Those interested in long-term investment in Australian equities...

Those interested in long-term investment in Australian equities should also consider index funds.

The pick of the these funds is the listed SPDR S&P/ASX200 Fund (ASX code: STW) whose management fees are a mere 0.285%pa. Several unlisted index funds are also available, but these tend to charge higher fees: Vanguard charges 0.75%pa, and Colonial FirstState 1.10%pa.

As for LICs, my favourites are ARG, MLT and CHO. I'm yet to invest in AUI or DUI, but these would be next on my list. I wouldn't touch the newer, smaller LICs with a barge pole.