My son is starting to get into video games. In many games, you have the option between playing on “easy mode” or “hard mode”. Sometimes I think we unnecessarily put our lives on “hard mode”,...
One of the most valuable exercises I run through with clients is “flawcasting” their financial future. It’s one thing to create a personal balance sheet setting out your existing assets and liabilities, and getting an...
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 this Part I, with Parts II...
(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 you were expecting something more salacious,...
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 report, are interesting, if you’re into...
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 outcomes.” This is a quote...
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. The commission recently published its interim...
I officially launched Fairhaven Wealth in March 2017. (Here’s the blog post that started it all.) A year and a half in, the venture has been a success. I’ve worked with dozens of terrific, candid,...
I recently had a public brouhaha about a financial advice business that was claiming to be “independent”, even though it was partially owned by a financial product issuer. I lodged a complaint with the...
On May 24 I wrote my first “tweetstorm” (follow me on Twitter here). I made a number of observations about the FMA’s recent snapshot of NZ’s 1,800 Authorised Financial Advisers (AFAs). One finding in particular...