NZ Wealth & Risk - money for thoughtful Kiwis
We may be in recession territory. Stats NZ recently stated that growth in GPD for the March 2022 quarter was negative, and “recession” is commonly defined as two consecutive quarters of falling GDP. When I look at Google Trends, it tells me that more Kiwis are searching for the term ...
I initially wrote this article exclusively for subscribers to the NZ Wealth & Risk newsletter. However, after reading a recent article – "KiwiSaver conservative fund losses shock investors" – I thought I'd share this as a normal blog article. Bonds have been performing TERRIBLY lately. As I type this [in ...
If you’re wondering why I’ve slowed down with publishing articles, this is my explanation.TL;DR: I’m absolutely fine! I’m just prioritising other things.BackgroundI’ve been publishing articles on the NZ Wealth & Risk blog regularly since 2014.To put it into personal perspective: I started publishing articles when my son was 2 and ...
I first came across the word “ragret” in We’re the Millers. It’s a salty movie from 2013. Jason Sudeikis, best known for playing the titular character in Ted Lasso, plays a character who is the anti-Ted Lasso. Jennifer Aniston also plays against type, as a stripper. It’s not for everyone. ...
What will the world look like in 2050? How will it be different to today?Lately, I’ve been a little preoccupied with that question. The reason I’ve been thinking with this timeframe in mind is because, with any luck, it covers some of my most productive years – my 40s, 50s, and 60s.This ...
I LOVE rules of thumb. In the right place at the right time, they’re invaluable. There are, however, times and places where rules of thumb aren’t appropriate. Working out how much you need in order to retire or feel comfortable or feel “financially independent” is NOT the time or place ...
A lot of people are interested in ethical investing. I’ve written about ethical investing in depth before. In short: I’m ambivalent about the idea. I like that the concept exists, and I like the type of people who find it attractive. But I’m not sure it makes a big difference. ...
“You waste years by not being able to waste hours” – Amos Tversky When I started working as a lawyer, I liked the idea of time recording. In fact, before I started practising law, I had been experimenting with recording how I spent my personal time. Way before Fitbits and ...
🤍🤍🤍 Before we were able to store food properly, the best place to store extra food was in the stomachs of our friends, family members, and neighbours. When they had surplus food, they’d reciprocate. Through most of our evolution, before the agricultural revolution, refrigeration, and the ability to store, refrigerate, ...
Unhappenings by Edward Aubry is a terrific novel. You should read it.Unhappenings by Edward Aubry is the best time travel story you’ve never heard of.It was published in 2015. In an alternative universe, it was the recipient of many awards. It was raved about by popular personalities who drive book ...
I’ve increased fees for Fairhaven Wealth’s services. Again. The price for Fairhaven Wealth’s full planning service has increased from $6,000 to $10,000. The cost of the basic INSIGHT service is staying the same for the time being: $500, although I have also added a $600 tier. (All figures include GST.) ...
You can find useful insights anywhere. Whether they’re new insights, reinforcing insights you’ve already had, or rearticulating or recontextualising insights. Take, for instance, Tyler Cowen’s recent interview with Chuck Klosterman. At various points, Tyler explains to Chuck: “high-quality real estate and cheap hobbies… are the best hedges” “You are human ...
Consumer NZ is paving a road to hell with good intentions with the way it talks about personal insurance, and especially personal insurance advice. I’m a big fan of Consumer NZ. I pay for membership to access its research and to support its mission.I’ve benefited from Consumer’s guidance when purchasing big ...
Lots of people reassess their insurance arrangements after repaying their mortgage. That’s fair enough. It’s a significant financial milestone. A lot of people also associate insurance with debt — it’s common for people to arrange insurance around the same time they take out mortgages (and it’s often the same people ...
Sometimes I chat with people who are thinking of cancelling, or substantially reducing, their personal insurances as a result of short-term cash flow pressures. Most of the time, when people are prompted to cancel or reduce their insurances, I try to get them to reconsider, or to s-l-o-w the decision ...