Market Update: Interest Rates, Investor Sentiment, and Mortgage Strategy
The markets appear to be stabilising, with much of the decline seen following “Liberation Day” largely recovered, despite recent volatility sparked by tariff announcements. While it’s tempting to view this rebound as a return to “happy days,” it may be more accurately described as cautious optimism or relief. The FONZ isn’t quite giving it the […]
Have we been Trumped?
With Donald Trump introducing a swath of trade tariffs the markets have not responded kindly. This has flowed through to your investments such as Kiwisaver and other investments that are influenced by market reactions. At the time of writing the S&P 500 (the index of largest companies in America) was down -12.27%, the Nasdaq (the […]
The all rounder versus the specialist
The all rounder versus the specialist In the realm of investment management, the debate between employing a portfolio of specialist managers versus relying on a single “all-rounder” manager is akin to comparing the performances of decathletes to individual event specialists in athletics. The 2024 Summer Olympics provide a compelling analogy to illustrate why a team […]
Do women make better investors?
We read this article by Consilium, and thought it was so interesting we wanted to share (with their permission) When it comes to industries, the investment industry is one of the more male-dominated around. Because of this, many people just assume that men are better investors. But what if this widely held belief isn’t true? According […]
What might the markets look like this year?
Welcome to 2025 and another era of Donald Trump. After a number of pardon me and pardon yous from both Trump and Biden, it felt like half of the country left prison. What will it look like for financial markets with Trump being in power? Trump has promised to tighten border controls and penalise companies […]
The only thing you can’t save is time!
A previous colleague once said to me that the only thing you can’t save is time! How true! As another year closes, we realise that yesterday has gone and that we must look to the future. This concept around time is an ancient one. The Stoic Philosopher, Seneca once said over 2,000 years ago, “We’re […]
At what age do you start caring about KiwiSaver?
Notice, I’m not asking when KiwiSaver investors “should” start caring. Investors “should” start caring from the day they start investing. If you apply a sound investment approach from the start, you’ll get a much better outcome in the end. Unfortunately, most investors barely remember what scheme their KiwiSaver is in, let alone how it’s allocated. […]
Into Retirement and Beyond!
Into Retirement and Beyond! When Buzz Light Year shouted “Into Infinity and Beyond” we often think about how KiwiSaver is becoming much more than an investment vehicle for saving for retirement. In Australia, the main investment vehicle for Australians as they save for retirement is their Superannuation Scheme. But once they retire, they keep their […]
Secrets of a happy retirement
Some people who imagined they’d leave all their worries behind once they quit working are finding retirement isn’t quite as blissful as they dreamed it would be. In the USA, 2018 data from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) suggests the average retirement satisfaction of Americans is falling, regardless of whether they are wealthy or […]
Is Property the Darling Investment it once was?
There is a long held notion that if you leverage property (borrow other people’s money) it’s a winning investment. How does leverage work? Here’s a simple example: Purchase price of property $500,000 You borrow $400,000 at current rates of approx. 7% Your deposit $100,000 Growth over 1 year of 8.6% (long term average return on […]