There’s a Harvard University experiment[i] in which participants were asked which they’d prefer: a) a job where they earned $50,000 a year while others around them earned only $25,000 a year or b) a job where they earned $100,000 a year, while others earned $200,000 a year. The survey respondents were basically asked to choose […]
A dip into Nvidia’s deep dive
On Tues 28 January 2025 (AEDT) tech giant Nvidia’s shares plunged 17 per cent – its worst day on the market since March 2020 (which was early in the Covid-19 pandemic). To put that drop in Aussie dollars, that comes to a loss in value of almost $1 trillion. ($AU948 billion, or $US593 billion.) So […]
Court confirms no tax on gifts (even if it’s $33 million)
You’re likely in the spirit of giving this Christmas, but how’s this for generosity … Graziella Leong, an elderly supermarket matriarch in Vanuatu sent her Australia-based brother nearly $33 million in gifts over 10 years. Australia’s tax office claimed the money was “income” and wanted its cut, but a federal court judge has found […]
The demise of Dixon Advisory … a cautionary tale
The world of finance is no stranger to the cautionary tales of fear and greed. The recent collapse of one of Australia’s biggest financial advisory groups, Dixon Advisory and Superannuation Services, is an unfortunate example of how greed and professional misconduct can have lasting and devastating consequences – particularly for individuals who place their trust […]
Then and now: comparing apples with Apple
They say that the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. It was also a good time to have bought shares in many of the big companies that now dominate today’s market. If only we knew. For some of us, 20 years ago may not seem that long ago. Many of us […]