Investment Planning

If you are interested in investment planning help here in the Perth area, you may be interested in some recent developments from our parent company, AMP Capital. The AMP Capital global infrastructure platform recently added more than $1 billion USD, bringing it closer to its final close of $2 million USD.*

For its second and third closes, the Global Infrastructure Fund raised close to $400 million USD cumulatively. When the investor commitments are combined with an existing portfolio containing a diversified selection of European infrastructure equity assets, the platform has amassed more than 75% of its target.*

According to Boe Pahari, who is the Managing Partner of the AMP Capital Global Infrastructure Fund, “Investors….understand the many benefits that infrastructure provides to a portfolio.” These include: inflation and GDP linkage, high yield, low volatility, as well as low correlation with equities. Mr Pahari is encouraged because of the “increasing demand” for the platform.*

Investment planning in Perth and beyond has been introduced to a relatively new factor in potential investment performance: climate change. More specifically, greenhouse gas emissions are an important factor in evaluating Australian and global equity portfolios.*

Ian Woods is the Head of Environmental, Social and Governance Investment Research for our parent company, AMP Capital. Recently, Mr Woods published an insight paper on the AMP Capital blog called “Greenhouse gas emissions: risks and challenges for portfolios.” We would like to share some of his thoughts on the subject with you.*

Mr Woods used the Paris Climate Change Agreement as an example of a global commitment to acknowledge climate change. He feels that both companies and investors need to assess, communicate and manage risks posed to them by climate change.*

We have been providing investment planning services to clients in the Perth area since 2005 and have more than 40 years’ combined experience in the financial industry. We are now affiliated with AMP Capital, who provide us with even more resources to help us help you.

Recently, on the AMP Capital blog, Investment Director Jeff Brunton, Head of Credit Research Sonia Baillie and Portfolio Manager and Analyst Tom Young, all of AMP Capital, discussed the outlook for investing in banks from their respective perspectives. We would like to provide you with a “short version” of the information.*

Equity Perspective

In the last 12 months, the major banks have been under some pressure. For some of the banks, share valuation levels are similar to those during the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). During the same period, dividend yields of major banks have seen a rise of 2%. Share prices could become more volatile in the near future, as lower commodity prices and a housing market slowdown could exert a “drag” on earnings growth.*

We would like to tell you about nine investment planning tips for investors in Perth and across Australia. The tips are courtesy of Dr Shane Oliver, who is the Head of Investment Strategy and Economics and Chief Economist for our parent company, AMP Capital.

On the AMP Capital company blog, Dr Oliver recently provided a massive document containing his investment outlook for 2016. He covered numerous topics, the most important of which we have covered here on this blog. The article was called, “2016 – a list of lists regarding the macro investment outlook.”

Here are nine tips Dr Oliver feels that investors “should remember.”*

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. *

The investment planning advisers in our Perth office would like to present you with information from our parent company, AMP Capital. We handle a variety of investments and we are proud to have the resources of AMP Capital to help us help you with your finances. While we can’t provide individual financial advice in a blog, we would like to pass on some recommendations from Tim Humphreys, AMP Capital Head of Global Listed Infrastructure.

Due to a low correlation between the equities market as a whole and the segment of global listed infrastructure, allocating assets into global listed infrastructure can help diversify one’s investment portfolio. (2)

According to Bloomberg, global listed infrastructure has provided returns of 11.7% per annum over ten years and 14.9% over five years. (1)

Mr Humphreys feels that globally listed infrastructure, which has only been an asset class for approximately ten years, offers what he calls a “significant opportunity for investors” due to what he sees as “relative inefficiency.” (2)

One of the many services our financial planners provide to our clientele in the Perth area is planning an education for their children. We know that everyone wants to provide for their children and an education is at the top of the list for a lot of parents. According to the Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA), though, some families may be better off not trying to put the money aside because it could make them become a burden to their children later in life.*

The FPA strongly suggests getting your own finances and lifestyle in order before deciding whether or not to put money away for your children’s education. If you can, though, here are some options suggested by the FPA that can help you save for your children’s education.*

Pay Down Your Mortgage Faster

The FPA suggests that you would be well-served to focus on paying down your mortgage as soon as you possibly can. One strategy includes finding the lowest rates and using a redraw facility to pay for college expenses.*