All in Index Funds

I don’t believe the phrase “don’t put money in the share market that you can’t afford to lose”

I think this well-worn phrase, “Don’t put money in the share market that you can’t afford to lose”, contributes to our over-reliance on housing as the only way to grow your wealth in New Zealand. That’s a great shame in my mind because people have turned their back on our strong share market. When I hear prominent Kiwi’s in the New Zealand investing space I want them to educate and inform me. I want them to show me that investing in something other than housing is a viable option for growing the wealth of my family over time. I don’t want them to confirm any biases that I might hold about the share market being risky and akin to a casino. Because it’s not. Yet when they repeat the phrase “don’t put money in the share market that you can’t afford to lose”, that’s exactly what they are telling myself and others.

The Bitcoin experiment is over!

If you have been following my blog for a while you might remember that back in 2017, three long years ago when the world was more normal, Jonny bought some Bitcoin. Actually, “some” Bitcoin is a bit misleading because to be more precise he bought “a bit” of a Bitcoin. He had been following its evolution for a couple of years and had been wanting to buy Bitcoin for a long time, in fact, he would have done as much, if I didn’t always scoff at the idea as being far too speculative. So three years on, how did his Bitcoin perform…

What should I do with my Bonus Bonds?

This week I’ve received even more emails about Bonus Bonds with people asking what investment options are out there for the money that will be released from the scheme when it winds up shortly and also asking what they could do with the ongoing monthly payments that people had previously been making into the scheme. They don’t want to stop this regular savings habit, but they have no idea where to put it.

US shares now available on Sharesies

You may have noticed that Sharesies now offer you access to the American share market. So now we are faced with yet another choice for our investment dollar. And don’t get me wrong, the choice is great but it can add a layer of confusion too for first-time investors. So, while Sharesies and others like them have filled a gaping hole in the market - providing easy and affordable access to the share market - they have created another void and that is the education of investors.

Smartshares NZ Top 50 vs S&P/NZX 50

I’ve had a number of emails asking about the changes to Smartshares, in particular the introduction of their new S&P/NZX 50 ETF (NZG) and how it compares to their existing NZ Top 50 ETF (FNZ). A deep dive into Smartshares for this post was a timely reminder for me just how intertwined and complex the investing marketplace is and that it’s really set up for the investor that already knows how to invest. Finding information was tough, so I reached out directly to Smartshares as I figure it’s best to go straight to the source right?

“Don’t look for the needle - buy the haystack”

There has been a sudden interest in the share market and it has me worried. I am noticing that there is a cohort of investors frantically rushing to invest in shares to “make the most” of this current crisis. I, on the other hand, have resisted all instincts to DO SOMETHING, to rush around and find those one or two companies that are at what I believe to be rock bottom prices so I can buy low and sell high. Instead, I have calmly followed the advice of John C. Bogle when he said: “Don’t look for the needle - buy the haystack”. That’s what I’m doing, I’m just buying the entire market.