Financial Guidance for Youth

The start of the year is a great time to think about your finances and make plans for the next 12 months. Given that people have different needs at different stages in their lives, I’ve written today’s column for the under-25’s. Next week will cover the 25- to 45-year-olds, and the plus-45’s have the week …

2020 in Review

With Christmas almost upon us it’s unlikely your thoughts today will be focused on finance. Therefore today let’s have some fun and recognise those who have made unique contributions to the world of money in 2020. Rio not so grande The standout contender for the Naughtiest Kid on the Block award is Rio Tinto the …

How Much Money Do We Need To Retire?

How much money do we need to retire? This is one of the questions I’m frequently asked. There is no simple answer – people’s spending habits vary enormously, and a heap of variables, such as how long you will live, and the state of your health, come into play. Even so, it’s worthwhile doing some …

Investment Behaviour

Shares are one of the best long-term investments around. No other investment offers the tax benefits of shares, or the ability to sell quickly in whole or in part. However, this flexibility has a downside – it gives “investors” the ability to get out quickly if they don’t stay the course when the market has …

Aged Pensioners Can Achieve a 7.8% Return by Spending Their Money

Last Tuesday the Reserve Bank acted dropped interest rates even further. To make matters worse for retirees, there are hints that the next move is more likely to be down not up. Consequently, I have been receiving a flood of emails from readers asking where they could find the best bank interest rates on their …