ETFs gained increased popularity in recent years and are becoming widely used by investors. This has been especially true after the GFC. Despite their popularity, they have not been around as long as managed funds. This means that investors are still unaware of how they work. ETFs are financial products that are similar to managed funds except you can buy and sell them on the exchange. Many ETFs track and duplicate a market index. However, some may track other investments …

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INTRODUCTION A call option gives the holder the right to buy a security at a certain price (the strike price) by a certain date (the expiry date). Writing (selling) options is a strategy used to protect portfolio’s and also pick up additional income. It is ideal for long term investors who want to protect their shares without selling them. Only 15% of options are exercised and the rest are either closed early or expire worthless. An option is a decaying …

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Dividends are essentially excess profits the company has decided to distribute to their shareholders. Companies are not obligated to pay out dividends as they may decide to reinvest their profits back into the business. Otherwise they may not have been profitable enough to pay out any dividends. Established companies are more likely to pay out dividends than start-ups. The reason for this is that companies need to be consistently profitable to have the capacity to pay out dividends. Please see …

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Investors in the Australian share market at some point or another have been offered a Share Purchase Plan. Companies offer Share Purchase Plans to raise capital to fund a new acquisition. The definition of a Share Purchase Plan is an offer to existing shareholders to purchase further shares. This is usually at a discounted price. Shareholders can purchase up to A$15,000 in new shares. These Share Purchase Plans are usually a way for companies to raise capital for a new …

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The world has seen unprecedented levels of money printing since the depths of the GFC. Along with record low interest rates, many investors are concerned that this can only lead to one thing – inflation. When you experience inflation, the value of investments (such as cash) may be eroded. It is therefore important for you to recognise which asset classes will prove resilient, or even benefit, from a breakout of inflation. High inflation means that the cost of goods and …

Read MoreWhat type of stocks to buy in a high inflation environment