Twenty years ago I made my first investment in an IPO*. It was 1996 and I'd not long finished my economics degree. I was young and dumb but armed with just enough knowledge to be dangerous. My grandfather had been a long time investor and he sparked what until then had just been a passing interest. The … Continue reading Red or Black, Buy or Sell
The purpose of life is a life of purpose - Robert Byrne Increasingly I'm having conversations with clients about socially responsible or ethical investing. I'm not sure if we're becoming more socially and environmentally conscious or it's just the demographic of who I'm talking to. It got me thinking about the potential conflict between … Continue reading Investing with Purpose
It’s so tempting to start at the end. The advertisements with the 'promise' of big return’s, usually highlighted with equally big text. There is always the standard disclaimer (usually in small type but who reads it?) “past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns”. Yet we continue to get sucked in. A mate … Continue reading Start at the Start, not the End
"Active management is little more than a gigantic con game." Ron Ross, Ph.D We all want to be better than average, it makes us feel smarter. Who hasn't been enticed by a big glossy ad from a fund manager showing their amazing outperformance over the previous 1 or 3 or whatever number of years. If only … Continue reading 5 Reasons to Give Up On Active Investing
As a financial planner it is one of the most common questions I get asked. But if you ask anyone in financial services for an honest answer, they'll tell you the truth - a market forecast is nothing more than a guess. And there is just as much chance (or often more) of them being wrong … Continue reading You Really Want to Know Where the Market is Headed?
