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Articles
Neither fish nor fowl: the hybrid boom March 2012
Investors are being flooded by a wave of securities known as "hybrids". These are instruments that combine the qualities of debt and equity and which offer an additional return over plain cash. So far, so good; but what are the risks? Read full article The importance of disclosure March 2012 Insurers do not, as a matter of course, verify every applicant’s medical history at the time of underwriting and will only request medical records if the insurer needs more information about something that has been disclosed on the application. Read full article Forecasting individual stock performance - a fool's game? February 2012 Our overall investment approach is to diversify investments both across and within asset classes, a 'passive' strategy. Another investment approach is to solely invest in the best stocks, buying them before anticipated rises in price and selling before anticipated falls in price. This is known as an ‘active’ strategy. Read full article
It's not all bad news: 2011 fixed interest investment performance October 2011 While the media have recently focussed on the downturn of equities, fixed interest investments have performed strongly. Read full article In the forest March 2011 Many investors cherish the notion that if only they had instant access to the information of market professionals (stock research, broker calls or economic forecasts) their wealth-building dreams would be much further advanced. So, what if you had acted on those big professional calls in the past year? Read full article Backing the underdog September 2010 The financial media constantly tells investors that in volatile markets, they need to pick the best companies with the strongest balance sheets – which is sort of like backing Italy in a World Cup soccer match against New Zealand. Read full article Getting the right balance June 2010 It’s human nature to try and avoid losses rather than securing gains, which is why volatile financial markets make us feel so anxious. Good advice can help take these natural emotions out of the equation and identify what we can and can’t control. Read full article The big picture June 2010 Trying to understand financial markets by tracking the daily media headlines can be likened to trying to tell the time by tracking the second hand of a watch. If you focus on the finer points, you risk missing the big picture. Read full article The changing landscape June 2010 In the wake of the Global Financial Crisis, the prevailing sentiment has been that “everything has changed” and a flood of books has emerged seeking to establish the cause of the recession and the lessons learned from it. Do financial markets and their associated institutions still work in efficiently pricing securities, in managing risk, in helping businesses to grow and investors to accumulate wealth? Read full article Winners and losers March 2010 Sir Peter Blake wore red socks every time he sailed on the Team New Zealand boat when they contested for the America’s Cup in 1995, consistently returning to shore victorious. One fateful day Sir Peter was unable to sail due to injury and it was the only time in the entire 1995 series that Team New Zealand sailed without Sir Peter and his lucky red socks and the only time the boat was beaten on the water. Superstitions, such as the absent red socks causing the defeat are common in sport and are also seen in the investment market – like never trading in January or always following the advice of particular newspaper columnists. Read full article Fixing your insurance costs June 2009 Imagine you could fix the price you pay for petrol at say $2.10 a litre for the next 30 years. It would cost you a bit more at the beginning, but eventually you should be paying a lot less than the market rate. Sound like a good idea? You can do something similar with your insurance. Read full article Roadworthy Portfolios March 2009 Owners of fuel efficient, all purpose vehicles will tell you they really appreciate them when tarsealed roads turn to gravel and the weather turns ugly. Whilst sports cars or sedans will cruise along as well as 4X4 vehicles, the real test of road worthiness occurs when the conditions deteriorate. That's when you need an all weather, all roads vehicle that doesn't cost a fortune or wreck the environment. Structuring an investment portfolio involes similar decisions. Read full article Should you leave your kids an inheritance? March 2009 Most parents are keen to leave their children an inheritance - a final contribution to the next generation's financial security and independence. Thanks to our positive, active Kiwi lifestyle that sees us living longer and better, the amount of an inheritance left to pass on to our children may not be as much as it was in previous generations. Read full article Making the most of "special events" March 2009 At some point in the future you may find you need to increase your Life cover but dread the paperwork and just don't get around to it. That's where we can help. Many companies offer "special event increases" that may include events such as marriage, birth or adoption of a child, taking out a first mortgage, or reaching milestone ages eg 25, 30, 35, 40 etc, allowing you to increase your Life cover with very little paperwork. Read full article |
Client Testimonials It was refreshing dealing with Don Stewart after a raft of "scare tactic" brokers left us feeling cold and uninterested. Don explained things in a way we could understand and he didn't try to sell us insurance cover that we didn't need (or want). Read more ...Al Mackie, Band, Napier |
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