There is no doubt that some countries are better placed than others in The Great Escape. In fact, Australia and NZ have the chance to be rock star economies of the 21st century.

If the US and China prove to be prescient and 'ahead of the curve', financial markets will flourish; if they dawdle, we'll see yet another boom and bust cycle that ends in tears.

Most of the world will see an improvement in economic growth this year. Equities are by far the most attractive asset class - but they will be much more volatile.

Today's long period of very easy money and very low yields has distorted the financial system. This will cause unintended consequences in the near future as QE ends.

The thought-provoking (and entertaining) introduction to Markets Summit 2014 - The Great Escape - What will markets be like in the QE runout?

Our Forum Fodder e-newsletter alerts Members to what's new on PortfolioConstruction.com.au and live progams. This week - Nouriel Roubini, Nick Bullman , BlackRock. Plus we kick off a new series on smart beta.

Our Forum Fodder NZ e-newsletter alerts Members to what's new on PortfolioConstruction.com.au and live progams. In Fodder NZ this week -all of the pre-reading for our PortfolioConstruction Forum Markets Summit program next week

The boom demographic joining Facebook is age 65+ at the moment. If retirees are flocking to social media channels, shouldn't you?

Why Unconventional Monetary Policy is undertaken, how it works, what it does, whether it's inflationary, and some of the unintended consequences.

Looking ahead, returns on emerging market debt are likely to better reflect the diversity of the asset class. More than ever, it pays to know your market.

The US is undeniably the critical market within the global economy - and there are real sign-posts that clearly suggest it is ready to surprise the world on the upside.

2013 was a transitional year, as the market woke up to the reality that extraordinarily accommodative monetary policy would not go on forever. What of 2014?

Many New Zealand financial advice firms need to fundamentally rejig their way of doing business, to improve client retention, drive down costs and improve the bottom line.

The start of the end of the Federal Reserve's money printing is expected to reshape the global investment landscape.

Our Forum Fodder e-newsletter alerts Members to what's new on PortfolioConstruction.com.au and live progams. This week - Last year's bullish market mood took a sharp downturn in Jan - this 1st Fodder for 2014 focuses on what it all means

Our Forum Fodder NZ e-newsletter alerts Members to what's new on PortfolioConstruction.com.au and live progams. Last year's bullish market mood took a sharp downturn in Jan - this 1st Fodder for 2014 focuses on what it all means

William Bengen established the 4% rule - and showed a higher exposure to equities was better for retirement portfolios.

The Academy Summer Seminar 2013 featured four sessions: The paradox of wealth (& what can be done); Don't concentrate too hard; Developing your investment philosophy; and, Financial literacy and cognitive functioning.

As we entered 2014, the consensus on the best and worst areas to invest could be described very simply: momentum investing ruled, contrarian investing was dead.

The bullish mood suddenly changed in early January. Here is a structure for thinking about recent market events that may be helpful in assessing new evidence as it comes along.