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Investing with a conscience

INTRODUCTION

Investing in companies which line up with your values is becoming more popular as investors become aware of where their money is invested. Commonly known as “Socially Responsible Investing,” investing according to your values sends a message to companies and if enough investors are socially responsible investors then change is possible.

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Investing with a conscience

What is value- based investing?

It is investing in companies which line up with your values.

A value-based investment portfolio can be based on environmental factors, moral factors, or your faith. 

Investments based on a set of values is usually called, “Ethical Investments,” but it really all depends on your code of ethics when deciding on what constitutes ethical investing. It is more commonly known as “Socially Responsible Investing,” but I prefer to call it “Values Based Investing,” because not every one shares the same values.

What may be ethical for one person may not be so for another, therefore, it is up to each one of us to do our homework and reading the information provided by the fund’s website. It is important to know what is ethical to you when choosing a fund to invest in.

A prudent investor after he or she has done their homework will discern between what is fact and fiction and whether a company actually lives up to their claims. 

Green washing is when a company uses marketing to make claims of being a socially responsible company but in reality they do not practice what they preach. 

A company may make donations to charities but that does not necessarily make them green, ethical, or socially responsible.

One company I know has stopped selling coal yet sells imported clothing from third world companies where the working conditions in the clothing factories are unknown.

There are several variations of value-based investments and they come under different names; here are the ones I know of:

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENTS

These are investments which follow socially acceptable guidelines. They invest in companies whose activities are not damaging to the environment. You can be sure that these kind of investments do not have funds invested in companies which are involved in fossil fuels.

ETHICAL BASED INVESTMENTS

An investment fund based on ethics may not invest in companies involved in the gambling, alcohol, and cigarette industry. Any investment related to the meat industry may also be off limits if you are a vegetarian.

FAITH BASED INVESTMENTS

Some churches have their own investments which are used to fund various church activities. For many investors in church funds the return on their money is a secondary consideration to the work carried out by the church with investor’s money.

GREEN INVESTMENTS

This is basically concerned with climate change and the environment. It is another name for socially responsible investing.

IMPACT INVESTMENTS

Another name for socially responsible investments.

It is important to follow the basic rules of investing and to diversify your investments and invest according to your age and life goals. Investing in mutual funds is an excellent way to reduce your risk as your money is spread  over different companies. Diversification as it is commonly known is a good strategy to have particularly when you are older and have less time to recover from financial setbacks. The young ones are able to take more risks. 

Balancing risk and reward is an art and to become really good at it requires experience.

ABOUT THIS ARTICLE

You have the right to use this article as content for your ebook, post it on your blog or website, and even edit it. Visit my blog www.robertastewart.com for other articles.

Note: This article is of the writer’s own opinion and experience and does not represent financial advice.

www.robertastewart.com

 

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How to make or lose a fortune

Written by R. A. Stewart

“How can I make a fortune on the share market?”-a question some random person may be thinking to him or herself and if I really knew the answer to that question then I would be rich beyond my wildest dreams.

I can’t tell you how to get rich but at least I can give you some hints to help save you losing your shirt and a lot more.

Share prices do not always represent value, but rather the opinions of the wisest men in finance. The markets tell the story of the times. The stock market moves according to the news coming out from various companies. Shares prices are often ahead of actual happenings.

When you are trading on shares you are competing with some of the best financial brains in the country. They have the benefit of years of research and experience behind them. Not to mention huge financial resources and every conceivable aid to assist them.

Never lose sight of the fact that someone’s gain is nearly always someone else’s loss-don’t let it be yours. Share prices can drop sudden and faster than they rise. Don’t let it overwhelm you.

A “tip” is just an opinion. There are plenty of people who are willing to advise you to sell or to buy. Don’t let any of this throw you off course.

Some companies have professional directors whose job it is to enhance the company’s image. They add little else to the company’s bottom line.

All of the glossy brochures about a company may look impressive but they can be doctored to look better than they really are.

The financial jungle can be rough and those losses can be hard to swallow but one must learn to take a financial hit occasional and not be discouraged from taking further risks. When I say risks I mean calculated ones. 

If you are going to make yourself ill by worrying if your shares drop by a percentage point or more then stay out of the share market and be a little more on the conservative side with your investing. 

In this day and age with modern technology and online share market platforms it is much easier for ordinary people to build a portfolio on a modest income. Managed funds enable anyone to tap into the best financial brains in finance-even the financially ignorant.

Even so, keeping up to date with the financial world will help you in the long run.

Share trading can be divided into three categories.

1 Long term: For people wanting to build a nest egg for their retirement. The type of investment will depend on your risk profile and your age. Investors may want to just invest regularly into this type of fund and forget them.

2 Medium Term: For investors wanting a reasonable return up to five years with a chance of a capital gain.

3 Short term: This is for money that may be needed within the next 12-24 months. It should be placed in more conservative accounts. Money in this category may be required for appliance repairs or replacement and so forth. It is for the unforeseeable expenses. Many financial advisors even suggest having an emergency fund for this purpose.

About this article

This article is of the opinion of the writer and may not necessarily be applicable to your own personal circumstances, therefore caution is advised. Read my other articles on www.robertastewart.com 

 

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Diversification in the share market

Written by Robert A. Stewart

Diversification is a term we often come across in the investment industry but what does this really mean for the Mum and Dad investor and how can the ordinary investor profit from diversification? Here is an article written in simple language which everyday investors can understand.

Diversification in the share market

What it is and how you can make it work for you

Diversify, diversify, diversify are terms you will come across in the world of investments so what does it mean and how can you make it work to grow your wealth?

When someone says you should diversify your investments what is meant is that your investments are spread out among different companies and sectors in order to reduce your risk.

An investor may have shares in a phone company, a power company, a bank, an insurance company and so on.

This kind of diversification was once beyond the means of the average investor because one had to purchase at least $3,000 worth of each share just to make it viable because of the broker’s commission on each buy and sell transaction.

Not any more!

Online share market trading platforms such as Sharesies in New Zealand and Robinhood in the US have opened the way for anyone of any means to get involved in the markets. These platforms enable anyone to build up their financial literacy on a shoestring. There are lots of other online investment platforms similar to Sharesies and Robinhood which gives you a wide choice. 

With sharesies the minimum investment you can make is $5 but with Kernel Wealth, another online investment platform in New Zealand the minimum investment is $100. This is just an example of different rules for different companies.

Mum and Dad investors can buy into a range of diverse companies on a shoestring with sharesies and robin hood which in the long term is good for those astute enough to participate.

Investing in individual companies is not the only way to build up a diverse portfolio; the other way is investing in managed funds or as it is referred to in the States, Mutual Funds. 

When buying into these funds you are combining your money with other investors to purchase units  in the funds. Fund managers will purchase shares in a range of companies on your behalf.

The level of risk can vary depending on the industry in which the fund manager invests your money.

These investments are generally referred to as Growth Funds which have the potential to grow your savings but at a higher risk. 

Those investors who want a mixture of high risk and low risk funds will invest in what is called Balanced funds. This is a combination of growth and balanced funds. Investors may have the option of choosing which percentage of their investment they would like in growth or conservative funds..

Diversification is an excellent wealth building strategy for the average investors who wants to create a nest egg for the future. It is a matter knowing what you want to achieve with your investments and investing accordingly.

About this article

This article is based on the writer’s experience and may not be applicable to your personal circumstances therefore discretion is advised. You are welcome to use this article as content for your ebook or website. Feel free to share this article. 

www.robertastewart.com

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How to handle the share market crash

How to handle the share market crash

Written by R. A. Stewart

Cool heads are needed during a time when the value of your kiwisaver or managed funds have dropped in value. It is time to consider what your options are so here are some dos and don’ts to think about.

The dos

Do keep a cool head and weather the storm. Investing in the markets is a long term game.

Do keep reading the financial pages to keep up to date with the financial world.

Do ensure you still deposit at least $1040 into kiwisaver per annum in order to get the $520 tax credit.

Do remember that when the market has lost value, you will get more shares for your money when you buy.

Do keep adding other strings to your bow

Do keep saving a portion of your income.

The don’ts

Don’t change to conservative funds if you are in balanced funds

Don’t keep looking at your kiwisaver balance every day

Don’t lose perspective on life

Don’t listen to prophets of doom 

Don’t ignore your career/job objectives

Don’t stop saving

Always remember

Your greatest asset is your ability to earn an income. Become more valuable to employers and no one can take that away from you, not even inflation.

ABOUT THIS ARTICLE: This article is of the opinion of the writer and may not be applicable to your circumstances so discretion is advised. You may use this article as content for your ebook or website.

www.robertastewart.com

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Investing in share trading platforms

Investing in share trading platforms

Online share market platforms are gaining in popularity; they provide a terrific opportunity for ordinary folk to get involved in the share market on a shoestring budget. Just deposit $5, $10, $20, or more per week and given the benefit of time and patience this can all grow into a tidy sum.

The beauty of this is that your financial literacy increases as you get more and more involved in choosing which shares to buy.

In New Zealand Sharesies is the number one share market platform. It enables anyone of small means to invest directly into the share market and even in individual companies. 80% of sharesies investors are under 40 so it is appealing to the young folk. That is a good thing as it shows that the young are interested in matters of finance. It is also a good thing that the young are improving their financial literacy.

I cannot speak for other sharesies investors but here is my strategy. It may not necessarily be right for your personal circumstances but I will share it with you. 

I choose one company per year to invest in with sharesies and drip feed money into it every two weeks which means that whether its share price is up or down I have bought shares in it. If I had just made one purchase of the share then chances are that I have bought it at the higher price and its value has dropped a few weeks later but spreading my investment out means that I have bought some at the lower price.

You can use different strategies to suit your budget, goals and personal circumstances.

Here is the link to join Sharesies if you are keen to give investing a go. This is only for those living in New Zealand or Australia.

 

https://sharesies.com/r/377DFM

www.robertastewart.com

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Investing mistakes

He who never made a mistake…

never made anything.

You could read all you can about the sharemarket but investors will from time to time go against their better judgement and invest in something because of greed or it is something they are interested in. I have lost money in the past from some of my investments.

Here is a sample:

Air New Zealand (early 2000s)

This company I thought was a reasonably safe investment. Air New Zealand was once owned by the government but it was privatised during the late 1980s or 90s. However, the company almost went under during 2001 I think it was when their shares dropped to 14 cents each from about $1.50. The government bailed them out and still owns about 51% of the company. During covid, the government bailed them out again after the border closures placed them in a financially precarious situation.

Lombard Finance L.T.D

This was one of those finance companies which offered higher interest rates than the banks for fixed term accounts. Lombard as it turned out had too much money tied up in too few projects and when one of their creditors folded it brought Lombard down with them. It lent money to property developers. Lombard Finance collapsed in 2008

Provincial Finance L.T.D

This company lent money for consumerable items such as cars etc. It, like Lombard, offered higher interest rates for fixed term than the high street banks. It was also a victim of the Global Financial Crisis.

Dominion Finance L.T.D

Another finance company which fell victim to the Global Financial Crisis. It too offered higher fixed term rates than the banks were offering.

Must be a lesson there somewhere.

These were by no means the only finance companies which went belly up during the G.F.C; South Canterbury Finance and Hanover Finance were high profile collapses. 

Some investors lost their life savings in Hanover FInance. 

That is a classic case of putting all your eggs in the one basket; a crucial mistake which affected how some folk will live during their retirement years. 

Greed sometimes over rules better judgment.

We sometimes hear stories of young folk who have bought xxx stock in xxx company which has risen in value by a ridiculous amount. This type of rise is not sustainable and it is only a matter of time before the rising share value slows or in some cases takes a spectacular dive. 

I mentioned young folk because they do not have the past experience of older investors.

It has to be said that those who have made the most investment mistakes are likely to be in a better financial situation than those who played it safe all their lives and just kept their money in low interest accounts. Certainly better than those who are spenders rather than savers.

The bottom line is that it pays to diversify and spread your risk but the level of risk one takes is dependent on a person’s age because younger people have more time to recover from financial mistakes.

A lot of people cannot stomach the thought of losing a few grand on their investments yet would have problem frittering that money on lottery tickets, cigarettes, or booze. In order to achieve more favourable financial outcomes it is important to do a stock take of your outgoings (spending) and transfer money which would otherwise have been wasted into something more profitable. This could be starting an internet-based business, investments, or upskilling.

This article is the result of the writer’s experience and opinion and not considered as financial advice. If you require qualified financial advice see your bank manager or financial advisor.

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LEARNING FROM PAST FINANCIAL MISTAKES

This article is of the writer’s experience and opinion. If you require financial advice then see your bank manager or financial advisor.

Learning from past investing mistakes

By Robert A. Stewart

“He who never made a mistake never made anything,” but there is no need to make a mistake if you can help it. How? By learning from other people’s mistakes.

The most tragic thing of all is to not learn from your own mistakes; here are some tragic examples which have left people with badly burned fingers.

In October 1987 the sharemarket crashed bigtime; there were horrific stories of mum and dad investors losing fortunes. Leading up to the crash investors would borrow money to purchase shares by using the value of their shares as collateral. As the share values increased, they were able to borrow more and more money. One story I was told was of a man who borrowed money using the value of his home as collateral. 

Many companies were basically called paper shufflers; in order words they were not producing anything tangible but trading in shares.

It took several years before the market recovered.

One should never borrow money to purchase shares which is the first basic lesson of investing.

During the Global Financial Crisis several finance companies went belly up in NZ; these included Provincial Finance, Hanover Finance, Dominion Finance, Lombard Finance, and South Canterbury Finance. There were sad stories with one common one being of investors who had their whole life savings invested in the company. The media’s spin on this is to tell the viewer about the investors who lost everything they invested but that is not the case. The truth is investors were drip-fed money from what the receiver’s could recover.

The investors concerned had a lot to say about all of this but one thing was never mentioned was the fact that they placed all of their financial eggs in one basket. This is a fundamental mistake. In one case, an investor had NZ$400,000 invested in Hanover Finance. One would have thought an investor with commonsense would have spread their money around. 

It does make one wonder whether someone provided this investor with misleading advice. 

The second basic lesson is to not place all of your financial eggs in the one basket.

Crypto currency such as Bitcoin and the like have been very popular during the last ten years. Stories of great wealth have been floating around from time to time of investors who have invested x number of $ and turned it into a fortune worth x. My view of Crypto Currency is that it should be treated as a bit of a gamble where you only invest discretionary income in. Only money you can afford to lose should be invested in crypto currency.

A company called “Cryptopia” which was basically a blockchain which held funds invested in Bitcoin was hacked into and all those with bitcoin invested with cryptopia lost their money. There were some sad stories of an x amount of $ lost.

The third lesson here is to NEVER invest money in cryptocurrency which you can not afford to lose. In other words only use your discretionary money for Bitcoin.

It is certainly well worth remembering that if there is a chance of capital gain then there is also a chance of capital loss. That is the nature of investing.

The bottom line is this; “It is up to YOU, the investor to take responsibility for your mistakes.

www.robertastewart.com

Investing in Gold is worth looking at but like other investments an investor needs to do their research, check out the following;

https://affiliates.goldco.com/l/1VRW1MU2Q/

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HOW TO GET RICH OR LOSE YOUR SHIRT TRYING

The views expressed in this article are of the writer’s own opinion and do not represent financial advice. If you do require financial advice then see your bank manager or financial advisor.
How to get rich or lose your shirt trying
By R. A. Stewart
“Just how can I get rich on the stock exchange.” That is the $64,000 question, one that has no definitive answer. The question should really be, “How long will it take for me to get rich on the stock exchange?” Investors who have kept up to date with the financial stuff in the newspapers and TV will know that the sharemarket is a long term game. It is time rather than timing which is the key, however, having said that, it is unrealistic for someone aged 60 to have a 30 year plan to make money on the markets.
A younger person, on the other hand is able to take more risks, because they have more years left to recover from financial setbacks.
Share prices do not always represent true value just as at the race track where the horse’s odds do not represent their true chances of winning the race. The share price is a reflection of the opinions of investors, this opinion can be based on fears, hope, or just plain greed. The share price will move in either direction on the back of news about the company.
The mum and dad investors who buys and sells shares is competing with some very astute investors. Many of whom are the best financial brains in the country, however if you have invested in managed funds as everyone enrolled in kiwisaver has you will have the benefit of these brains who are emplyed as fund managers working on behalf of you. There are other types of investments where you are able to dripfeed money into the sharemarket. Sharesies is one of these; you have the option of investing in managed funds or individual companies. This will give you experience and knowledge of how the market works. Another string to your financial bow you might say.
Someone’s loss can be your gain; when others are selling their shares you buy. There can be some good bargains in the sharemarket when investors are pessimistic and you can take advantage of this. We have seen with the coronavirus pandemic that the markets are struggling with the worst affected companies being airlines and other companies connected to tourism. They can bounce back once this is all over.
Many companies have professional directors whose task is to boost the image of the company. They do little else except be paid for the use of their name.
It cannot be stressed enough that if the possibility of loss is going to cause you sleepless nights then stay out of the sharemarket. Life is too short for it not to be enjoyed.
You should however still be signed up for the kiwisaver retirement scheme, because if you are not you are missing out on the $520 per annum government contribution and the 3% employer contribution. To receive the $520, you must contribute at least $1040
www.robertastewart.com
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HOW TO ADD ANOTHER STRING TO YOUR FINANCIAL BOW

Sharesies makes investing accessible to all!

Do you have some discretionary dollars to spare and are wanting to invest in a fund with growth potential then look no further than Sharesies; a managed fund which is proving popular among all ages, particularly the young. Sharesies is an excellent investment vehicle for Mum and Dad investors who are looking to add another string to their financial bow but don’t have much money to start with. Even if you have only a spare $50 to start with, it is a start, and Sharesies a great way to invest and at the same time increase your financial literacy.

What is Sharesies?

It is a managed fund, much like kiwisaver but the difference is with Sharesies you are able to choose which companies to invest in. 

How much does it cost to join?

$30 per annum, but you do have the option of having monthly payments debited from your account. Payment can be done by a visa debit card or whatever means you choose.

What is the minimum amount to start off with?

You can start the fund with as little as $20 and make regular deposits to the fund (minimum $5) after that; this can be done by making direct credits to the sharesies account or just simply transferring money into the Sharesie account regularly.

How do I make deposits into Sharesies?

You will be given a reference number which is used each time you make a transferal online; you will also be given the Sharesies bank account account number. It also pays to place your username in one of the slots where you write your deposit details to help Sharesies track you if something goes wrong. (I once left a number out of the reference number)

How do I join Sharesies?

Go to the site by clicking on the link below;

https://sharesies.nz/r/377DFM