This edition of Investment Insights, provided by AMP Capital Investors, looks at the potential impact the looming elections in the US could have on share markets.

Fund managers were involved in two significant property announcements yesterday. St Laurence Group is set to buy the Finance Centre in Auckland for a little over $100 million and ING completed its Urbus purchase.

One of the words advisers are going to hear a lot about in future months and years is corporatisation.

The latest buzz word in financial planning and advice is corporatisation – essentially using the right tools to not only rationalise client services but also to maximise the value of your business.

Wellington

Superannuitants will be up to $10 a week worse off than they should be by the end of the year, United Future leader Peter Dunne told a Wanganui Grey Power meeting.

Weekly mortgage rate report: Although two year rates are considered the best option for home loans at the moment rates have started rising.

Reserve Bank governor Alan Bollard may be heartened by ASB Bank’s latest survey findings that expectations of house price increases are rapidly diminishing.

The markets are at a fascinating juncture, uncertain in which direction to move given the opposing forces currently influencing investors. Tyndall Investment Management New Zealand Ltd managing director Anthony Quirk comments on the state of the markets.

Property investors are rallying against the proposed depreciation changes suggested in a recently-released discussion paper.

Asteron becomes Morningstar's only five star manager.