Michael O'Hara

Michael O'Hara is a Financial Planner operating out of a boutique advisory service in East Perth, Western Australia.

Financial market cycles and “moods”

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Financial Planning “This time it is different”… One of the most famous sayings in financial circles, and the one that we can all laugh at, when we read about economics professors or sharemarket professionals making suggestions such as markets having reached a permanent high plateau – just prior to the onset of the market crash that…

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Financial advisors are cheating you

financial planner bias. it's true, financial planners eat money for breakfast
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At least, that is the impression you can get when tuning in to some sections of the media. As covered in previous posts, the post-GFC world is a tumultuous one, with many long cherished “laws” of investment being turned on their head, and many investors feeling helpless in the face of small, zero or negative…

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Managed funds, Listed Companies or ETF’s?

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One of the debates raging in the post GFC financial world concerns the relative advantages and disadvantages of investment structures. For example, many people have decided that “managed funds” are expensive, opaque and have bad returns. At the same time, there has been a substantial lift in the funds being invested into “Listed Investment Companies…

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Another Budget, another yawn…

Another Australian Federal Budget, another yawn
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The good news is that the budget is going into surplus. Small yay! for prudent financial management and responsible government. Big “what the?” for the usual smokes and mirrors that seem to appear any time a Treasurer releases a budget update. So far this morning, i’ve received many, many, many pages of insight, research, analysis…

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Will my children be able to afford a home?

What housing options will be available for my children?
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This is a common question i am asked by parents who are keen to see that their children get the same (hopefully better!) opportunities in life that they had. It’s not one of my worries, and i’ll share with you the reasons why i consider home affordability to be one of the least concerns for my children’s future.…

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Good news – Australia’s inflation is down! Or is it up?

confused
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Here’s a little thought… The RBA announces inflation outcomes. If quarterly inflation falls, and the annual rate falls, is inflation higher? As Simon in our office has today pointed out, it depends on who you read, and what they are trying to say. BBC News suggests inflation is easing, so i guess it’s lower. The…

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Your children, and the world of money

Little Adelaide O'Hara
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With all the gloomy news about falling retail sales, declining house prices, and small business access to credit, the average person can be forgiven for thinking that “things are bad”. In times such as this, it is natural for a parent to worry about the world that their children will inherit, and the financial problems…

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Financial Planning – DON’T PANIC

When all else fails, fail to panic
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Famous words, made all the more famous’er by the late but very great Douglas Adams, in his 4 book trilogy “Hitch-hikers Guide to the Galaxy” (although the actual number of books that make up the trilogy is subject to some dispute). Douglas Adams was referring to the great cosmic guidebook produced by Megadodo Publications. “It…

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