Are the policy proposals of Prime Minister Abe a signal to re-orient portfolios to Japan?

Without some major shake-up, the Euro will fail. A monetary union between countries with no growth, rising unemployment and decreasing levels of trade with each other is just not credible.

A few weeks ago, a small contingent of Kiwi advisers travelled to Sydney to join around 500 practitioners for the annual PortfolioConstruction Forum Markets Summit. We asked the Kiwi delegates how what they heard is shaping the way they construct portfolios.

Could financial advisers who offer comprehensive services be doing a better job? Two recent studies shed a positive light on the potential of the financial planning profession to do right by clients.

Stephen discusses the rise of income investing and the advantages of global equities for income seeking investors. As a global energy specialist, he discusses the US shale energy revolution and industrial renaissance, before concluding with insights on the eurozone, and why it remains a significant and underappreciated threat to a global recovery.

Bonds are negatively correlated to equities – so they make a great portfolio diversifier despite their low yields, right?. Wrong.

Adrian will discuss global fundraising and the secondary market including secondary market supply/demand, the market participants, key challenges, market catalysts and how to gain easier access to this much misunderstood asset class.

A recent study confirms that expert financial advice does change consumer behaviour - and consumers see it as more valuable.

Is the consensus is correct in its assumption that equities are a good place to be right now?

This time Italy's political crisis really matters - and not just to Italy. For the troubled Eurozone, this means its crisis is not only back but worse than before.

Reform doesn't equate to austerity, as Italian voters have shown. US reform does not equate to austerity either.

Most planners struggle to reach and effectively serve Gen X and Gen Y, tending instead to focus their on baby boomers. But it's quite possible serve at least a fairly wide swath of Gen X and Gen Y.

Markets Summit 2013 debated and identified the key investment market and asset class opportunities (and risks) ahead, to help in the search for return and in building better quality investor portfolios.

The spotlight shone on the outlook for Australian equities in a 3-D world (deleveraging, demographics and (liquidity) damns - and the portfolio construction implications.

Our second equities speaker offered a contrasting view on the outlook for global equities - the most likely scenario for the three years ahead, key risks and signposts to watch for.

Australia's national income per person is the 5th-highest in the world. But the drivers of success are deteriorating.

Every policy maker in the world is joining in the chorus of "Start Me Up." Woe to the investor who doesn't listen.

When I transverse the latest data and policy issues, the prospects for so many countries are either worrying or exciting or perhaps both, depending on your state of mind.

The main areas of risk and contagion that investors may wish to consider in 2013.

Five themes define the opportunity set for asset classes and markets for the coming five years.