The inherent differences between property and share investments. There’s a fundamental difference between investing in shares and property, a reader says in an email. “With a stock there is always the risk of bankruptcy of the entity you invest in, and the investment you make becoming worthless,” he writes.
Moving the goalposts: Working part-time in retirement makes a huge difference to how much you need to save. Also in this issue: From the Mailbox — Is home ownership so great?
Gearing can boost returns, but also risk. Gearing — which happens when you borrow to invest — comes at a price. And I’m not only talking about interest. While gearing makes a good investment better, it also makes a bad investment worse. People who gear boost their risk.
Rentals not necessarily as good as they seem. Rental property is sometimes an excellent investment. There, I’ve said it, for all those who reckon I’m anti-rentals! Often, though, rentals are not quite as good as people think — and not just because the tax breaks are over-rated, as I said in my last column.
Rental property tax breaks don’t amount to much. I don’t get it. Politicians and economists have been complaining lately that rental property has tax advantages over shares. It’s hardly a new claim. But what are these advantages — beyond depreciation, which is vastly overrated?
Research shows how to invest in shares. Pictures may speak louder than words, but numbers speak loudly too at times. Some recent research shows, numerically, why it makes sense to: Stick with share investments when they lose value; Invest in both New Zealand and international shares.
Higher returns don’t matter for the short term: They need time to work their magic. There’s more than one reason behind the old investment message that goes like this: If you need your money in just a few years invest your savings conservatively, but if you have a longer horizon take more risk.
How to cope with the topsy turvy share market. The value of worldwide shares in a certain industry grew more than 52 per cent in the year ending last October. Why didn’t we hear more about it? A clue might lie in the fact that the industry was information technology — infamous for its volatility.
Scattering the seeds: By diversifying, you reduce risk but not returns. Also in this issue: From the Mailbox — Some people over-save for retirement.
Stop loss strategy can in fact stop you from winning. A paragraph in a recent article in some of the newspapers that run this column caught my eye. “If you feel a bit more daring, yet want to retain a backstop strategy,” it read, “buy shares and sell them if they drop below 5 per cent of the purchase price. Sell once they increase above 10 per cent of the purchase price.”