News

Debbie Alliston is the Head of Multi-Asset Portfolio Management for our parent company, AMP Capital. Her leadership is one of the many investment planning resources provided to us by AMP Capital.

In December 2015, Ms Alliston contributed an article to the AMP Capital blog called “Is it time to go back to basics?” We would like to provide you with some of the information from that article.*

Cash interest rates are low, not only in Australia but around the world. US rates are rising but the projected growth is slow. Consequently, investors may wonder how to make money in the financial markets. Bond yields are low, as are the yields in other asset classes.*

When the numbers for 2015 come in, it is expected that the equity markets will show positive performance for four consecutive years. However, the low-growth environment in financial markets has many investors unsure of future growth in the equity markets. Australian equities have produced negative earnings growth for the last three years. Ms Alliston doesn’t see it turning around until at least 2017.*

At Approved Financial Planners, we have more than 40 years combined experience in providing investment planning help to clients in the Perth area. Now that we are working with AMP Capital, we also have their wealth of knowledge backing us in our efforts to help you maximise your investments.

Recently the AMP Capital Chief Economist and Head of Investment Strategy and Economics, Dr Shane Oliver, wrote about investment planning in the Internet age in his column, “Oliver’s Insights.” According to Dr Oliver, the more exposure consumers receive to information about the performance of their investments, the greater the risk of disappointment. This disappointment can cause consumers to make what Dr Oliver refers to as “poor short term investment decisions.” *

According to Dr Oliver, this risk is being “accentuated” by greater access to information about how investments are performing short term. This access often involves what Dr Oliver refers to as a “worry list…via traditional media” and apps that bring this information straight into our phones. *

We offer a full slate of financial planning services in our Perth area office. Real estate is one of many investment platforms for which we can offer assistance. Since we are affiliated with AMP Capital, we can now lean on their resources to provide you with the best in service and advice. While we can’t provide any individual advice without an individual consult, we would like to forward some information here.

Recently, on the AMP Capital blog, AMP Capital Head of Property Investment Strategy and Research Michael Kingcott wrote a piece on real estate as a long term investment. We would like to provide you with some of the highlights.

Real Estate May Outperform Equities and Bonds

According to Mr Kingcott, volatility in the capital market and “lukewarm economic momentum” is causing a “low growth environment” for equities and bonds. He feels that real estate represents a “good value compared to” equities and bonds. *

Now that we are affiliated with AMP Capital, we have access to their resources to help us provide investment planning services from our Perth area office. One of those resources is Shane Oliver, who is AMP Capital’s Chief Economist and Head of Investment Strategy. In a recent blog post and video, Mr Oliver addressed the performance of the equities market in the fourth quarter. We would like to share some of his points with you here.

Consumers Benefit from Low Oil Prices

According to Mr Oliver, oil prices have decreased approximately 50% since the middle of 2014. For countries who import more oil than they export, Mr Oliver sees this as good news because the prices for petrol are lower. *

Inflation Figures Low for September

Mr Oliver feels that low inflation figures in the September report, combined with the recent tightening of financial standards for property investors and owner-occupiers by the “big four” banks, may result in yet another lowering of the RBA cash interest rate for 2016. *