All in Index Funds

“Borrowing money won’t take you where you want to go”

“Borrowing money won’t take you where you want to go”

Ruth
Debt, Investment, Mortgage, Index Funds, Banks

Rental real estate investment brings out some pretty passionate opinions and although I always enjoy a conversation, I don’t like arguing, therefore I rarely write about property. That and the fact it just does not interest me as a way to grow wealth. I regularly speak with such a wide range of people about money and I’m lucky that I get to see the allure or otherwise of property from many different angles and I conclude from talking to a lot of people who are ‘real estate investors’ that most of them appear not to be making any money.

Consistency and Planning, boring yet effective.

Consistency and Planning, boring yet effective.

Ruth
ETFs, Index Funds, Investment, Money Education, Saving, PocketSmith

I thought I would start the year with something that I think is a mega important topic if you want to get your finances in order, Consistency and Planning. Both are boring yet effective. As always, I like to share what I’m up to and what works for us, you can then take from it what you will. A few years back I implemented a few simple things and today I’m reaping the rewards of my consistency, planning and good habits. You can do the same, but you do need to start today.

2020 MONEY WINS from fellow Happy Savers!

2020 MONEY WINS from fellow Happy Savers!

Ruth
ETFs, Index Funds, Investment, Kernel, KiwiSaver, Money Education, SmartShares, Sharesies

I recently asked subscribers of my blog to share their money wins for 2020 so you could get some insight into what fellow Kiwis did on a personal level to navigate 2020. It has been particularly awesome to hear from people during 2020 who had sorted themselves out financially either before, during or after Covid-19 came along and they are each now looking to the future feeling empowered and in control.

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

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

Ruth
ETFs, Index Funds, Money Education, Shares

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!

The Bitcoin experiment is over!

Ruth
Cryptocurrency, Investment, SmartShares, ETFs, Index Funds

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?

What should I do with my Bonus Bonds?

Ruth
Bonds, ETFs, Financial Advisors, Hatch, Index Funds, Investment, Kernel, KiwiSaver, Saving, Shares, Sharesies, Simplicity, SmartShares

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

US shares now available on Sharesies

Ruth
Sharesies, Shares, Index Funds, ETFs, Hatch, Investment, Kernel, Money Education, Simplicity, SuperLife, SmartShares

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

Smartshares NZ Top 50 vs S&P/NZX 50

Ruth
ETF, ETFs, Hatch, Index Funds, Kernel, Money Education, Sharesies, SmartShares

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?

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