Happiness in Retirement   The average person spends about a quarter of their life in retirement so it’s worth thinking about how to make those years enjoyable. Here are five simple principles that can help you find happiness and avoid misery in what should be the best time of your life.  Retire slowly These days, most people choose to work less for an extended period rather than retire. There are some real advantages...

Redesign Your Life Have you ever wished you could do something completely different with your life? Many people live their lives in a linear fashion, with one step logically following another, only to realise that the place they have ended up in doesn’t give them happiness or fulfilment. In the extreme, what results is often termed a mid-life crisis that can involve sudden changes in relationships, careers, finances and...

Being Happy What makes us happy? Research suggests that it isn’t extra money. In a recent survey in the UK, around half the people surveyed said that relationships are the biggest factor in making them feel happy. Rating second in importance is health. Other factors include friendships, freedom from stress, and being engaged in meaningful work or activities. The happiest people surround themselves with family and friend...

Focus on the Horizon When I was young, I used to go fishing with my father in his boat. Not being much of a sailor, I often succumbed to the motion of the waves when there was a big swell. All I wanted to do then was to get my feet back on firm ground. I still remember the advice my father gave me to help me last the distance back to land. He would tell me to focus my eyes on the distant horizon. By looking at a steady po...

Don't Eat Your Money The biggest expense for a young family is the cost of housing. Rent and mortgage payments are fixed costs which can only be reduced by moving to a cheaper house, so when it comes to saving money we need to look at the next biggest expense, and that is the weekly shopping bill. There is a wide range of food spending patterns depending on household income, the number and ages of family members, peopleâ...

Secret Spenders One of the advantages of being a single person is you can spend your own money on what you want, when you want. Of course, the downside is there isn’t another person to share the cost, so freedom comes at a price. Getting together with another person usually means setting agreed financial goals and this can lead to feelings of guilt when you spend money on anything other than what has been agreed. Just a...

Retirement Saving Leaving your retirement saving until the last five or ten years of your working life can be a dangerous strategy. The same can be said for planning to save for retirement by working past the age of 65. It is all very well and good to kick your heels up and enjoy life while you are young, fit and able to travel, but disaster can easily strike as retirement approaches. Statistics show that earnings reach t...

Investment Portfolio Design The last ten years in investment markets has been a rough ride what with the dot com bubble, the Twin Towers disaster and the Global Financial Crisis amongst other things. The investment recommendations of financial advisers have been under close scrutiny and some have found themselves in court. Good advisers use a thorough process for making investment recommendations, starting with a comprehe...

The End of a Relationship It has been said that if breakups never existed the music industry would go bankrupt! Unfortunately, they are a fact of life. Most people endure at least one in their lifetime; some lurch from one to the next, but no matter how often you experience a breakup it is still a very painful experience. Dealing with financial matters at such an emotional time can be very stressful, and it is better to r...

Financial Literacy International experts on financial literacy were beamed in from across the globe for the Retirement Commission’s recent summit on Financial Literacy. We know that financial illiteracy is a big problem in New Zealand, but we are by no means the only country in the world struggling to educate people on how to use their money more effectively. The major difference, however, between New Zealand and the re...