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October 2026
Dear Clients, Friends, and Colleagues,
Major Developments for the quarter:
Personal Updates
The third quarter brought a welcome mix of adventure, family time and a little new equipment. I completed the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder—thankfully without a crash—in what was an extraordinary few days of riding, reconnecting with nature and spending time with good friends. Day one did include an unplanned 20-mile extension after I missed a turn; my Garmin head unit seemed decidedly more comfortable suggesting a scenic detour than simply instructing me to make a U-turn. Closer to home, we took the girls on our first family (tent) camping trip at Gordon Country (QLD), carefully navigating the cow dung while introducing them to the joys of the great outdoors. We also escaped to Cabarita Beach in northern New South Wales with my in-laws, who are visiting for a month, for the September school holidays—an excellent trip in every respect other than the weather. And, in news that will surprise precisely no one who knows me, I added a new bike to the stable - a Factor One.
Business and Professional Updates
On the business front, Arete continues to grow steadily, now serving approximately 110 client households and advising on around US$180 million in assets. As the practice expands, we expect to add an Australia-based adviser during Q4 or early Q1, strengthening our capacity to support clients on both sides of the Pacific. Following several highly successful years working in partnership with BlackRock’s Portfolio Consulting team, we have spent this quarter undertaking due diligence on technology that brings us a step closer together with their Custom Model Solutions team. This means we’ll be able to leverage BlackRock’s insights into our investment research while automating model updates to our trading system. We believe this development will improve efficiency, consistency and scalability while preserving the portfolio oversight and independence that clients value.
We have also updated our business model so existing Arete USA client pricing can now be extended to Australian portfolios. Alongside this, we have developed an Australian set of Fi360 AIF models, available via Macquarie and Netwealth. Together, these changes materially reduce both the cost and administrative friction of maintaining investment portfolios across the United States and Australia.
Warm Regards,
Ashley Murphy, CFP® GFP Fellow
Principal & Founder
Areté Wealth Strategists Australia
Brisbane, QLD, Australia
If the second quarter was about relief, the third was about endurance. A supply shock in oil, a sharp repricing of interest rates and a wobble in the AI trade all landed in the same three months, and yet U.S. shares still finished higher. The S&P 500 gained 2.03% for the quarter while the Dow fell 1.9% and the Nasdaq rose 2.2% (CNBC). The headline numbers were calm. The path to get there was not... Read More Here
How do US Inheritances with Australian Beneficiaries work in 2026? (Nov 17th)
Receiving an inheritance from the United States while living in Australia can create a web of tax, estate-planning, reporting and investment issues—particularly where estates involve US retirement accounts, trusts, real property, closely held businesses or substantial investment portfolios.Join Arete Wealth Strategists Australia Founder and Principal Ashley Murphy, GFP (USA/AUS), CFP® for a practical webinar exploring the key issues Australian-resident beneficiaries and their families should consider when a US inheritance is anticipated or received.Topics will include:
Please keep an eye out for the registration emails closer to the date.
In the meantime, check out our YouTube channel: Areté Wealth Strategists Australia
Q3 Portfolio & Economic Update: Performance, Outlook & Portfolio Changes
Wednesday, October 7th
As this is a client only event, clients and prospective clients have already been sent the registration email.
A Quick Reminder for Private Client Sessions: If you can't make these sessions live but still want to catch the recording, please make sure to register anyway so the system automatically emails you the replay link.
As always, all presentation slides and materials from our private events are uploaded directly under the "Investments" Tab on your personal Client Notion Page.
How does the US Tax Australian Superannuation in 2026?
In this session, Ashley Murphy, CFP®, GFP Fellow, unpacked how the U.S. taxed Australian superannuation accounts in 2026, drawing on the latest IRS positions, practitioner guidance, and court rulings.
Key topics included:
Superannuation remains one of the most complex—and frequently misunderstood—aspects of cross-border financial planning for Australians living in the United States and Americans residing in Australia. With no direct recognition of superannuation in the U.S. tax code and evolving IRS interpretations, staying current on how these accounts were treated for U.S. tax purposes was critical.
Discover why a dramatic surge in U.S. Treasury bond yields is quietly reshaping the economy and what it means for your investments, mortgage rates, and future market headlines.
The traditional diamond market is plummeting by half while chemically identical lab-grown stones and rising colored gems reshape the future of jewelry.
Why soaring national debt and ballooning interest costs are forcing the U.S. and global economies toward a decade of unavoidable fiscal reckoning.
Senior AI researchers warn that rapidly advancing machine intelligence could pose existential threats to humanity within the decade—and we might be powerless to stop it.
Your Guide to Understanding Tax Residency Rules in the United States
Think lacking a visa shields you from U.S. taxes? Simple physical presence, state domicile traps, and mismatched cross-border tax calendars can unexpectedly trigger U.S. tax liability on your worldwide income. Read. More Here
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