Australian Shareholders' Association

For anyone seeking professional growth, exposure to new skillsets and the chance to help an organisation make its mark, serving on a board is an ideal learning experience, Loane Avenell writes in a look back at her “remarkable” first year with the Australian Investors Association.

The Australian Shareholders’ Association and the Australian Investors Association have agreed to amalgamate in the new year, seeking to grow their membership and influence as a unified leader in advocacy and education.

Despite continuing strong economic data for Australia, markets have forecast significant earnings downgrades, and results have been mixed so far. But a main highlight – CBA’s record $10 billion profit – may not be enough to improve investors’ outlook on the banking sector, analysts say.

Much of what keeps Australian investors up at night – and the biggest investment mistakes they make – could be avoided through a greater focus on financial literacy, especially as markets “start acting like markets again”, the private wealth manager’s directors Jamie Nemtsas and Drew Meredith said.

The Australian Shareholders’ Association recently held its second annual ASA Awards in recognition of best corporate governance, honouring Woolworths Group for its shareholder communications and Northern Star Resources for improved governance standards.

Treasury’s plan would increase the headline tax rate to 30 per cent from 15 per cent for earnings on superannuation balances above $3 million. The SMSF Association and others have called it unsustainable and discriminatory to SMSFs.