April 2011
You are browsing the archive for April 2011.
The source of financial stress
Two years ago I wrote about relieving financial stress for Stress Down Day. Fellow financial educator Carl Richards of Behavior Gap just released a new diagram that summarises one key source well: One value of financial planning is in removing the uncertainty and replacing it with clarity of direction and the confidence to act. So [...]
Better budgeting
For many people the word “budget” conjures feelings of restriction. (Just like the word “diet”.) However a good budget should be the exact opposite. It should facilitate you having enough money for the things that really matter so you need not feel restricted. In this article I reveal a better budgeting technique using the model “Pay Yourself First (in practice)”
Is now the time to fix interest rates?
Eighteen months ago when I first wrote about fixing interest rates there had been just two RBA rate rises and fixed rates were much higher than the variable interest rates. It was also still early in the recovery and for many it may have been too early to call. So a decision not to fix [...]
Misleading marketing finally acknowledged
I shudder whenever I see the big newspaper and magazines advertisements of companies that purport to teach people how to easily & profitably trade shares and derivatives (like options, warrants & CFDs). They promise so much confidence and certainty of gains. According to their website (accessed 20 April 2011) the business Safety In the Market (operated by The Hubb Organisation [...]
Famous Will Catastrophes
This article was originally published in the LawCentral Bulletin 362 on 19th April 2011 and is republished with permission of the author, Brett Davies. You’d be surprised at how many wealthy people die without a Will. Or don’t update their Will to reflect their changing circumstances. Some of the best examples of leaving things until [...]
B.S. from GE Money
I just heard on the radio the latest advert for the GE Money Personal Loan. It claims to give you more money to enjoy the things that matter. A lovely marketing tug on your emotions but total B.S.!
Margin call calculation
When you have a margin loan it is important to understand how much your portfolio value can fall before you receive a margin call. This article reveals the formula for calculating the percentage fall to trigger a margin call.
SMSF Guide
If you are contemplating a self managed superannuation fund or already have one then you may be interested in this useful SMSF Guide produced by Macquarie’s technical team
Crazy ways it could happen to you
Most of the time most of us have our wits about us and therefore don’t get injured. But it only takes a momentary lapse in concentration or a ‘brain freeze’ moment and injuries or even death can occur to smart, cautious people. Following are some statistics I come across of crazy ways that people got [...]
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