Bastion Financial Group

A question; is true Index investing still possible 🤔 Where this article from today’s Financial Times highlights the discretion afforded to the various Index Committees across the globe, I 100% agree with the premise… That as ‘arbiters of the rule-books defining a market’, and with passive investments accounting for approximately a third of all assets under management, index committees absolutely deserve scrutiny - especially where they are steering global capital allocations. True index investing is meant to be exactly that. It shouldn’t be a ‘pick and mix’ allocation from a benchmark menu. In saying that, one can then easily cast their mind towards the swollen aggregate equity positions that the biggest global Index Managers (e.g. Vanguard, State Street, Blackrock) hold 🤔 These behemoths are proud of their ‘strategic’ and ‘ballot-item’ engagements with company boards in an effort to drive and effect change. That’s getting up there with the Nelson Peltz’s of the world (refer: the latest Disney battle with Trian Partners), and if that doesn’t constitute an active investment management overlay, I don’t know what does. Back to my original question; is true Index investing still possible? [Article: ‘The hidden power of index providers’ by Toby Nangle from the #FT Financial Times (UK)] #investment #wealthmanagement #investmentmanagement #passiveinvesting #activeinvesting #financialadvice #financialplanning

Bastion continues to grow from strength to strength. We’re looking for an Associate Adviser to join our amazing team! An individual who wishes to aspire, grow and deliver! The great people we know will know great people that we would like to know. We would truly appreciate it if you could spread the word. Thanks so much! We're enjoying continued growth, and are now looking for the next superstar to join our amazing team to help us to look after our highly valued clients in a friendly, dynamic and professional environment. Please see the following link; https://lnkd.in/gp2vw763 #bastionfinancialgroup #financialplanning #perth #hiring

As Chair of - and on behalf of - the FAAA WA Chapter, we were proud to sponsor two WA Financial Planning students to attend FAAA Congress 2023. Well done Jack Hogan and Leah Dhu for winning the 2023 sponsorship opportunity 👏👏👏 Our profession is lucky to have people like you coming through the ranks as you progress and grow within your chosen career (and what a fine career choice if I say so myself 😄)!! The future of financial planning is bright indeed ☀️☀️☀️ WA Chapter members in attendance; Troy Hart CFP® Michael Scolt Naomi Mee-Martino CFP® Amber Dillon Dawn Thomas CFP®, SSA Luke Pirozzi James Ford #FAAACongress23 #financialplanning #financialadvice

Will the proposed Super Tax be the new Window Tax? 🤔 It is proposed that from 1 July 2025, earnings on superannuation balances over $3 million will be subject to a total tax payable of 30% (up from 15%). The Government anticipates that this measure will deliver an additional $2 billion p.a. in tax revenues in its first year. This certainly isn’t first time that the government of the day has chased the wealthy to bolster tax revenues. It was King William III (‘William of Orange’) who originally introduced the Window Tax in 1696 as an innovative way to tax the wealthy. Wealthy people had larger homes with lots of windows. As it eventuated, the Window Tax didn’t actually generate the revenues that it was anticipated to generate. Why? People started to brick up their windows. Taxes change people’s behaviour. This is exactly what will happen in Australia should the Super Tax be legislated to commence in 2025. Vehicles like Discretionary Trusts, Investment Bonds and other strategies will provide structural solutions to those impacted by the proposed Super Tax, to the point that the Government will likely not realise its anticipated revenues with this policy change. Read the full article here 👇 #whyadvicematters #wealthmanagement #financialplanning #superannuation

At the Hannemann&Brown Wealth Symposium this week in Perth, and this slide made me sit up straighter 🤔 The session was on Private Credit, and this particular slide shows the ‘hockey-stick’ growth in the sector across the past five years. This growth is clearly symptomatic of the yield-chasing that was happening at the time when rates were at an all time low, and it begs the obvious question in this new world order of higher rates; Where to next? Any optimist in the room was excited at the prospect of an even higher yield to what the new world order of higher rates was presenting. Me? Not so much. For an asset class that; ⛔️ Is typified by floating rates in a rising interest rate environment and; ⛔️ Carries an illiquidity premium for a reason, and which; ⛔️ Lives in a world that’s not regulated like the banks (and that lends to those that the banks won’t lend to). My concern is that in a world where the availability of credit is drying up, and where the default cycle has only just begun… are we poised towards pushing bad risk into the plumbing of financial markets? Not again, surely! Time will tell, it always does ⏰ #whyadvicematters #patentheeledinvestor #wealthmanagement #investing #portfolioconstruction #assetallocation #riskmanagement #financialplanning #financialadvice

We were honoured and thrilled when a business-owner client invited us to be a Gold Sponsor for a third year running at their annual event at Crown Perth over the weekend. As always, it was very refreshing to be part of an event outside of Financial Services - and to meet and listen to the knowledge and expertise of those from another profession… the atmosphere in the room was palpable! Not to mention the added energy of our client being at the precipice of a very complementary and exciting venture! As their Financial Planners, it was a humbling experience to receive a personal endorsement from them direct from the stage, including an acknowledgement of the individual people behind our team at Bastion. That was particularly special - these are professional moments that count 🙏🥰 On an aside, it was still a slightly surreal experience to see a giant picture of me looking out across 600+ attendees (up to 1300+ with streaming)! #bastionfinancialgroup #whyadvicematters #financialplanning #financialadvice #businessowners #wealthmanagement

Applications are now open for the Future2 Make the Difference Grants program!!! Where I’ve actively supported Future2 for a number of years now, I’m sharing this post as it would be terrific for the sunny WA Financial Planning community to support as many local grant applications as possible ☀️💪☀️ Last year, the WA grants proudly went to 12 Buckets and Leading Youth Forward. This year, Future2 expanded the criteria to welcome applications for programs that support Australians of any age. Priority is given to grassroots community programs where you can ‘see the money at work’, and is not restricted to DGR status organisations. Eligibility lies where the focus is on supporting Australians in one or more of the below areas; ✅ Education, incl. financial literacy and skills ✅ Engagement, incl. mentoring, and juvenile justice programs ✅ Employment, incl. work experience and job readiness training ✅ Wellbeing, incl. mental health programs and support services ✅ Independant living, incl. support for people who are homeless At $10,000 a pop for every successful grant application, it would be awesome for Western Australia to support as many grant applications as possible this year!!! ☀️☀️ #future2foundation #makethedifference