A financial plan should be based on YOUR circumstances, needs, and objectives
When it comes to money, I’m a “set and forget” kind of guy. If you have a good investment strategy in place, you should be able to forget about it and focus on other...
Category: Financial advice
How money misconceptions can put your life into hard mode
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”,...
How to flawcast your financial future
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...
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 this Part I, with Parts II...
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 you were expecting something more salacious,...
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 report, are interesting, if you’re into...
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 outcomes.” This is a quote...
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. The commission recently published its interim...
Why Fairhaven Wealth’s fees are increasing
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,...
When should a financial adviser say they’re “independent”?
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...
