Latest news with #Delahunty
Perth Now
08-08-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Huge super balance milestone revealed
The average 30-year-old Australian earning the median wage is on track for a comfortable retirement for the first time, forecasters have revealed. The milestone comes from analysis by the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA), and was down to mandatory 12 per cent superannuation payments becoming a reality. 'This is a major milestone in Australia's retirement system,' ASFA chief executive Mary Delahunty said. 'With the super guarantee increase to 12 per cent, we are seeing super fulfil its objective of providing a dignified retirement for ordinary Australians, with today's 30-year-olds reaping the rewards of decades of progress in our world-class super system.' From July 1, workers' superannuation guarantee rate increased from 11.5 per cent to 12 per cent, meaning employers pay 12 per cent equivalent amount of your earnings into super. Unpaid super is a concern in many casualised industries. Proponents of the increase in super payments say the change addresses some effects of generational inequalities in Australia. NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia The bump to 12 per cent tips today's 30-year-olds into a comfortable retirement, the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia modelling says. The increase means about an extra $20,000 come retirement time. The test-case 30-year-old needs to be on at least the median wage though, which is about $75,000. The average Australian wage is $102,741. 'With the 12 per cent super guarantee coming in, we can now say that the system foundations are cemented for young, working people to have a comfortable retirement,' Ms Delahunty said. 'It's a moment all Australians should be proud of.' A comfortable retirement means being able to pay for health insurance, a decent car, phone and internet, regular leisure activities, an annual domestic holiday and an international holiday every seven years. The analysis shows younger workers should be on track for a comfortable retirement. NewsWire / Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia The amount needed to tick these boxes is $595,000 as a single homeowner and $690,000 combined for a homeowning couple. A retiring renter needs an extra 30 per cent. As well as being positive news for Australians only a decade or two into their working lives, the super guarantee increase to 12 per cent has also been heralded as a win for women. Modelling on the change, done by super fund HESTA, projects the increased payments will enhance the stark difference between younger women and women retiring now. Under HESTA's modelling, a woman starting her career in 2025 was now projected to have $712,000 of super when she retired; $411,000 more than the average female retiring this year. At the moment, the average Australian male aged in his early 60s has $395,000 in super, versus $313,360 for women.
Agriland
02-08-2025
- Climate
- Agriland
Co Kilkenny Tillage Farmer Enjoys Strong Start to the 2025 Cereal Harvest
Co. Kilkenny tillage farmer, Edward Delahunty, has enjoyed an encouraging start to the 2025 cereal harvest. This week he has cut a crop of Integral winter barley, which is yielding just over 4.2t/ac at 15% dry matter. Delahunty grows a mix of winter barley, spring barley, and gluten free oats. Fodder beet and forage maize are also key to the cropping rotation followed on the farm. Integral is a six-row variety with Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV)-tolerance. 'The barley was sown out on October 6 into a perfect seed bed and it has been a good news story from that point through to final harvest. 'The crop got the rain when it was needed, with the sunshine and heat available at the right times as well. 'We have had the driest spring on record, which meant that disease levels were very low throughout the growing season. 'We yield-map the ground as the harvest progresses and all the trailers are weighed. So we know the yields we are getting almost in real time," Delahunty told Agriland. He is also pleased with the high yields of high quality straw currently. 'We will make a mix of round and square bales depending on the location of the straw. 'I had applied for the Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM). But given the tremendous condition of crops at the present time, I will probably bale everything this year – even the oat straw. 'There is a tremendous demand for straw at the present time, for both bedding and feeding purposes," Delahunty said. The Co. Kilkenny farmer added that the fact that disease levels in crops have been so low this year has been adding to its quality. "Straw values now make a real contribution to the margins generated by all cereal enterprises," he said. One key factor that has made life a little easier this year is the weather. 'This year, all field work was carried out at the correct time and without any stress placed on farmers looking to get on with the work. 'And it's an absolute pleasure to be out in the fields right now cutting crops that are in almost perfect condition. 'Too often in the past, growers have found themselves fighting a combination of bad weather and poor ground conditions. It's so rewarding when, every now and then, everything goes to plan," Delahunty added. He has walked all his cereal crops over recent days and was surprised at how quickly they are coming through to harvest. 'There's a week's good weather in the offing. And based on what I am looking at in the fields right now, I would be confident enough that we will be cutting spring barley well before the end of August. 'I am aware that some spring crops got caught by the drought during May. Here in Kilkenny we got rain when it was required. As a result, spring barley crops look promising enough. But we won't know the true story until we get through to the actual harvest," he said. Maximising the returns that can be generated from his crops is also a priority for Delahunty - which is one reason why he also focuses on gluten-free oats. "All the spring barley is grown to a malting standard. If it doesn't meet this requirement then it can always be sold for feed. 'The additional price bonuses available for these value-added crops make a real difference when it comes to either making a profit or a loss from a cereal enterprise. 'And given the current state of world grain markets, Irish tillage farmers need all the incentives they can avail of," he said. According to Delahunty, traditionally cereal growers have been prices takers, however, the opportunity to produce value-added crops - such as gluten-free oats and malting barley - delivers an opportunity for tillage farmers to gain a much needed foothold in more premium markets. He is always keen to boost crop yields, and one way he dos this is with the use of slurries and animal manures. 'I have used pig slurry at a number of locations across the farm. And the positive difference it is making to final crop yields is immense admittedly, there are a number of factors coming into play here - the distance that slurry has to be transported in the first instance being one of them. 'However, given good ground conditions, the use of an umbilical system means that large volumes of slurry can be spread within a very short space of time. 'Putting more slurry out on to tillage ground makes sense from every perspective. In the first instance, animal manures are extremely valuable fertiliser sources. 'And spreading them on tillage ground is helping livestock farmers to fully comply with the various nitrates and water quality regulations. It all adds up to a win-win story for farming as a whole," Delahunty added. But at the same time, he is always very aware of the environmental challenges facing all farmers at the present time and believes it is vitally important that the role of tillage in helping to deliver a lower carbon footprint for agriculture as a whole is now fully recognised. Although the initial results from the 2025 harvest have been positive for Delahunty, he has sounded a warning about the outlook for tillage farmers this year. Over the last three successive seasons, the price that tillage farmers have received for their grains has remained static. However, their input costs have continued to rise. 'Tillage farmer are also conscious that farm gate prices across all the other sectors of farming have never been higher. 'The figures are not adding up. Tillage has been under immense economic pressure for the last three years. 'Growers are not in a position where they can invest in the businesses they have right now, never mind expand the scale of their operations," he said. Delahunty believes is calling on the government to commit to supporting tillage on a consistent and constructive basis. 'Budget 2026 gives government an opportunity to kick start this process," he said.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Forget fundamentals. 4 everyday investors have made winning stock picks with a much simpler strategy.
Some retail investors have picked winning stocks without utilizing extensive Wall Street insights. Instead, they're following Warren Buffett's strategy of investing in what you know. Paired with a broader diversification strategy, it's a great way to learn more about the market. Say goodbye to Excel spreadsheets, financial statements, and fancy Bloomberg terminals. Some everyday investors have a secret weapon that's leading to winning stock picks. Bob Vanscoy bought Nvidia in 2020, years before the AI boom propelled the company to its current position as the world's most valuable company. The 54-year-old father of two invested after observing his children playing video games during the pandemic. Vanscoy was surprised by the level of detail in the games. "I got to thinking that these were becoming more than just games. They were becoming stories," Vanscoy told Business Insider. "My kids told me Nvidia graphics cards were really, really popular and everyone was to get them." Fast forward to today, and Vanscoy holds 1,292 shares at a cost basis of $6.76 per share, brokerage statements viewed by Business Insider show. He's notched a gain of 1,593.15% on his investment, which is worth about $147,977. Vanscoy isn't the only investor who's made stock picks based on things his kids were into. Mikhaela Delahunty, a 42-year-old PR specialist, bought Crocs stock in 2022 after seeing the shoes everywhere. "They were sold out, and my kids were begging me for some really strange colored plastic shoes," Delahunty said. She did some more research, found that Crocs had recently completed an acquisition and posted strong earnings, and bought in. While Delahunty sold out of her stock positions last year to free up liquidity to grow her business, her gut instinct was correct. Today, Crocs is rated favorably across Wall Street, with an over 60% buy rating among analysts, according to Bloomberg. "The power that tweens have on the purchasing decisions of their parents is remarkable, and you can't ever discount that," Delahunty said. While picking stocks based on vibes of the moment might seem a lot less precise than what the Wall Street pros are doing, it's actually not that dar removed from traditional investing wisdom. As Warren Buffett famously advised: invest in what you understand. Some retail investors have put this mindset into action by using their day jobs to glean investing insights. Etienne Breton, a 47-year-old technical expert at a manufacturing company, invested in Palantir after realizing the software company's solutions were sorely needed at his job. "I realized it could solve the exact problem I saw at my own job: data trapped in disconnected silos, with brittle patches, custom code, and no flexibility," Breton said. Another Palantir investor, 33-year-old Sherry Jiang, was drawn to the company because of her career ambitions. "I was really curious about potentially working there, and I actually interviewed there," Jiang said. She ultimately took a job at Google instead. After a few years, Jiang left to start her personal finance company, Peek. But she kept tabs on Palantir and bought shares last year. "I still follow Palantir because I really believe in their edge. It's not just in the technology but also in their long-standing relationships with extremely sticky customers, like governments," Jiang said. Both Breton and Jiang's bets have paid off handsomely. Breton has amassed 17,800 shares of Palantir, with some as low as $6 a share. While Jiang's holding isn't quite as large, her 218 shares of Palantir at a cost basis of $23 have delivered strong returns as the shares surged in recent months. What do the pros think about this strategy? As it turns out, even some of Wall Street's biggest firms rely on similar instincts in addition to crunching numbers. Analysts often conduct "channel checks" by visiting physical locations to observe foot traffic, customer activity, and site operations. So when Delahunty observed Crocs flying off the shelves, she was essentially doing her own version of a channel check. Dan Egan, VP of behavioral finance and investing at the financial advisory company Betterment, says investors should proceed cautiously, but investing based on what you observe in your own day-to-day can indeed be a viable framework, especially for more casual investors. "If you find it engaging and intellectually stimulating, and you like talking about investment strategies, it's totally fine. Go ahead and do it," Egan said. However, he cautions investors against making this their primary method of investing. If your goal is to achieve risk-adjusted returns, staying diversified through ETFs, index funds, and broad asset allocation strategies is still the best move. For retail investors looking to get some hands-on experience, paying attention to what's around you and putting a little money behind it might be the most intuitive first step there is. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
05-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Forget fundamentals. 4 everyday investors have made winning stock picks with a much simpler strategy.
Say goodbye to Excel spreadsheets, financial statements, and fancy Bloomberg terminals. Some everyday investors have a secret weapon that's leading to winning stock picks. Bob Vanscoy bought Nvidia in 2020, years before the AI boom propelled the company to its current position as the world's most valuable company. The 54-year-old father of two invested after observing his children playing video games during the pandemic. Vanscoy was surprised by the level of detail in the games. "I got to thinking that these were becoming more than just games. They were becoming stories," Vanscoy told Business Insider. "My kids told me Nvidia graphics cards were really, really popular and everyone was to get them." Fast forward to today, and Vanscoy holds 1,292 shares at a cost basis of $6.76 per share, brokerage statements viewed by Business Insider show. He's notched a gain of 1,593.15% on his investment, which is worth about $147,977. Vanscoy isn't the only investor who's made stock picks based on things his kids were into. Mikhaela Delahunty, a 42-year-old PR specialist, bought Crocs stock in 2022 after seeing the shoes everywhere. "They were sold out, and my kids were begging me for some really strange colored plastic shoes," Delahunty said. She did some more research, found that Crocs had recently completed an acquisition and posted strong earnings, and bought in. While Delahunty sold out of her stock positions last year to free up liquidity to grow her business, her gut instinct was correct. Today, Crocs is rated favorably across Wall Street, with an over 60% buy rating among analysts, according to Bloomberg. "The power that tweens have on the purchasing decisions of their parents is remarkable, and you can't ever discount that," Delahunty said. Invest in what you know While picking stocks based on vibes of the moment might seem a lot less precise than what the Wall Street pros are doing, it's actually not that dar removed from traditional investing wisdom. As Warren Buffett famously advised: invest in what you understand. Some retail investors have put this mindset into action by using their day jobs to glean investing insights. Etienne Breton, a 47-year-old technical expert at a manufacturing company, invested in Palantir after realizing the software company's solutions were sorely needed at his job. "I realized it could solve the exact problem I saw at my own job: data trapped in disconnected silos, with brittle patches, custom code, and no flexibility," Breton said. Another Palantir investor, 33-year-old Sherry Jiang, was drawn to the company because of her career ambitions. "I was really curious about potentially working there, and I actually interviewed there," Jiang said. She ultimately took a job at Google instead. After a few years, Jiang left to start her personal finance company, Peek. But she kept tabs on Palantir and bought shares last year. "I still follow Palantir because I really believe in their edge. It's not just in the technology but also in their long-standing relationships with extremely sticky customers, like governments," Jiang said. Both Breton and Jiang's bets have paid off handsomely. Breton has amassed 17,800 shares of Palantir, with some as low as $6 a share. While Jiang's holding isn't quite as large, her 218 shares of Palantir at a cost basis of $23 have delivered strong returns as the shares surged in recent months. Ask an expert What do the pros think about this strategy? As it turns out, even some of Wall Street 's biggest firms rely on similar instincts in addition to crunching numbers. Analysts often conduct "channel checks" by visiting physical locations to observe foot traffic, customer activity, and site operations. So when Delahunty observed Crocs flying off the shelves, she was essentially doing her own version of a channel check. Dan Egan, VP of behavioral finance and investing at the financial advisory company Betterment, says investors should proceed cautiously, but investing based on what you observe in your own day-to-day can indeed be a viable framework, especially for more casual investors. "If you find it engaging and intellectually stimulating, and you like talking about investment strategies, it's totally fine. Go ahead and do it," Egan said. However, he cautions investors against making this their primary method of investing. If your goal is to achieve risk-adjusted returns, staying diversified through ETF s, index funds, and broad asset allocation strategies is still the best move. For retail investors looking to get some hands-on experience, paying attention to what's around you and putting a little money behind it might be the most intuitive first step there is.
Perth Now
23-06-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
The annual amount you now need to retire — and it's not $1m
If you're hoping to draw a line under your working life come the new financial year next week — but you're yet to run the numbers on exactly how much money you're likely to splash about each year in retirement — rest easy. The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia is still doing the heavy lifting for you and reckons a so-called 'comfortable' standard of living will now set couples in their mid-60s back $73,875 a year. For a single, the group's latest quarterly snapshot of the cost of living in retirement, released last week, is $52,383. For comparison, Centrelink's full age pension is currently $43,753 for couples and $29,024 for singles. The cost of a comfortable retirement includes top-level health insurance, fast internet and streaming services, an above-average car, regular leisure activities, occasional restaurant meals, regular wardrobe updates, home repairs or upgrades, annual domestic travel and an overseas trip every seven years. It also assumes the retirees own their own home. When viewed as a total nest egg balance, a couple hoping to live a little and aim for a comfortable retirement will need $690,000. For a single, it's $595,000. But those approaching retirement without any of these magic numbers in their nest egg shouldn't panic. The figures often work in conjunction with supplemental income through a part-pension, and financial advisers also say it's important to remember that annual spending falls as retirees get older. The annual figures are up 1.6 per cent from the March quarter as the higher cost of meat, seafood, fruit and vegetables and electricity offset a near 8 per cent fall in the price of international travel and accommodation as peak season demand waned for trips to Europe in the December holiday period. ASFA chief executive Mary Delahunty said while retirees were enjoying some relief from slowing inflation, essentials costs remained a concern. 'Australians in retirement are starting to benefit from a slowdown in inflation, but the prices of essentials are still rising,' Ms Delahunty said. 'It's a timely reminder that achieving a dignified retirement takes planning, and superannuation plays a critical role in making that possible.' A so-called modest standard of living for retirees now costs $48,184 for couples and $33,386 for singles. That means basic health insurance and limited gap payments, basic mobile, modest internet data allowance, owning a cheaper, older, more basic car, few leisure or travel activities, limited home repairs and keeping a close eye on utility costs. ASFA has been generating its Retirement Standard for two decades. In a sign of the times as homeownership becomes beyond the reach of many people, with an increasing number of Australians likely to be renting in retirement, it has now added budgets for retirees living at the modest level in private rentals to the benchmark guide. It estimates a single renter aged around 65 would need $46,663 a year, with a couple needing $64,259, to retire at a modest level. The lump sums at retirement needed are estimated to be $340,000 for a single and $385,000 for a couple. It said the budgets were significantly above what is provided by the full age pension and highlight the key role superannuation plays for retirees who rent. 'These new figures demonstrate how important it is that we build more homes in this country so Australians can buy a house or an apartment,' Ms Delahunty said.. 'They also illustrate how super can be the difference between hardship and stability later in life, especially for renters, which is why we need to keep it safe for retirement.'
