“The hardest arithmetic for human beings to master is that which enables us to count our blessings” – so wrote the great American working man’s philosopher Eric Hoffer.

It’s a piece of wisdom worth recalling after moving on from 2011, a year that has tested the nerve of many investors and prompted questions about what current generations have done to deserve to live in such a tempestuous stage of history.

Read more ...

Hybrids: Are they a substitute for fixed interest securities?

Hybrid securities have gained popularity in the Australian market over the past decade.  Companies ranging from large financial institutions including the Big 4 Banks through to Woolworths, Fairfax and Orica have issued some type of hybrid security.

Read more ...

New Year's resolutions often involve making promises to ourselves we can never keep. But instead of making unrealistic promises, we can often generate better results by merely resolving to be smarter in certain areas. And money is a good place to start.

Read more ...

Did you know that most photocopiers manufactured since 2002 have a hard drive that has the capacity to store tens of thousands of copies, scans & emails processed by the machine. The problem here is many companies do not know and subsequently trade old machines in, which are recycled and sold as second hand. And you guessed it your private details or those of your clients may be on those drives.

Read more ...

As we embark on a New Year the most important gift we have is life and time. Well it’s really about the immutable law of 168 which follows some basic facts of life:

Read more ...