The median is not the message
One of my best friends was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. Among other things (including reevaluating my own life and my values and priorities), this prompted me to...
Category: Defining Wealth
“Living doesn’t cost much, but showing off does”
One of my favourite books is Spent by Geoffrey Miller. (In some editions it was titled Must-Have.) The book has probably saved me thousands of dollars, and might even...
Love people, not money
If money is your focus in life, I recommend reassessing your relationship with money. It’s is important, but only in an instrumental sense – to help you live in line with your values and priorities. And if you want to be happy and have a meaningful life, I recommend prioritising your relationships with other people.
Wanting and liking: never forget the difference
There’s a difference between wanting something and liking something. In the modern world there are brilliant, hugely incentivised people trying to make us want things we won’t necessarily like. More than ever, we need to keep the distinction between wanting and liking in mind.
Group all of your assets into three categories: investments, home, and stuff
In this article, I propose a powerful exercise. Group all of your assets into three categories: “investments” (assets that generate an income for you), “home” (assets that provide you with accommodation), and “stuff” (everything else). What is the current composition? What composition do you want as you head towards retirement?
There’s a difference between being wealthy and appearing wealthy (part two)
Related: There’s a difference between being wealthy and appearing wealthy (part one)
Money is not the measure (risk edition)
While I’m talking about money not being the measure… It’s worth bringing attention to a thought-provoking article by Cathy O’Neil titled “The basic unit is risk“. O’Neil shares...
Money is not the measure (GDP and eulogy virtues edition)
Money is a measure. But it’s not the measure. We’ve just had an election in New Zealand. The state of the economy and economic growth are often central...
Diversifying your happiness
Dan Buettner, in interview with James Hamblin for The Atlantic: [think] about happiness in the same way you think of your retirement portfolio. You want it balanced—the short...
Retirement planning and whole-of-life planning
What does retirement mean to you? What thoughts does it conjure? What feelings come to mind? What images appear in your head? I’ve been asking myself these questions...
