What return premia - if any - are attached to different types of investment risk? And just how reliable are those premia are in practice? Can the risks be diversified?

World-wide low interest rates are not a temporary phenomenon. The world has changed and it is highly likely that the current low rate environment will be with us for decades. Getting used to low rates will be a critical adjustment for all investors to make in the coming years.

Low GDP growth, very low real rates, higher PEs and valuation multiples - it's a new world. We all need to get used to it. In particular, we should review client spending plans.

When faced with a huge majority of experts expecting international equities to outperform Australian equities, I blurted this out. I was wrong, and on a few counts.

Are Term Deposits the most boring subject in finance? Actually, they're anything but. The Australian TD market is an area where it is easy to add demonstrable value for clients.

What return premia - if any - are attached to different types of investment risk? And just how reliable those premia are in practice? Can the risks be diversified?

Everyone knows bond rates are going up - so why would you buy fixed interest? Actually, there are three really good reasons.

Central banks must complete the Great Unwind – removing ultra-easy monetary policies. The critical period for markets will come when the Fed lifts short-term rates (probably, but not necessarily, after tapering ends).

It is time to start looking at alternative assets. Not because there is any pressing need to invest today, but because thorough analysis takes time and mistakes can be expensive.

When any investment and, in particular, an alternative investment begins to be considered mainstream with attendant big inflows, the end is generally nigh.

To achieve the Great Escape, central banks must first complete the Great Unwind – the removal of ultra-easy monetary policies. So what is the roadmap for the Great Unwind?

A report on asset allocation intentions of financial planners set the voice in my head singing "How many times..."

It's now time to start looking into alternatives to equities and bonds.

Central banks are likely to dominate investment news for years to come. Most of it will be noise. However, some of it will be critically important.

"Forward PEs look attractive" is often offered as an astute observation. It's almost a truism. But does using forward PEs to assess market valuations work?

Under the lifecycle investing approach, real return outcomes are the most crucial measure of investment outcomes. But managing real return risk involves thinking differently about what risk really means in portfolios.

At a practical level, how can we manage the risk of a client not maintaining their desired standard of living in retirement because they have lived longer than expected?

When all the risks are plain to see, investors understandably become cautious. But often, the very best time to buy is when the risks are well and truly known.

This presentation was preparation for the interactive workshop later in the program, looking at the fundamental principles behind diversification, the critical role of correlation in getting diversification benefits, and how practically to consider the benefits of diversification when designing portfolios.

The Australian economy is affected only tangentially by fiscal problems elsewhere, but there are strong effects on markets. Currency is the lynchpin.