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In my work for Eureka Report, I interview a lot of fund managers. They're almost always good people, and almost always men, and usually very nerdy men at that. It takes a particular type of nerd to be a fund manager.

Over 11 million Australians hold investments of some sort outside their super. But this could be higher. There is still a significant minority of people who do not invest.

As accountants and finance staff everywhere quietly celebrate the end of another financial year, we look forward to FY21, which is sure to be heavily dominated by the COVID-19 crisis.

As if we didn't have enough to deal with right now, Australia's money watchdog ASIC is reporting a rise in investment scams during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We take a look at some strategies that have weathered the storm

This article was originally published back in 2017 but with recent market volatility and a never ending stream of news and coverage of the global economy we thought we would refresh it. It's a timely reminder not to mistake activity for achievement.

On our sister sites, Eureka Report and Intelligent Investor the Q&A sections are one of the most popular features. The sections are so useful we've decided to introduce Q&A to InvestSMART.

It's time to dust off the calculator and start poring through receipts - tax time is around the corner, and that means a refund could soon be coming your way. The end of the financial year is also a time to take stock of your investment portfolio.

We take a look at why the market is behaving as it is and what lays ahead for COVID affected economies.

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen Australians hunker down their finances - spending less and tucking away more cash. That's seen our household savings rate jump from 3.5% (of income) in 2019, to 5.5% at present. But plenty of people could be missing out on easy ways to boost their bank balance.

InvestSMART Capped Fee Portfolio review: 'The Monthly Musing' - bang for your buck

The Reserve Bank's decision to keep the official cash rate on hold at 0.25% for June comes as no surprise. Our central bank has already made it clear that rates are likely to stay at record lows for some time - certainly until the economy picks up. That's great news for anyone with debt, though not so good if you rely on interest-bearing investments for income.

The idea of beating the market is always appealing, but is it possible?

Has there been any evidence so far if one strategy has handled this crisis better?

With dividends being slashed retirees may be reconsidering their current portfolio strategy. Holding the banks, a supermarket and a telco isn't going to cut it right now.

Low interest rates are a big issue for anyone relying on income from bank deposits. But be wary of investments marketed as being 'like' term deposits - they can come with far more risk.