My pleasure (and duty as a Catholic as we believe in not just...

My pleasure (and duty as a Catholic as we believe in not just faith, but good works a la St Vincent de Paul, Caritas Australia, hospitals, aged care facilities and schools).

The more informed all are, the better decisions we tend to make. For many self-funded retirees, if they have joint assets of say $500,000 on top of a $1.2 million fully owned or barely mortgaged home but are not old enough to claim the pension, the difference between a good decision on equities and a poor one can almost be life changing. And there's always that alleged 'grey spot where one's assets may by a smidgen rule out access to the pension even if one is 67 (I am younger) but not overly deliver a comfortable lifestyle, especially if running two vehicles and wanting to travel overseas.

ETFs are not an answer: individuals lack control. Management fees reduce returns.

It concerns me that many 18 to 35 year olds regard property as a preferable investment to equities. Property is illiquid, subject to regular tax increases and what about how tenants seem to have more rights than landlords if one's an investor not owner-occupier? If any young men and women read these contributions, remember a majority of the world's most materially affluent (about 61 per cent) became so due to investing in stockmarkets, not real estate.

Objective research shows despite state governments' royalties interference in NSW and Queensland, YAL remains (today) a very good investment. But, please DYOR.