Renting vs. buying: A simple calculation to help you decide
It’s commonly accepted that if your monthly mortgage payment is equal to or less than what you’d otherwise pay in monthly rent, then buying a home is a sound decision. However, this oversimplifies the rent versus buy comparison. Let’s look at this another way. It’s not accurate to compare mortgage payments to rent. To do […]
Are you living within your means?
I remember as a kid regularly overhearing the conversation between Mum and Dad about who was going to withdraw cash from the bank teller before the bank closed at four o’clock on Friday afternoon. On occasion, we’d get caught short, and on Saturday morning I would accompany Dad as he cashed a cheque with one […]
Where there’s a will, but not a way
Time can be a funny thing depending on your perspective. When you’re experiencing an event, or a saga, time may seem to slow down. Nothing can expedite the issue to its conclusion, the clock just has to continue ticking. When you’re merely an observer to said saga, you might marvel how quickly time passes. Learning […]
A journey through the ‘Go-Go’, ‘Slow-Go’, and ‘No-Go’ years
Retirement is not just a single phase of life; it’s a dynamic journey with distinct stages, each with its own challenges and opportunities. Understanding these stages—often referred to as the go-go years, slow-go years, and no-go years—can help you plan for a fulfilling and financially secure retirement. The Go-Go Years: Embracing Freedom and Adventure The […]
I just received a lump sum, should I invest it all now, or gradually?
A common challenge in personal finance, is deciding when to invest a sum of money. You’ve just received a bonus (or ‘distribution’), an inheritance, or sold your business. Should you invest all that money over time, or now? “Fear has a greater grasp on human action than does the impressive weight of historical evidence”. – Jeremy Siegel This question comes […]
Redefining retirement to “Re-tryment”
As a Wealth Manager and Financial Adviser, I enjoy, and take pride in helping clients achieve their most important goals. And there are a myriad of goals ranging from owning their dream home to holidays but the biggest, chunkiest goal for most remains retirement. Unfortunately for some, this exciting milestone can prove to be a […]
The psychology behind why people spend money
Morgan Housel has presented to our team several times. We recommend his podcast The Art of Spending[i] which delves into the psychology of why each of us spends money. The most impactful variable in any person’s long-term plan is typically what they spend. If your spending is towards the reckless end of the spectrum, it can […]
Considerations when moving a loved one into aged care
Aged care decisions for a loved one, be it a parent, partner, or another family member, often come laden with emotions. You want to find the best care facility, but likely have little time to make a decision, not to mention wrapping your head around the complex residential aged care system. During these times, decision-making […]
7 powerful financial levers to take control of your financial situation
When managing money and working towards financial goals, it’s important to understand which factors we can control and which we can’t. Interest rates, inflation, investment market returns, and economic growth fall outside our control. However, there are many factors we can control, and each of these becomes a lever we can pull to adjust our […]
What a basketball experiment teaches investors about confidence
Van Eyk recently shared an article showing how confidence drives behaviour. Most of their article is republished below. The TV show National Geographic Brain Games ran for nine seasons and entertained viewers with experiments and findings on brain function and biases. One basketball experiment stands out as pertinent to the current economic environment and it […]