All in Money Education

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.

Should you combine finances with your spouse?

Should you combine finances with your spouse?

Ruth
Personal Finance, Banks, Debt, Investment, Saving, Money Education

I have the privilege to speak to so many people about “money stuff” and a very common scenario is that of a couple who have been together for a long time yet they still keep their money completely separate from each other. If you are committed to him or her being “the one”, you trust each other and have combined everything else in your life (your wardrobe, the bathroom cabinet, your home, your children, your pets), then why not your money?

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?

What is a Sinking Fund?

What is a Sinking Fund?

Ruth
Budgeting, Money Education, Personal Finance, PocketSmith, Saving

I realised recently that I rattle off financial terms, assuming that people know what they are. And that annoyed me a bit, because the reason I started blogging was to demystify financial jargon and yet, here I was, rattling off a bit of jargon! One of these terms is ‘sinking fund’. Today I thought I would quickly explain what a sinking fund is and why I use them myself.

Why save, plot and plan for my financial future?

Why save, plot and plan for my financial future?

Ruth
Personal Finance, Retirement, Debt, Investment, Saving, Money Education

There has been quite an increase in questions over the last couple of weeks, which is not at all surprising given how much uncertainty is out there. And this week, having answered so many emails, plus I was finishing writing and recording my final podcast episode of this series, I’ve not quite gotten around to a new blog post. So this week I’ve decided to republish a post I wrote back in 2017 because I feel that it’s still very relevant today.

DIY Financial Education for my Daughter

DIY Financial Education for my Daughter

Ruth
Kids and Money, Money Education, PocketSmith

From time to time I take an hour to google personal finance-related media that is close to home here in New Zealand. It’s not exactly plentiful and it all too often revolves around my least favourite topic of housing or the proliferation of easy credit and how as a country we think it’s a good idea to educate our children about money, but then fail to do so. On this last topic, I’m all for educating our kids, but when I read on, we always seem to focus on the “why we should” yet lack the “how we should”. It always leaves me wondering about the financial education of my own child.

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