5j.png/1452204262560.jpg)
Graham Witcomb You're at the height of your career and you probably have a couple of extra mouths to feed. Here are the 10 biggest money mistakes to avoid in your 40s and 50s.
How to start investing in shares
![Betting on teenagers' smartphone use is a good investment strategy.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/u/h/u/r/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glx5ix.png/1451964557023.jpg)
Scott Phillips If you haven't yet taken the plunge in share investment, maybe 2016 will be the year you start (or restart) your investing journey.
THE MOTLEY FOOL
2016: buckle up and hang on
![Sit down, buckle up and hang on.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/n/5/f/r/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glx4z4.png/1451515619623.jpg)
Scott Phillips How to prepare for the new year when it comes to your investments.
HOT STOCK
How Nufarm is getting more out of the land
![El Nino could affect the returns from agricultural stocks.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/k/1/2/i/1/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glmrvt.png/1450054716319.jpg)
Greg Smith Fat Prophets: With the world's land in fixed supply, and agricultural yields in focus, Nufarm's value proposition is high.
BASIC TRAINING
How to make charity a regular part of life
![The Red Shield Appeal is a major fundraising drive for the Salvation Army.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/h/6/9/k/4/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glk2d2.png/1449982842718.jpg)
Larissa Ham For many people giving is part of Christmas, but the world's problems don't disappear when the tinsel is store away. How can you do your bit year-round without breaking the bank?
ASSET CHECK
Retirees face a challenging future
![Lower yields on low-risk investments mean a higher chance of slipping up in 2016.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/c/r/i/w/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glj73r.png/1449631154210.jpg)
Daryl Dixon Low yields are forcing retirees to dip into their capital to fund their lifestyles – and rule changes could complicate things further.
THE MOTLEY FOOL
The Australian tech company wowing the world
![Atlassian co-founders Scott Farquhar (left) and Mike Cannon-Brookes have a new battle on their hands.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/f/d/t/k/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glfdhq.png/1450413710859.jpg)
Scott Phillips Scott Phillips from The Motley Fool runs the rule over the massive float of Australian tech company Atlassian on NASDAQ and whether it's a good investment now.
INVESTING
An offer too good to take up
![Macquarie Group is kicking off a $400 million hybrid.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/k/o/p/p/g/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glf6nw.png/1449035316988.jpg)
David Potts There'll be a rush for Macquarie's new capital notes paying 7.5 per cent but if you miss out you might have the last laugh.
SHARES RACE
Santa rally postponed as rate double whammy looms
![Santa has not brought his good cheer to the sharemarket yet.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/k/r/q/j/q/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glf2uq.png/1449184463355.jpg)
David Potts Santa has been delayed, so this year's Christmas seasonal sharemarket rally must wait another week.
HER MONEY
Four ways to invest your money
![Aurora Spa founder Lyndall Mitchell doesn't want the stress of a high-risk investment strategy.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/i/b/r/a/c/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gldvsq.png/1449549545501.jpg)
Sally Patten Having the right mix of investments will help you to achieve your financial goals.
THE HONEST BROKER
Investment strategy by Post-it note
![Come up with investment ideas for 2016 while lying by the pool.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/e/k/l/g/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glejv2.png/1449118771168.jpg)
Marcus Padley The neighbours turned on their Christmas lights last weekend, where did the year go?
TIP OF THE WEEK
How to create wealth outside your job
![Making money is not just about what you earn and spend.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/5/7/k/e/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gleiik.png/1448231332247.jpg)
Michael Hutton Your level of income is important in generating wealth but equally, if not more, important is what you do with your income to create wealth.
QUIRKY INVESTMENTS
What was hot in 2015
![A 1927 Harley Davidson motorcycle sold for $600,000.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/d/a/2/l/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gld8xz.png/1449040327224.jpg)
James Cockington In a year marked by a sluggish stockmarket and the deflating of the real estate bubble it was inevitable that big chunks of investment dollars were spent on the thriving secondary auction market.
HOT STOCK
KFC owner Collins Foods taking flight again
![KFC is the best-known brand for Collins Foods.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/9/r/y/o/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gl9rzh.png/1448595884812.jpg)
Greg Smith Collins Foods' KFC business now represents around 85 per cent of total income, and has performed strongly in the past financial year, despite rising labour rates.
THE MOTLEY FOOL
What went wrong at Woolies
![Woolworths shareholders have plenty to complain about.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/2/j/p/k/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gl9jyh.png/1448587239125.jpg)
Scott Phillips How Woolworths went from flying high to struggling for air.
MONEY BRAIN
How a financial planner changed Jennifer Byrne's life
![Jennifer Byrne on ABC's The Book Club.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/9/e/2/c/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gl9e9b.png/1449200226704.jpg)
Catherine Robson What drives wealth creation?
GETTING AHEAD
Fintech revolution is a boon for investors
![On-Market Bookbuild chief executive officer Ben Bucknell and managing director Tim Eisenhauer at the ASX.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/9/e/i/2/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gl9e3z.png/1448579787743.jpg)
David Potts All we seem to hear about fintech outfits is how they're nibbling away at the banks, but it's what they're doing for investors that I like.
A bubble you could bottle
![The wealth is spread right across the Blackmores workforce which has stretched to more 1000 people.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/i/z/0/t/i/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gl8xsc.png/1451846963455.jpg)
David Potts Shares in Blackmores and Bellamy's Organic have made astronomical gains, prompting fears of a bubble.
INTELLIGENT INVESTOR
Seven steps to better investment decision making
![Multitasking can impair performance.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/8/i/3/3/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gl8hto.png/1448501993776.jpg)
John Addis We think of ourselves as rational and level-headed but our decisions tend to be emotional and instinctive.
QUIRKY INVESTMENTS
Vintage postcards a 'grossly undervalued market'
![One of the first mass-produced Christmas cards, 1871.](/web/20160126051830im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/8/c/z/r/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gl8cv8.png/1448498235386.jpg)
James Cockington Mossgreen's postcard auction, to be held in Melbourne on December 14, is claimed as the first of its kind held by any major auction house in Australia.