A recent paper looks at the impact of passive investing on market stability; a second describes shades of alpha for active and index investing. A third reviews luck and portfolio rebalancing outcomes.

Retirement village contracts have their pros and cons. The contracts are really a type of complex insurance or financial product. Comparison shopping is very difficult but possible.

The long boom in Australian residential property prices seems to have finally ended. Further falls to come will cause the Australian economy to slow but will not cause a recession.

Most of us use funds in clients' portfolios. Three new research papers look at what differentiates fund managers, highlighting factors we probably never considered important.

Two recent papers provide timely insights on the market impact of behaviour that is detrimental to corporate reputation, and the impact of ever-growing passive investing on behaviour within organisations.

Only by making the effort to understand and align investment beliefs with values can we get a sharper understanding of our clients' true objectives and provide solutions that will really meet their needs.

More than one third of Australians think there is widespread corruption in the banking and finance sector.

The subtle channels can be so powerful that they communicate information without us knowing it. Body Linguistics, EQ and awareness are the keys to understanding others.

Practitioners need to know what words to use and lose - and be able to apply that knowledge - to improve their conversations with clients about fees, regulations and investment strategies.

A myriad of factors - psychological, emotional, cognitive and behavioural - impact a client’s financial independence during decumulation, demanding different investment solutions.

Individuals live as part of a broader system of interconnected networks and relationships. There are advantages - for you and for them - in thinking about the client as part of a family dynamic.

There is scientific consensus that five major personality traits explain much of the behavioural differences between individuals - linking to financial outcomes, and preferences for advice.

Helping clients is about more than just educating them as to the right decision, it's also about helping them to actually take action.

The way investors respond to the language of financial services can be influenced by using the right words, avoiding others, and structuring messages to overcome skepticism.

This panel, which considered key takeouts from Finology Summit 2019, commenced with an overview of a 2018 global study on how well financial advisers know their clients.

Behavioral diagnostics represent the cutting edge in understanding clients, detecting what clients reveal about themselves through their decisions.

Helping clients is about more than just educating them as to the right decision, it's also about helping them to actually take action.

It is time to align client portfolios with risks they face - requiring a deep understanding and evidence-based approach to uncovering and forecasting client goals.

Persistent earnings revisions ultimately drive share price performance. Understanding and capturing this predictable pattern enhances portfolio returns.

There is evidence to suggest that biases lead to behaviours that can negatively impact Australian investor portfolios.