Challenger has two distinct but complimentary businesses, Life, with its annuity products and Funds Management. As an insurance company, they need to make sure they have funds to support very long term obligations and roughly 75% of its assets are invested in fixed income. I caught up with Sam Morris, who has recently been promoted to general manager, strategy, to talk about the business, and what’s in the pipeline, market trends and what he hopes to achieve in his new role.

Is the US still the world’s reserve currency? What other investments might replace US government bonds? I sat down with Harry Hardy from Fidelity International recently and we discussed why the US remains an important market but also why it’s wise to diversify and how active management may help you outperform.

In celebration of International Women’s Day, we’ve brought in Dr Laura Ryan, Head of Research and Development at Ardea to sit down with us and discuss her lived experiences as a woman in finance. We talk about the unique challenges women faced in a male-dominated industry and strategies to overcome these hurdles, why it’s ok to ask for what you want, juggling a professional career and building an off-grid house in inner-city Sydney, and how Australia compares to the rest of the world on the gender equity front. 

Dr Ryan led a joint research project on behalf of the CFA Institute with a grant from ANU on the role of gender, in promotion rates, in the financial services industry.  One of the key findings was just asking for a promotion was worthwhile. This eye-opening research provides quantifiable insight into gender bias.

You can find the full study here: 

https://www.ardea.com.au/new-study-indicates-gender-identity-an-important-factor-in-likelihood-of-promotion/ 

Dr Ryan was also featured in Grand Designs in late 2024 with her aptly titled Impossible House, an ambitious project which has seen her convert a 104m2 2-bedroom Newtown workers cottage into a fully off-grid, sustainable (and extremely liveable) home. 

Visit her website: 

https://theimpossiblehouse.com.au/

Watch her Grand Designs episode: 

https://iview.abc.net.au/show/grand-designs-australia/series/11/video/FA2214H010S00

Visit Laura’s house on Sustainable House Day on Sunday 4 May 2025:

https://sustainablehouseday.com/2025-featured-homes/

This week we welcome back Mark Bayley, Portfolio Manager at Kapstream Capital to the Fixated podcast to discuss the post-US Election market reactions and explore the fascinating Private Credit asset class.

We look at how Private Credit fits into an investor’s portfolio, the importance of understanding fees, and what investors should be looking for. Mark also shares his insight into the Kapstream Private Investment Fund which offers investors access to higher yielding investments in securitised warehouse financing.

Private credit has undergone a real renaissance in recent times both in Australia and around the world. CFMG Capital’s Andrew Thomson joins us again to lift the lid on what is driving so much investor interest in this asset class. One of the big concerns of investors about private credit has been the interconnected relationships between manager and borrower. Andrew provides us with valuable insight into CFMG’s view toward this relationship, and how they manage difficult decisions when balancing the interests of the developer and that of the investor.

We discuss the three CFMG funds, how they assess their projects, the difference between pooled and contributory schemes, and the impact lower interest rates may have on their funds and the land market in general.

ASX listed hybrids have been a consistent source of income for decades. Is APRA’s proposal to phase them out likely to go ahead? Where else can investors get similarly high yields? Brad Newcombe from Fixed Income Solutions has followed the hybrid market for more than 25 years and gives us his views.

It’s rare to get strategic vision from a global asset strategist and we’re proud to bring you this interview with regular FINA contributor, Thomas Poullaouec.

We ask, will there be a hard or soft landing? Does the US election matter? Is there more to run in US and Australian equities? What are Poullaouec’s views on fixed income sub asset classes? Does he still have cash to invest? Listen in to hear his frank and at times, unexpected answers.

Private credit is growing, attracting new participants, as well as some criticism. What do you look for if you are thinking of investing? Frank Danieli from MA Financial says the asset class is about avoiding losers, not about picking winners, tune in to find out some of his other tips and learn more from an experienced lender, managing more than $4 billion in private credit.

This week we sit down with Chamath De Silva, Head of Fixed Income at Betashares to discuss US Government Bonds and briefly, its new Australian Major Bank Subordinated Debt ETF (ASX:BSUB). Betashares currently have over $37 billion in funds under management, and $10.5 billion in fixed income funds.

There are good reasons to think about adding global bonds to your portfolio. In this educational podcast episode, Richard Rauch from Brandywine Global Investment Management delves into government and corporate bonds and active and passive investment.

The beauty of being global is the third in a series of three Fixed Income Building Blocks podcasts that aim to build your knowledge and deepen your understanding of the asset class. We'll be talking to portfolio managers and industry experts to lift the lid on fixed income in an easy to understand format, suitable for any skill level.