From Waiting Lists to Water Pipes: Turning Australia’s Infrastructure Squeeze into Investment Resilience
Australia’s rapid population growth is outpacing investment in hospitals, schools, transport, water systems and housing, creating a structural infrastructure deficit that affects daily life. While this strain poses challenges for governments, it also highlights a long pipeline of essential infrastructure projects that can offer stable, inflation-linked returns for long-term investors. Infrastructure assets including toll roads, utilities, renewable energy, and digital networks provide defensive income and growth characteristics when used thoughtfully in diversified portfolios. Investors must remain aware of political, regulatory, and cost risks, but professional management and broad diversification can help turn nationwide infrastructure pressure into portfolio resilience.
Living With Dementia Up Close: What Families Can Do Now To Protect Dignity, Finances And Peace of Mind
This article offers a deeply personal account of the realities of dementia care, highlighting how quickly independence, communication, and daily functioning can decline. It stresses that early planning – legal, financial, and emotional – is essential to protecting dignity and reducing family stress later. Choosing the right care facility requires careful observation, understanding behavioural needs, and assessing staff culture rather than relying solely on brochures. The key message is clear: preparing documents, care strategies, and funding plans well before cognitive decline provides peace of mind and better outcomes for everyone involved.
Beyond the Greenback: Building Resilient Portfolios When the US Dollar No Longer Feels Bulletproof
The US dollar remains central to global finance, but rising deficits, political uncertainty, and valuation concerns mean it may no longer be the automatic safe haven it once was. Recent market events show that assets like gold, the yen, and other currencies can sometimes outperform the dollar during periods of stress. The article encourages investors to think in terms of diversified “baskets” of defensive assets rather than relying on one currency or market to do all the heavy lifting. For Australians, awareness of currency movements, hedging decisions and diversification across economies can support more stable long-term portfolio outcomes.
Q & A
- How can I build super for a partner with little or no income?
Spouse contributions and contribution splitting can boost their balance and may provide tax benefits. - What is sequencing risk in retirement?
It’s the danger of poor returns early in retirement reducing how long your money lasts. - I earn under $60,000, what government incentives can boost my super?
The co‑contribution and LISTO schemes can add up to $1,000 combined to your super depending on eligibility.
