The following article was generously contributed by a regular reader and commenter. I hope you enjoy reading West Wind’s journey as much as I did. He raises some interesting questions those considering retirement should consider.
Before starting, let me make it clear that I am not an Accountant or a Financial Adviser. This is just a tale of how one individual managed the transition from everyday share punter to contented self-funded retiree. For more intricate detail, seek professional advice.
Having started investing in shares during my student days, my early experience was …

Today I linked in with a past colleague, boss, inspiration and guy to whom I at least once undelivered during my SAP days. This is for him, hopefully it’s a starting point for discussion.
Here’s my starting point for funds management (FM) in Australia. There are a few other excellent slides in the presentation. Three of the FM segments are ripe for disruption. Savy asset managers should be aiming to eliminate the middle man and increase their personal stickiness preferably with performance.

Smart consumers should be making this so for themselves right now. Eliminate …

Trish Power at SuperGuide.com.au highlighted the following which has been on my draft list for a while. Not only do SMSF’s hold the most funds they also outperform all other fund types. SMSF’s are providing interesting insights into whether individual investors can outperform institutions.
The money held in DIY super funds, officially called self-managed super funds (SMSFs) exceeds the super money invested via retail funds (28.4%, $306 billion) industry funds (17.7%, $191 billion), public sector funds (14.1%, $152 billion) and corporate super funds (5.1%, $55 billion) according to figures released byAPRA on 24 September 2009. …