Latest News and Views from Ascent Wealth Management

Welcome to the Latest News and Views,

We hope that everyone is well as we move through February. We have a few articles to keep you updated on the market and as always, something a bit different at the end. We hope you enjoy the read.

Market update

January's performance was steady over the broader market. Though February has seen increased volatility (price fluctuations) with the US and Australian markets. Increased volatility is lagely seen to be a feature of the 2018 landscape. Though volatility shouldn’t be anything to be overly concerned about, a well-structured portfolio should reduce the impact of these types of movements.

5 big market themes are:

Positive reaction to the US Tax Reforms with US markets continuing to rally.
Increases in the US & European bond yields as interest rates look likely to increase.
Solid Chinese share market performance, although this may begin to slow in 2018.
Commodity prices are on the rise, leading to more optimism about iron ore and oil production.
Stronger Australian dollar, although this could lead to weaker imports if it stays at the 80c mark.

Are you due for a pay rise?

The current wage growth rates are at its lowest since it began being tracked in 1997. Although this may be about to change with economic measures such as the underutilisation rate beginning to decline in Australia. This means that the amount of unemployment and underemployment are both declining giving a lower supply of workers to employers. What does this mean for you? A lower supply of workers in the workforce gives you more bargaining power in your current job as you are harder to replace and will give you more power when negotiating a salary with a new employer.

Data in the clouds

Do you store your data online in ‘clouds’? If you do, have you ever thought about where it is stored or if it is secure against prying eyes? The article below provides an interesting read on how our data is being stored and the amount of protection some of the companies have which helps to make their off-site data secure.

Refer a friend!

For those of you that have friends, colleagues and family looking to sort out their finances in 2018, don’t hesitate to let us know so we can provide a complimentary initial meeting to help them take their first step to financial freedom.

From all the team at Ascent Wealth Management

Ascent Wealth Management Pty Ltd, Stephen Nielsen and Gavin Hammond are Authorised Representative of GWM Adviser Services Limited, ABN 96 002 071 749, AFSL number 230692 an Australian Financial Services Licensee, Registered office at 105-153 Miller Street, North Sydney, NSW, 2060 and a member of the National Australia Group of companies.

This advice may not be suitable to you because it contains general advice that has not been tailored to your personal circumstances. Please seek personal financial and tax and/or legal advice prior to acting on this information. The material contained in this newsletter is based on information received in good faith from sources within the market, and on our understanding of legislation and Government press releases at the date of publication, which are believed to be reliable and accurate. Opinions constitute our judgement at the time of issue and are subject to change. Neither, the Licensee or any of the National Australia group of companies, nor their employees or directors give any warranty of accuracy, nor accept any responsibility for errors or omissions in this email.

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