There is a running joke in the investment world that September and October are the worst months in which to invest. But before we give in to the anxiety, it is worth remembering these wise, witty words from Mark Twain: “October: This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. The others […]
Have you ever heard the phrase: Money makes the world go round. The phrase was made popular by the song “Money” (Money Makes the World Go Round) from the 1966 musical Cabaret, famously performed by Joel Grey and Liza Minnelli. The lyrics cynically highlight how money buys status, romance, and comfort while poverty brings cold […]
Holidays and special occasions are supposed to be moments of deep joy and connection. But for some, these seasons simply magnify the quiet ache of a recent loss. Whether it is the empty chair at the family dinner table, the sudden shock of losing a job, or the ongoing exhaustion of a serious illness, these […]
When we talk about building wealth, we almost exclusively talk about money. We track our investment returns, our property values, and our retirement accounts. We measure our success by the size of our balance sheets. But perhaps true wealth cannot be measured by a single metric. We could potentially consider three distinct types of capital: […]
Imagine you have been diligently saving for a milestone family holiday. You have carved out the time, set aside the capital, and prioritised your “Return on Memories.” But out of nowhere, a severe storm damages your roof, or a burst geyser floods your kitchen. It’s not nice to think about, but… it could happen. When […]
For decades, many of us have been sold a very specific version of retirement. We are culturally conditioned to believe that at a certain age, we should step away from our careers, retreat from the world, and live out a permanent, quiet holiday. But as medical treatment improves and lifestyles become more intentional, this traditional […]
When there are bills to pay, and income feels like it’s not quite enough to cover the monthly expenses, it’s easy to hold back on generosity. Sometimes, we might even treat generosity as a financial finish line. We tell ourselves that once we hit a certain net worth, or once we finally retire, then we […]
There is a common belief that when it comes to our wealth, we should never put all our eggs in one basket. It’s easy to extend this logic to our financial advice. We often assume that having multiple advisers is the safest approach. We might have one for our retirement fund, one for our stock […]
Did you know that, according to cognitive scientists, the average person processes over 6,000 distinct thoughts every single day. That’s around six to ten thoughts per minute. It is an overwhelming amount of mental data flowing through our minds from the moment we wake up. But have you ever paused to ask what is actually […]
When we think about working with a financial planner, we often assume the value lies entirely in the numbers or the brokering of a financial product or contract. We naturally expect them to pick the right investments, optimise our tax, and help us generate a better yield. Those technical elements are certainly important. But true […]