Like farmers planning a harvest, investors pinning their expectations on statements about arithmetical "average" investment returns can be disappointed. As with rainfall, market returns are rarely evenly distributed either across time or place.
A retirement confab with the folks
It's easy to avoid discussing money with your parents, and in some families, the subject is almost taboo.The topic doesn't become easier to broach as parents and children age, but it does become more important.
The future of data in financial advice
The ongoing revelations about how Cambridge Analytica exploited Facebook to harvest millions of profiles have laid bare the seeming lack of control we have over our own data.
Set money goals you'll stick to...
Are you good with money? If so, you’ll know how satisfying it can be to decide what you want to achieve, plan how to get there and then sit back to watch your money grow.
In and out of currency fashion
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are receiving intense media coverage, prompting many investors to wonder whether these new types of electronic money deserve a place in their portfolios.What are investors to make of all this media attention? What place, if any, should bitcoin play in a diversified portfolio?
Fine-wine investment too good to be true
Wine investment has barely been on the scene for two decades, and If you have a taste for investing in wine, it could be a hobby worth the money one can spare.
Protect your business against the unexpected
A business is only as good as its people.Although you may have implemented plans to protect your buildings and equipment, it's important you don't forget about protecting one of your most important assets - your people.
KiwiSaver Vs. Volatility
Early in February after a long period of relative calm, the world found out that markets do contain a level of volatility they move up and DOWN and sometimes they can move quite quickly. What does this all mean to your average KiwiSaver investor… not much.
Why We Do What We Do: Stories that motivates us.
Life insurance is one of those things—you don't want to learn how important it is once it's too late. But that doesn't mean we know all the right things to do when it comes to getting a policy
Should I consider dollar cost averaging?
We are sometimes asked about dollar cost averaging when investing client funds and whether this is a good idea. It is certainly something which should be considered, particularly for first time investors, and those whom are introducing a substantial lump sum deposit into their investment portfolio.
Will I run out of money in retirement?
Bill Gates wisely pointed out that "most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in 10 years".
Seven simple lessons on volatility
Renewed volatility in markets has awoken the investors from summertime slumber.
News directors drag out dated file footage of frantic traders and summon talking-head experts to explain what it all means. Well, what does it mean? More importantly, does it matter?
AI and real-time risk decisions in wealth management
This promises to be the year we see the culmination of some key technologies — from blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI), to design thinking and the cloud.
FAANG and the catchphrase investing
The financial media is drawn to catchphrases, acronyms, and buzzwords that can be sold as the new thing. FAANG (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google) is the latest of these. But does this constitute an investment strategy?
It's not all smashed avocado for millennials – Part II
In New Zealand, trend pieces often depict millennials in the context of young urban professionals spending too much money on avocado-based brunches and too little time saving for a deposit on a house.
Millennials, take charge of your financial future – Part I
We have all read about the financial plight of millennials, who are not only drowning in student loan debt but other loans and expenses as well. They include car payments, rents or mortgages, and credit card bills.
Reading the tea leaves
Investors at year-end are inclined to reflect on the 12 months gone and muse on what the coming year might bring.Aware of this appetite for speculation, the media tends to feed it with forecasts. These articles can be fun to read but are even more so a year later.
The seven virtues of process
Success as an investor starts with the key questions of why, what, where, when and how. But it’s the “how” that’s often overlooked.
‘Tis season to set yourself good financial goals
This New Year it is also a great time to start making solid financial resolutions that can help get you closer to your money goals, whether it’s increasing your retirement savings or setting enough money aside for a down payment on a house.
The rise of robo-advice in wealth management
The concept of “robot-advice”, the use of automation and digital techniques to build and manage portfolios of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and other instruments for investors, has gained significant attention within the wealth management industry.
