The Financial Markets Authority has given the go-ahead for personalised advice to be offered online. Such advice is referred to as ‘robo-advice’. Under current legislation, personalised investment advice can only be given by certain categories of advisers in accordance with the Code of Professional Conduct for Authorised Financial Advisers. From 2018, there will be an exemption which will allow personalised advice to ...

One of the best ways to create substantial wealth is to set up your own business. However, not everybody has the skills, confidence or entrepreneurial flair to build a business from the ground up, or even to buy an existing business and grow it. Being an employee puts a definite cap on how much wealth you can create. No matter how much you are paid per hour, there is a limit to the number of hours you can work. In a busin...

Managing finances can be very stressful, even if you are savvy with your money. A recent global survey by the Financial Planning Standards Board, an international body which oversees professional standards for financial planners, found that most people feel challenged by their finances. However, people who work with financial advisers feel better prepared to achieve their financial goals. The survey was undertaken in 19 ...

In our consumerist society the basic tenet is the more we have to spend, the happier we will be. Research shows that, while there is a link between money and happiness, it is a weak one. However, it is possible to get more happiness for your money by making good decisions about what you do with it. In a well known study done at Princeton University in 2010, Angus Deaton and Daniel Kahneman, a Nobel prizewinning economist...

We’ve had a good run in share markets since the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) of 2008. Initially this growth was underpinned by central banks engaging in quantitative easing – otherwise known as ‘printing money’. Central banks released funds into circulation through purchasing securities as a way of reducing the likelihood of economies going into recession after the GFC. Much of this money found its way into share...

There are two golden rules for creating wealth that stand out above all others. The first, and most important, is to Spend Less Than You Earn. The second is to Pay Yourself First (PYF). Under the PYF principle, you give yourself top priority when it comes to deciding how to spend your income. Pay Yourself First by transferring money into a savings or investment account before you pay your living expenses. Wealth is built...

The word ‘cash’ has a very different meaning now than it did a few decades ago but it is still a vital part of a financial plan. Cash provides liquidity; that is, money when you need it. Liquidity can take many different forms. It can be notes and coin, bank deposits, credit – such as revolving credit mortgage or a credit card – or a financial asset that can be quickly and easily sold, such as bonus bonds, corpora...

Everybody creates a certain amount of income and during their lifetime by one means or another – through employment, investment or setting up a business. What you do with that income determines how financially successful you will be and ultimately impacts on your enjoyment of life. Managing money is a bit like juggling balls while walking along a tightrope. Imagine each ball represents an area of financial outlay in yo...

Conventional wisdom says the first significant step towards creating wealth is to get on the property ladder. However, it’s hard for young people to start creating wealth when property prices are out of reach and lending restrictions are tight. Not only that, but young people prefer to be mobile and don’t necessarily want to be tied down by owning a property. So what are the alternatives? Young people need a more acc...

If you are serious about getting ahead financially, then getting rid of debt should be one of your top priorities. Short term debt is the worst kind as it generally has very high interest rates and high repayments. It comes about for three reasons – an unexpected expense, sudden loss of income or long term overspending. Here are five steps that will help you get rid of short term debt faster: Step One – Confront your...