THE BEST WAY TO INVEST IN SHARES
A listener’s letter and Mary’s response:
– Starting early is good
– Drip feeding is good
– You don’t need to research companies
– Buy more or less randomly — but vary industries
– Understand a share’s volatility
Ways to boost your everyday saving. Last time we looked at setting a savings goal. This time, it’s other tips to boost savings: Open a separate savings account; Pay yourself first; Start small and gradually increase savings; Play mind games — take a “pay cut” or use a picture; Seize big opportunities when expenses fall or income increases; Take inspiration from champion savers or extreme saver movements.
How to set a goal for saving or debt repayment
Importance of setting a goal, Goals that work are SMART: Specific; Measurable; Achievable; (W)ritten; Time-bound.
Is ethical investing becoming mainstream? Notes from a conference held in Auckland this week: Problems with naming; Importance of the issue; “Short termism” in the financial world; The big issue: trust; What government is doing; What KiwiSaver providers are doing; Why investors aren’t doing more; What investors can do easily.
Are New Zealanders insured for bad things happening to them? Findings of a recent survey. Letters from listeners and discussion on: Loss of income insurance; Health insurance; Life insurance.
What most affects your KiwiSaver growth?: Research looks at type of fund, contribution rate, returns, luck, stickability and fees; What you can do about each of these; Main messages.
2 “expert” suggestions in a rising share market — one good, one bad. The good one — Rebalancing: What is it?; Why it can be hard psychologically; How to rebalance. The bad one — Get out of passive (or index) funds: Who does the research?; NZ in last year’s small downturn; US in two market crashes; Conclusion — stick with passive.
Should KiwiSavers and share investors bail out before the inevitable crash?: NZ share market is booming — affects mid-risk and higher-risk KiwiSaver investors; Should you move your money out before the inevitable crash?; What happens after the share market drops?; Why recoveries tend to be fast; How to cope with an up and down investment.
New developments in ethical investing: What is it?; Are the returns as good as in other funds?; Big NZ funds put pressure on Facebook, Google and Twitter; Mindful Money website — Good KiwiSaver funds, How is your fund doing? Find a fund that suits you; Listeners’ emails.
Five KiwiSaver developments: 2 milestones reached; Act NOW! — Just 2 weeks to get maximum government contribution, and for 60–64s to get a good deal; KiwiSaver statements getting better — and better still next year; Improved KiwiSaver health checker; How would you improve KiwiSaver?