It’s a good job I don’t earn a living from writing…it would have been a very bad month and a number of people have reminded me that I have not updated the blog for a while. I guess it is nice to be “missed” but as I have explained to many of them, I usually write when I feel passionately about something… So does that mean that I’m not passionate at the moment? Not at all, on the contrary…I just don’t know that the things...

10. Get a second opinion (but be prepared to pay for it – just like you would if you visited more than 1 doctor). If the planning recommendations are good they should stand up to scrutiny so there is no reason that you should not discuss a planning recommendation with someone else – but be prepared to pay if you are going to do this. Consider it in the same manner as you would if you were getting a second...

Here follow steps 7, 8 & 9… 7. Don’t be greedy! Emotions drive irrational behavior – 2 of them are fear and greed. Don’t give in to either. If it sounds too good to be true it (probably) is! When considering the returns offered, measure them against inflation (aim for real returns – those which are in excess of inflation). Inflation is currntly (oficially) low and in a low inflationary environment, ...

Here follow the next 3 points in the series “fools and their money” – just good common sense advice! 4. Get an education about financial matters – no one will look after your money like you will so make it your business to find out about your business. There is no need to be ignorant – read the financial papers and financial magazines – you can even consider doing a course that will teach you...

“A fool and his money are soon parted!” There is no need for anyone to be foolish with their money, especially not today. With all the legislation we have in place around financial advice and with the wealth of information available to help you make sound financial decisions there are no more excuses for being foolish! Here are the first 3 of 13 steps to prevent you from being a fool! Trust no one! Trust is the basis of any ...

I guess there are times in life when a “thumb-suck” might be an appropriate answer but filling in an application for insurance is not one of them. Had 2 interesting cases recently which again highlight the importance of full disclosure when applying for any form of insurance. The first one emerged when we were reviewing an existing policy for a client that was done through a previous advisor. The issue revolved around her income and...