The ALP is proposing a raft of tax changes that will negatively impact after tax outcomes for many Australian investors should they be enacted. Arguably the most controversial is the removal of cash refunds of franking credits which we have written extensively on in 2018, but they are also proposing... Show More

To be a successful equity investor, there are a few very simple tenets to follow if you want to get a head-start – and these include avoiding underperformers and not getting sucked into yield traps, Plato Investment Management managing director, Dr Don Hamson, said in a recent presentation.Hamson also had... Show More

Equity indices everywhere were in the red last year, yet the three most tipped stocks from the 2018 Livewire reader survey, Afterpay Touch, CSL and BHP, all finished well in the black. They gained (excluding dividends) 107.7%, 31.0%, and 15.8% respectively, or 52% on average. While the order has changed,... Show More

Forecast for shares income, including from the banks, remains solid. For the “glass half empty” thinkers, there is plenty of bad news to focus on in 2019 – the Trump trade war, Brexit, falling house prices, the final report of the Financial Services Royal Commission, political risk and more. Show More

In our previous paper entitled “Which superannuation funds may be affected by the ALP franking credit proposal” we found that members of many superannuation funds, not just SMSFs, may be impacted by the ALP proposal to no longer refund franking credits. In this new paper, we consider which individuals, investing... Show More

The ALP proposal to limit refunding of franking credits will clearly impact pension phase self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs). We believe it has the potential to impact many other superannuation funds. In this paper we build a model of the key variables which determine whether a superannuation fund is likely to... Show More

The ALP’s proposal to ditch franking credit cash rebates evoked an emotional response from self-funded retirees, sparking substantial analysis and debate on the issue. While there have been few developments to the policy proposal since it was announced in March Livewire spoke to Dr Don Hamson from Plato Investment Management... Show More

Dr Don Hamson from Plato Investment Management is always on the lookout for the best income opportunities from equities. His research suggests that there has been a 40% increase year on year for the dividends being paid out from the resources sector. "One of the reasons why commodities are doing well... Show More

Bill Shorten caused quite a stir last week as Labor proposed a policy of removing the cash refunds for franking credits that some investors currently receive. While the changes affect a relatively small number of people compared to the broad Australian taxation system, it’s hard to ignore the serious impact... Show More

When I was first asked to comment about the ALP’s proposed scrapping of franking credit refunds my response was I was “flabbergasted”. “Flabbergasted” that the party whose Treasurer Paul Keating created franking credits would cut those benefits accruing to retired workers, “flabbergasted” that the Leader of ALP Opposition who earns... Show More