Our forecasts and tips for 2017

Here is Eureka Report's year end review. To read Intelligent Investor's wrap up for 2016 from John Addis, click here.

If 2016 has taught us anything at all, it's to expect the unexpected.

That's the smart tip for investors as we head into 2017, because the one certainty we do know is that the year ahead will be as uncertain as ever.

As Robert Gottliebsen wrote in his most recent end-of-year wrap, we should all prepare for a volatile year in 2017.

Expect market volatility after Donald Trump takes over the US reins, as the UK Brexit situation unfolds, as more economic and financial ructions take place across Europe, and as Chinese demand fluctuates for raw commodities such as iron ore and base metals.

We know these topics are of interest to you, because they were among our top five most-read articles for 2016. You can see the full list further down, below.

In this, our last bumper edition for the year, we have a comprehensive spread of articles that collectively are a complete investment guide for 2017.

Admittedly, we don't have all the answers. That's because we don't have a crystal ball.

But our team of financial experts tell you their predictions for 2017 for the Australian share market, the domestic bond market, commodities, residential property, and the economy in general.

In our SuperAdvice section we also cover off all the big superannuation changes that will be coming into effect in 2017, and how you can take action before they do to maximise your super benefits.

Separately, we explain the tax relief that's available to all SMSF trustees needing to adjust their superannuation and pension assets before 1 July, 2017.

So here's our full line-up of must-read articles and must-watch videos for the Summer break.

1. John Addis has published The year in review, covering off the top articles of 2016 from our sister publication Intelligent Investor and the various upgrades to the website's features and coverage over the past 12 months.
2. Financial expert Scott Francis examines all the returns on the Australian share market since 1987 and asks, Will shares boom in 2017?
3. But financial advisor Doug Turek cautions not to read too much into the returns achieved this year in his detailed analysis: The Santa rally clause.
4. Economist Callam Pickering reviews the MYEFO and says there's an argument the Government should be pursuing expansionary fiscal policy in Budget narrative vs budget reality.
5. In What economists predict for 2017, John Conroy also asks a number of Australia's most senior economists about their predictions for the share market, the dollar, interest rates and commodities.
6. Fixed income specialist Philip Bayley examines the bond market and raises some concerns in: Will bonds have a bumper 2017 season?
7. Leading property commentator Nerida Conisbee gives her insights on the residential market in: 10 property predictions for 2017.
8. Superannuation expert Bruce Brammall lists what investors can do to prepare for the next round of superannuation changes in: Your best super moves for 2017.
9. And, to find out more about the changes, watch our latest videos: The new superannuation changes explained; Understanding the $1.6m transfer benefit cap; and The new Transition to Retirement rules.
10. Meanwhile, tax expert Max Newnham explains how SMSF trustees can gain some relief in: The 2017 tax breaks for SMSFs

Eureka Report continues to go from strength to strength, with its incisive investment coverage.

During the year we published more than 800 articles and a host of videos, we held regular live Q&A sessions in Melbourne and Sydney where our experts answered your burning questions on shares, investing and superannuation, and we hosted a number of large free events for subscribers in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

In December we launched SuperAdvice, your one-stop-shop for content around investment strategy, superannuation, retirement, tax and SMSF compliance.

We'll be doing much more in 2017 to bring you more content and tools that will help you make better investment decisions, to grow and manage your wealth.

Over the break, if you haven't already, I recommend you upload your investment portfolio details into the InvestSMART free portfolio manager to check your overall financial health and asset weightings.

The InvestSMART mobile app is also available as a free download for Apple and Android devices. It will send live alerts to your phone whenever we make a stock recommendation, and you can also access all our article content.

For your interest, here are Eureka Report's top five most-read articles of 2016, ranked in order.

1. John Addis gained top billing in October when he outlined his concerns for the Chinese economy is his Weekend Brief article, simply titled China Syndrome.
2. But China obviously wasn't the only thing on readers' minds. Also in October, Robert Gottliebsen garnered much interest when he explained the upcoming changes to the Age Pension assets test on 1 January, 2017, in Pension Pinch: The assets test challenge.
3. Then, of course, who can forget the Brexit shock in June. Intelligent Investor analyst James Carlisle's Brexit buy list grabbed instant traction soon after among many subscribers.
4. Travel company Flight Centre has also grabbed headlines during the year, with this article in May taking off.
5. And, with 2017 just around the corner, Robert Gottliebsen's article The three 2017 danger points, published in late November, has also trended very well.

We will resume our normal publishing schedule on Saturday, 14 January, 2017 with our regular Weekend Brief and downloadable PDF, covering more of our forecasts and investment tips for 2017.

In the meantime, I wish you all a very safe and happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year.

Tony Kaye
Editor