Financial Planning, Investment & Insurance Solutions

  • Coronavirus & You

    Coronavirus & You

    The Corona Virus. For weeks there was calm. Then suddenly there was panic. Admittedly, it was surprising. Markets have been moving upwards without a hitch for a while and initially they shrugged the Coronavirus off. Australian investors, getting little joy from cash, may have been pushing into the market. The US has been offering solid economic growth to underpin its market. So normally the panic would have started earlier. With the market panic started, the question becomes: what now? Endless words are dedicated to how to behave when things go south. We regularly remind investors about the worst. Hopefully it…

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  • Walking into The Spider’s Web

    Walking into The Spider’s Web

    Why do we do the things we do? If only there were simple answers! When it comes to investing, sometimes we have the simple answers. A new study in the Journal of Consumer Behaviour has dug into some of the mindsets and behaviours of investors who have been defrauded. Titled ‘Profiling Victims of Investment Fraud: Mindsets and Risky Behaviors’ (US spelling) a group of known investment fraud victims were compared to a random group of general investors. The idea behind the study was to determine whether fraud victims engage in more risky investment activities that increase their exposure to a…

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  • The Millionaire’s Dilemma

    The Millionaire’s Dilemma

    It’s no secret interest rates are low. Have ten grand in the bank? If you’re lucky with a ‘high interest’ account, at the end of the year you’ll have made $200. That’s before the tax man and inflation come calling. For those with a small amount who can’t get their head around the concept of risk, it’s dire straits. We’re also told there are rough waters if you’ve got a few million. This from a recent article in The Australian (behind a paywall) by a financial adviser. I recently met a new client — a divorcee with two teenage sons…

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  • Pandemics Versus Market Performance

    Pandemics Versus Market Performance

    Cross post via Stewart Group, New Zealand Memories of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), Avian Flu and the Ebola outbreaks are being rekindled with the spread of coronavirus and global stock markets are reacting. It is believed the coronavirus started late last year in a seafood and wildlife market (wet market) in Wuhan, spreading from infected animals to humans. As of February 10, there are 37,592 confirmed cases in 29 countries and there have been 814 deaths and 2,924 recoveries. Last week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared coronavirus a global emergency. This kind of emergency declaration typically brings greater money…

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  • Pirate Fund Hits the Rocks

    Pirate Fund Hits the Rocks

    It was an unceremonious occurrence. A few minutes into trading on the third of February 2020 the ASX released a list of companies whose securities had been suspended from trading for an unacceptable period of time. It was removing their listings from the exchange. Why? Various reasons, but most had gone bust. Many were now shells. Devoid of any assets or direction forward. On occasion, dormant shells might be picked up by brokers or corporate advisers. Recapitalised, with a new project dropped in and respruiked to the gullible masses. A market listing can be valuable in some circles, but the…

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