All in Personal Finance

How to Break Up With Your Financial Advisor

How to Break Up With Your Financial Advisor

Ruth
ETFs, FI Series, Financial Advisors, Index Funds, InvestNow, Kernel, KiwiSaver, Money Education, Personal Finance, Shares, Sharesies, Sharesight, Smart

By all means, use a financial advisor if you want to. But don’t assume that you have to, or that you will make more money by doing so. You are perfectly capable of managing your own money, including investing. My point today is not that financial advisors are bad (although some certainly are); it’s that many of you don’t need one. We have been led to believe that we can’t manage our own money. We constantly hear the words “Seek financial advice.” But when doing so pushes you towards an entire financial industry that has developed around our fear of investing money, and is extremely profitable for those who work within it, I question the advice they give.

Applying Rebel Finance School in NZ

Applying Rebel Finance School in NZ

Ruth
ETFs, Index Funds, InvestNow, Kernel, KiwiSaver, Personal Finance, Sharesies, Sharesight, Smart

For seven years in a row, I’ve watched the free online money course, Rebel Finance School. For the last couple of years, I’ve joined course creators Alan and Katie Donegan for a Kiwi-specific session. The entire 10-week, self-paced course is the money education you never got. I can’t recommend it highly enough. Thousands have already watched the Kiwi-specific session, but I knew it would be helpful to create a blog that specifically details the investment funds we discussed. Plus, many of you have asked me whether, as a result of new investment options this year and the fee comparison we shared, Jonny and I will make any changes to our portfolio. 

The Happy Saver Turns 10: Giveaways, Gratitude and Your Wins

The Happy Saver Turns 10: Giveaways, Gratitude and Your Wins

Ruth
ETFs, Index Funds, KiwiSaver, Money Education, Net Worth, Personal Finance, PocketSmith, Sharesies, Sharesight, Smart

I know your time is important, and over the years I’ve taken up a fair bit of it, ten years in fact! Yes, The Happy Saver is 10 years old. This blog post is packed with gratitude, giveaways, and a celebration of your wins, because you haven’t just read my blog; many of you have changed your lives. I want to say a heartfelt thank you to you for being part of The Happy Saver, and to the Kiwi companies who continue to support the work I do. For ten years, I’ve been writing blog posts documenting our financial progress and answering the questions I regularly receive from you. The original goal of The Happy Saver was simple: help people. Ten years later, that goal has not changed. What has changed is our own net worth, and the net worth of thousands of people who have quietly and steadily become better and better at managing their pūtea.

Explain It To Me FAST!

Explain It To Me FAST!

Ruth
ETFs, Index Funds, Investment, InvestNow, KiwiSaver, Money Education, Personal Finance, Smart

If you’ve ever listened to a money podcast, read a finance blog or chatted with that one friend who’s suddenly “really into investing”, you’ve probably heard a whole bunch of money words thrown around. People nod. No one wants to look dumb. And quietly, many think: I should probably understand what that means… So this post is for you. Here are plain-English explanations of the money words that come up again and again, using New Zealand examples and my common sense logic.

Meet, Learn, Laugh: Your Guide to FI Retreats

Meet, Learn, Laugh: Your Guide to FI Retreats

Ruth
Personal Finance, Money Education, Investment

Did you know there are retreats and conferences just for people chasing financial independence? Think of them as adult money camps - part learning, part laughter, part deep conversation (money and otherwise) with new friends. No, I’m not running one, nor selling one, but I’ve been lucky enough to attend a few, and they’ve been life-changing. People often ask how I find out about them and which ones are worth attending, so I’ve pulled together a list of some of the best upcoming events from New Zealand and around the world. Whether you’re just starting your FIRE journey or already FI and looking for your tribe, there’s something here for you.

Time for My Monthly Net Worth Check-In

Time for My Monthly Net Worth Check-In

Ruth
ETFs, Personal Finance, PocketSmith, Sharesight, Net Worth

Wednesday marked the beginning of a new month. The first day of any new month is the day that, from a personal finance perspective, energises me the most because it is when I update our net worth and get a snapshot in time of how Jonny and I are financially progressing. Are we growing more prosperous or poorer? When I’m asked for a sound bite one-liner/single comment about ‘taking control of your money’, encouraging others to track their net worth is my go-to reply. Without a doubt, it is the most effective tool for understanding whether you are going backwards or forwards financially. It only takes a couple of minutes each month, but hands down, it's the most simplistic yet effective way of showing us how far we have come and where we might be headed. Additionally, since I’m relatively open about our finances, I thought you might be interested in seeing our progress over the last month.

Life Update: Cost of Living

Life Update: Cost of Living

Ruth
Net Worth, Personal Finance, PocketSmith, Hnry, ETFs

Is life really more expensive for my whānau of three at the moment? I honestly wasn’t 100% sure. So, I decided to find out - in detail. Why? Economically speaking, it feels incredibly gloomy at the moment. It would be easy to fall into that mindset, which, as an optimist, I am loath to do. So, the best option is to find some facts. Managing personal finances is a delicate art of pulling various income and spending levers, and I wondered if all that I’m doing is working. To calculate what our life currently costs, I pulled up two full years of spending and earning data and compared them; the results were interesting.

My Ever-Evolving List of Trusted Money Tools and Resources

My Ever-Evolving List of Trusted Money Tools and Resources

Ruth
FI Series, Hnry, Money Education, Personal Finance, PocketSmith, Sharesight

I receive daily emails from people asking me for resources and information to help them answer their money questions. I frequently share the same handy tools and resources. Today I wanted to share them all in one place. I firmly believe in sending helpful information your way and letting you explore and learn about it yourself because that way, you absorb it better and apply it directly to your situation. I know that when you educate yourself about your finances, instead of outsourcing the task to someone else, whether that be a financial advisor or a spouse, it puts you in charge, or makes you part of a team.

Investing Is Not Black and White

Investing Is Not Black and White

Ruth
ETFs, Index Funds, Investment, Money Education, Personal Finance, PocketSmith, Simplicity, Sharesies, Kids and Money, KiwiSaver

It’s standard for me to get at least one blunt email saying I’m wrong about a financial decision or purchase I’ve made on behalf of my whānau. Generally, the reasoning given will be based on one aspect, often a technical math issue, ignoring all the other points I mentioned. I used to panic that they might be right and that I might have this money stuff entirely and utterly wrong. But I no longer do. Instead, I take their comments with a grain of salt and consider that it’s probably them who are wrong. Although it takes time, often I’ll research their argument and find that they are.

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