The inaugural Peter L Bernstein Memorial Lecture at the 2012 Markets Summit focused on Zombie Economics. The GFC exposed the flaws in many of the assumptions behind market liberalism - in most cases, problems were evident well before the GFC, but those who pointed them out were dismissed or ignored. These dead ideas still walk among us...

This session helped delegates determine the key takeouts from the Markets Summit, and actions to take when building investor portfolios...

This Asset Class Forum session at the 2012 Markets Summit saw our presenters and Inquisitors debate the outlook for the Australian debt and equities market, REIT market, Asian equities market and global commodities market, and the portfolio construction implications...

The 2012-2014 outlook for the global commodities market versus cash, the risks and opportunities, and portfolio construction implications...

The 2012-2014 outlook for the Asian equities market versus cash, the risks and opportunities, and portfolio construction implications...

The outlook for the REITs vs cash, risks and opportunities, and portfolio construction implications...

This Asset Class Forum session at the 2012 Markets Summit focused on the 2012-2014 outlook for the Australian equities market, including the most likely scenario, performance v cash, risks and opportunities, and portfolio construction implications...

The 2012-2014 outlook for the Australian debt market, versus cash, the risks and opportunities, and portfolio construction implications...

This Big Picture Forum session at the 2012 Markets Summit saw our presenters and Inquisitors debate the outlook for the global developed market (DM) and emerging market (EM) equities markets, and the portfolio construction implications...

The 2012-2014 outlook for the global emerging market equity markets, risks and opportunities, and the portfolio construction implications...

The 2012-2014 outlook for the global emerging market equity markets, risks, opportunities, and portfolio construction implications...

This Big Picture Forum session at the 2012 Markets Summit saw our presenters and Inquisitors debate the outlook for the global economy and global debt markets, and the portfolio construction implications...

The outlook for the global debt markets relative to cash, risks and opportunities, and portfolio construction implications...

The 2012-2014 outlook for the global economy with particular emphasis on the US and Europe, key scenarios and portfolio construction implications...

The year 2011 saw modest earnings growth of 5% overwhelmed by price to earnings contraction of -15%. It would be hard to imagine that 2012 will be another similar year unless something major or unexpected occurs...

2011 was a disappointing year for equity markets in Asia ex-Japan, recording negative returns and underperforming the developed market peers - however the outlook for Asian equity markets in the short term (one year) and longer term (three years) is promising...

van Eyk awards A ratings to funds and ETFs; KiwiSaver FUM up 7.5% for quarter - the big get bigger; ANZ reviews Bonus Bonds portfolios; business confidence uptick; house affordability improves as median house price slips; adviser joins Plus4...

Kiwibank rating affirmed, Lombard trial enters final phase, SFO charges finance company directors, HFANZ proposes health insurance funding changes, Milford still top of KiwiSaver tables, Bollard to step down, FMA issues draft guide for offer docs, OCR stays at 2.5%, inflation down to 2%, FMA issues anti money laundering guide for advisers, GE Money settles claim, Sovereign A rating unchanged...

Investors need to major in three subjects to get asset allocation right in 2012 - plus, they would do well to study psychology.

The financial advisory profession may be in the process of creating opportunities and challenges similar to the huge transformation of the early 1990s. Internet-based information consolidators and financial organisers, hooked into planning calculators, will commoditise the adviser's traditional value proposition - how should advisers respond to be successful in the future?