It certainly has been a devastating and tragic January with severe flooding across the country. The Australian share market has understandably underperformed in comparison to the US for the month.
The All Ordinaries Index gained a meagre 0.1% to close January at 4,850.0 points. Global markets were mixed for the month with the Dow Jones Index gaining 2.7%, the FTSE falling 0.1%, the Hang Seng gaining 1.8% and the Nikkei 225 Index gaining 0.1%.
Share markets around the world posted a solid month in December capping off an otherwise flat year.
The All Ordinaries Index gained 3.6% to close the year at 4,846.9 points. Global markets also recorded solid monthly gains in December with the Dow Jones Index gaining 5.2%, the FTSE gaining 6.7%, the Hang Seng gaining 0.1% and the Nikkei 225 Index gaining 2.9%.
Further concerns over European markets weighed on the Australian share market in November.
The All Ordinaries Index fell 1.2% to close at 4,676.4 points. Global markets (with the exception of Japan) also fell in November with the Dow Jones Index falling 1.0%, the FTSE falling 2.6%, and the Hang Seng falling 0.4%. The Nikkei 225 Index gained 7.7% for the month.
The Australian share market consolidated recent gains during in October.
The All Ordinaries Index gained 2.1% to close at 4,733.4 points. Global markets generally performed similarly in October with the Dow Jones Index gaining 3.1%, the FTSE gaining 2.3%, and the Hang Seng gaining 3.2%. Japan was an exception, with the Nikkei 225 Index falling 4.2% for the month.
During October the major Australian banks reported their earnings, with solid results across the board.
Geared funds are an alternative to margin loans for investors who would like to increase geared investment exposure in their portfolio without the potential for margin calls.
Internally geared managed funds are an attractive alternative to margin lending. Rather than borrowing to invest, the fund borrows on your behalf which means you don't have to increase your personal borrowing. There are a number of benefits:
The Australian share market rebounded in September, recording solid gains throughout the month.
The All Ordinaries Index gained 4.5% to close at 4,636.9 points. Global markets were also strong in September with the Dow Jones Index gaining 7.7%, the FTSE gaining 6.2%, the Nikkei 225 gaining 9.2% and the Hang Seng gaining 9.0%.
Balancing tax-deductible and non-deductible loans, or ‘recycling debt’, is an easier way to pay off a mortgage and build an investment portfolio.
‘Debt recycling’, involves taking on some investment debt while at the same time repaying your mortgage, a non-tax-deductible debt.
To see how it all fits together, let’s consider a 40 year-old with a $200,000 mortgage on their house. They have $20,000 a year of surplus cash flow, which has arisen due to a bonus being paid by their employer.
As a business owner, have you thought about the possible consequences to your business and your family if something were to happen to you or to one of your partners? Find out why the combination of key man insurance and buy-sell agreements can protect the interests of everyone involved.
Protect Your Investment
The Australian share market continued its directionless trend in August, giving back some of its July gains.
The All Ordinaries Index fell 1.5% during the month to close at 4,438.8 points. Global markets were also generally poor across the board in August.
The Dow Jones Index closed down 4.3%, the FTSE down 0.6%, the Nikkei 225 down 7.5% and the Hang Seng down 2.3% for the month.
Money gives people -- both young and old -- decision-making opportunities. Educating, motivating, and empowering children to become regular savers and investors will enable them to keep more of the money they earn and do more with the money they spend.
Everyday spending decisions can have a far more negative impact on children's financial futures than any investment decisions they may ever make. Here are 15 simple ways to help educate children about personal finance and managing money.