Plenty of people love reality shows. What makes them so compelling is how messy they are – and the idea that these are ‘real people’, or at least unscripted scenarios.

Humans are exceptionally good at recognising patterns. It’s an involuntary skill we have picked up through millennia of evolution – the ability to recognise what was good or bad last time, and act accordingly in the future.

In the world of financial advice, one thing that has become clear over the years is that people are afraid to do the wrong thing with their money. In fact, there’s a lot of fear around money in general.

Being ‘rich’ and being ‘wealthy’ are not so synonymous as you may think.

Being considered ‘rich’ typically means you earn a high income, and may have the kind of lifestyle associated with high spending. Money comes, but money also might go on keeping up with the Joneses.

With ‘the roar’ season peaking there is another stag to consider: Is stagflation in New Zealand a looming concern for 2024 - 2025?

Holding property does not make you wealthy.  In fact, it can cost you quite a bit. Wealth, by true definition, isn't about one's worth, but about enjoying a lifestyle of choice without worry.[i]

Inflation will always drive-up prices, though the pace at which it impacts our wallets has been particularly rapacious in recent times.

When it was revealed the tax rate on trustee income would be increased from 33% to 39% from 1 April 2024, there were understandably a few feathers ruffled.

As mortgage arrears surge to pandemic-era heights, it’s time to return to the old chestnut of owning property as ‘investment’.

In the intricate world of financial services, trust is the bedrock upon which relationships are built, decisions are made, and success is achieved. But what exactly constitutes trust?

Most of us likely understand wholesale to mean ‘cheaper than retail’.  Wholesale stores usually sell to other stores rather than directly to customers, so buying at wholesale price typically means saving a few bucks on the retail markup that stores would use to make their profit.

Those looking at the history of blue chip stocks as indicators of their future success only need remind themselves of Constantinople

There is little love to be found in any financial or business headlines lately. Profits are down year on year for household name companies.

I recently saw an article titled “Why you should never retire.” This doubtless sent a chill down the spine of a few readers before they clicked into it – but the essence of the article was sound.

The best things in life are free; one of the best things you can do for your kids is prepare them for adulthood by teaching them about money.

This time last year, everything ground to a halt. Telecommunications and electricity were down for weeks in some areas. It was a long time before the damage could be fully understood, and to date, some places still have not recovered or been rebuilt.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory in psychology comprising a five-tier model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid

If Stewart Group was a person, we would be firmly in the middle of the typical accumulation phase of life. Having just celebrated our 37th anniversary in business, our minds are always on retirement… not ours (we’re only just getting started!) but on what people ought to know when planning for this stage in life.

There’s been plenty to whinge about in the past few years – but is the world getting worse, or are you just in the middle of the U-shaped happiness curve?

Marking another calendar year provides an opportunity to reflect on several lessons, not the least of which is the difficulty of investing based on past performance.