Comic Relief

Forget Osama, it is Obama that grabbed burningpants attention this month with the roasting he served up to Donald Trump over the conspiracy theories regarding his birthplace.

Obama gave what was more of a stand-up comedy routine than a speech at the White House Correspondents’ Association annual dinner, mocking Trump’s presidential ambitions and the question marks that have been raised over whether or not he’s a ‘real American’.

Check out the clip below to hear some of the jibes.

Obama’s speech provides some comic relief in a month that marked the death of Osama bin Laden and when crude oil prices plummeted by 10 per cent in just one day – signaling a new and powerful threat to investors (the plunge was attributed to machine trading).

We figure a bit of spice is also welcome after the Australian Federal Government’s Budget delivered a whole lot of nothing to the financial services industry, with most unsure whether to feel frustrated or relieved.

There were some tweaks to the SMSF sector; a $30 increase in the SMSF levy, extra funding to the ATO and ASIC to implement a ‘range of measures’, and auditor registration fees as well some tax changes around infrastructure investment, but for the most part, the Budget was a bit ‘so what?’

There is also added flexibility around the rules on breaches of concessional contribution caps and a $26.2 million commitment to turning MySuper into reality, with APRA-regulated funds set to foot the bill.

On a positive note, the less the Government meddles with superannuation, the more likely confidence in the system will improve. That’s a win for consumers and the industry alike.