Just as winemakers don't have any say over the weather, investment managers can't control the markets. Savouring a vintage wine is one of life's great pleasures. But often overlooked in the joy of consumption is the carefully calibrated journey from grape to glass. Similar levels of care are critical to good investment outcomes.
The Devil wears nada
The global fashion industry is fickle by nature, pushing and then pulling trends to keep hapless consumers forever turning over their wardrobes. Some people in the financial services industry work the same way.
Busy investing is not smart investing
A big part of the financial services industry has a vested interest in convincing you that the key to a successful investment experience is staying busy. Where you stand in the debate about staying "busy" by thinking like a trader often depends on whether you see investment as the means to an end or as an end in itself!
Going green with your investments
According to a global sustainable investment group that covers Australia, New Zealand and other developed nations, assets managed under "responsible investment" strategies increased by 25 per cent between 2014-16 to US$22.89 trillion.
Unhealthy attachments to bad investments
Have you ever made yourself suffer through a bad movie because, having paid for the cinema ticket, you felt you had to get your money's worth? Some people treat investment the same way.
Which hat are you wearing?
Most of us have multiple roles — as business owners, professionals, workers, consumers, citizens, students, parents, and investors. So, our views of the world can differ according to whatever hat we're wearing at any one time.
Rainy-day Investing
Like farmers planning a harvest, investors pinning their expectations on statements about arithmetical "average" investment returns can be disappointed. As with rainfall, market returns are rarely evenly distributed either across time or place.
In and out of currency fashion
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are receiving intense media coverage, prompting many investors to wonder whether these new types of electronic money deserve a place in their portfolios.What are investors to make of all this media attention? What place, if any, should bitcoin play in a diversified portfolio?
Should I consider dollar cost averaging?
We are sometimes asked about dollar cost averaging when investing client funds and whether this is a good idea. It is certainly something which should be considered, particularly for first time investors, and those whom are introducing a substantial lump sum deposit into their investment portfolio.
Will I run out of money in retirement?
Bill Gates wisely pointed out that "most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in 10 years".
Seven simple lessons on volatility
Renewed volatility in markets has awoken the investors from summertime slumber.
News directors drag out dated file footage of frantic traders and summon talking-head experts to explain what it all means. Well, what does it mean? More importantly, does it matter?
AI and real-time risk decisions in wealth management
This promises to be the year we see the culmination of some key technologies — from blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI), to design thinking and the cloud.
FAANG and the catchphrase investing
The financial media is drawn to catchphrases, acronyms, and buzzwords that can be sold as the new thing. FAANG (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google) is the latest of these. But does this constitute an investment strategy?
It's not all smashed avocado for millennials – Part II
In New Zealand, trend pieces often depict millennials in the context of young urban professionals spending too much money on avocado-based brunches and too little time saving for a deposit on a house.
Millennials, take charge of your financial future – Part I
We have all read about the financial plight of millennials, who are not only drowning in student loan debt but other loans and expenses as well. They include car payments, rents or mortgages, and credit card bills.
The seven virtues of process
Success as an investor starts with the key questions of why, what, where, when and how. But it’s the “how” that’s often overlooked.
‘Tis season to set yourself good financial goals
This New Year it is also a great time to start making solid financial resolutions that can help get you closer to your money goals, whether it’s increasing your retirement savings or setting enough money aside for a down payment on a house.
Seven ways to tighten your Christmas spending
Last year, New Zealanders managed to spend a record $6 billion shopping in December, which was the highest monthly figure recorded by Statistics New Zealand.
Hawke's Bay enjoyed the highest holiday splurge, with a near 11 per cent increase on the previous year.
The bitcoin bubble – Part I
What if there is a technological advancement so powerful that it transforms the fundamental pillars of our society?
A technology that fundamentally influences the way our economy, governance systems and business functions, and could change our conceptual understandings of trade, ownership, and trust.
Ponzi schemes and fools' gold
You've probably heard the saying "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." This rings particularly true in the case on Ponzi schemes.
A Ponzi scheme is not a new wonder drug or an Italian beach resort, it's terrible for your financial health.
