There is a case for Australian-based investors to tilt a bit to hedged global investments but while maintaining a still decent exposure to foreign currency.

Successful investing is not always easy and can be stressful. Even in good times. For this reason, it’s useful for investors to keep a key set of things in mind.

It’s likely that the RBA’s cash rate has peaked with numerous indicators pointing to slower economic growth and inflationary pressures easing.

The “news” as presented to us has always had a negative bent, but one could be forgiven for thinking that it’s become even more negative with constant stories of disasters, conflict, wrongdoing, grievance and loss. Consistent with this it seems that the worry list for investors is more threatening and confusing.

So why is boosting productivity so important? And why is it seen as so hard to do? It’s worth having another look at it given its importance to our economy and investment markets.

The basic argument is that the most rapid monetary tightening in major countries in decades and cost-of-living pressures have set the scene for recession. This is supported by various signs that precede recessions

Why you need to know the difference between leading and lagging economic indicators

This note updates seven key charts we see as critical for the investment outlook.

Many Australians may know these, but unfortunately financial literacy is still not taught in schools and so many don’t. Otherwise, Australians would have far less trouble with their finances.

The past few weeks have seen lots of talk again about a recession – particularly in Australia. This has been a recurring theme over the last year or so but has intensified lately. But what’s driving it? How serious is the risk of recession? And what would it mean for Australians and investors?

Shares are vulnerable to a pull back in the months ahead reflecting the rising risk of recession on the back of central bank tightening and weak seasonal influences.

Australians have long had a fascination with property. It’s evident in waves of speculative booms and busts that periodically grip our cities.

The unveiling of the independent Review of the RBA – “An RBA fit the future” – has received much attention with talk of a radical overhaul of the RBA. However, there is a real risk in grossly exaggerating the problem and undertaking a big change at the RBA with unclear benefits. In particularly there is a danger in assuming the approach employed by some foreign central banks must be better than our own.

Investment markets continue to be buffeted by multiple uncertainties, but so far returns this year have been okay as shares have climbed the “wall of worry”. This note takes a look at the main questions investors commonly have in a simple Q & A format.

Every so often the degree of uncertainty around investment markets surges and that’s been the case for more than a year now reflecting the combination of high inflation, rapid interest rate hikes, the high and rising risk of recession which has been added to in the last few weeks by problems in US and European banks.

So are property prices doing it again? – falling less than expected and then rising more than expected. This note looks at the positives and negatives for the residential property market outlook.

Shares have hit turbulence again with worries about inflation, interest rates, recession and, now, problems in US banks.

Whether share markets fall back to new lows and resume the bear market in US and global shares that started last year will be crucially dependent on whether major economies slide into recession and, if so, how deep that is.

The RBA raised its cash rate by another 0.25% taking it to 3.35%. This is the ninth consecutive rate hike in a row over ten months totalling 325 basis points and exceeds the 2002-2008 tightening cycle (of 300 basis points over 71 months) making it the biggest tightening cycle since the 1980s.