A curmudgeon reads The Barefoot Investor
I’ve been meaning to write about Scott Pape – also known as The Barefoot Investor – for a long time. I have a lot to say. So consider...
NZ Wealth & Risk Blog
Kiwis should embrace supermodels
(When I talk about embracing “supermodels”, I’m actually talking about embracing “super models”. As in, all Kiwis should care about the policy settings relating to NZ Superannuation. If...
“Past performance is no guarantee of future performance” – especially when it comes to property
“Past performance is no guarantee of future performance” Read the small print of any decent investment offering, and you’ll see something to the effect of “past performance is...
Eat, drink, and be merry – for tomorrow we die
(Warning: meandering thoughts. No immediate, actionable takeaways compared to most other articles on this blog. Perhaps a bunch of rationalisations as I try to live less for the...
On bank conduct and culture
The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) published a long-awaited report on bank conduct and culture earlier this month. The review, and the...
Parents can help out their children by underwriting risks
Parents like to help out their children. More broadly, family members like to help out family members. It’s kind of a silly thing to say because it’s so...
Show me the consequences and I’ll show you the outcomes – why our financial services laws need to be enforced more aggressively
This article is a call to arms for a crack-down on misconduct in the financial services industry in New Zealand. “Show me the incentives and I’ll show you...
The issue isn’t “bad apples”. What New Zealand can learn from Australia’s Royal Commission
Morbid fascination, peppered with dismay and cautious optimism. That’s how I describe my feelings about Australia’s Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry....
Don’t be fooled by the 4 percent rule
If you’ve done any research on planning for retirement, you’ve probably come across the 4% rule. It originates from the US (specifically, Trinity University from Texas). This idea,...
Drawing on capital during retirement [with video!]
Most online retirement calculators are overly simplistic. They can be a great starting point. Sorted.org.nz’s Retirement planner, for instance, is a terrific resource. (And better than calculators from many...
