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Book Review: Rich Dad Poor Dad 

 

Written by R. A. Stewart

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki is one of the best selling finance books of all time. It tells the story of two Dads in his life, his biological father who he called “Poor Dad” and his friend’s father, who he called “Rich Dad.” 

His Poor Dad worked diligently all of his life but could not get ahead, his Rich Dad was smarter with his money and was rich. The Rich Dad mentored Robert and helped him become financially literate.

It is not how much money you make but rather what you do with it after you make it and that is the basic theme in this book.

 

In the book, Robert focuses on getting rich through financial literacy, investing, and entrepreneurship.

The most important lesson is to know the difference between assets and liabilities. Kiyosaki reminds readers several times throughout the book the importance of building up your assets and minimizing your liabilities in order to build up your financial portfolio. He makes the point that many people mistakenly think they are acquiring assets when in fact they are accumulating liabilities. A perfect example is of a house which though it may be a family’s biggest purchase during their lifetime is a liability because it costs money to keep and maintain.

Kiyosaki also stresses the importance of a financial education and claims that the education system does not teach financial literacy to the detriment of children.

The book also explains the concept of having money work for you instead of working for money. Poor Dad had the working man’s mindset of working a set number of hours per week for money while the Rich Dad focuses on acquiring and building assets which generate an income.

Writing Style

Robert Kiyosaki writes in a way as though he is a mentor to his readers rather than if he was simply writing a textbook which resonates with so many readers.

The book has had its critics though, one is that it is too simplistic with not enough actionable advice on how to create and build wealth. It has also been criticized for focusing on financial gain and little emphasis on the social or environmental impacts of wealth building. 

Kiyosaki’s dismissal of education does not resonate with everyone who values the education system. He does highlight the shortcomings of the education system, but his message is not going to go down well with parents who are trying to encourage their children to focus on their school work.

Conclusion

Rich Dad Poor Dad is certainly a very good book as far as improving your financial literacy is concerned, but the information needs to be applied according to your personal circumstances. I have no hesitation in recommending Rich Dad Poor Dad as a must read for anyone wishing to get ahead in life.

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The cost of a high lifestyle

The Cost of a high lifestyle

Written by R. A. Stewart

There is a huge cost attached to living a luxury lifestyle and this cost will be felt sometime into the future. It is when some of life’s big ticket items will crop up and unless you are prepared for them you will most likely end up borrowing to pay for them. This means that you will be paying interest for such items which means that you will be paying more for them than you should.

I remember as a teenager we were helping a neighbouring lifestyle farmer build a cattle yard. The farmer’s name was Jack, an Irishman. He wanted the cattle yard to look nice but Dad said to him, “There is no profit in having a cattle yard that looks nice.” 

On another day, we went out to Jack’s place to spread fertilizer. It was superphosphate. Dad, my brother Jimmy, and I were there and Dad said to Jack, “I have three fertilizer spreaders in the back of the van.” Jack with a curious look on his face, replied, “Let me see them”.

Dad opened the van door to reveal three shovels. Jack saw the funny side.

We then went about spreading superphosphate around the paddocks.

Why spend more money than is necessary on whatever task you are involved in.

Years ago I was working in hospitality in one of New Zealand’s tourist hotspots (Franz Josef Glacier) when the Head chef drove to the hotel we were working at in a brand new car. A colleague told me that he had bought it for $20,000. My response to that was, “If that was me, I would have bought the cheapest car and invested the rest of the money.

There is a cost of living a champagne lifestyle on a lemonade budget and that cost is financial problems later on down the track. Sooner or later, big ticket items will appear in your life and these will sometimes cost you thousands of dollars. A new car, marriage, followed by children, house deposit, dental and medical bills, and retirement.

Sensible people will prepare for these things by saving a portion of their money every week and investing it in the appropriate funds.

Some people on a good salary spend every single dollar or pound they make living the kind of lifestyle that impresses other people. A flash car, flash clothes, nights out, and have little or nothing to show from working at their job.

All of this because they were living beyond their means. Learn to live modestly and life will be easier for you. This all starts when saving money becomes a habit. That money invested will grow your wealth and when life’s big ticket items comes along then you will be in a position to pay for them rather than borrow.

About this article: You may use this article as content for your website/blog, or ebook. 

The opinions expressed in this article are from the writer’s own opinion and may not be applicable to your circumstances therefore discretion is advised. Read my other articles on www.robertastewart.com

 

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What does your Financial Future look like?

Written by R. A. Stewart

Your future is fully dependent on today’s actions. As far as finance is concerned, it is important to know where you are going and decide on a strategy to get ahead in life. You may be working at a minimum wage job doing menial tasks but you can still develop a plan for your financial future. It is not how much you make but what you do with what you receive in your paypacket that counts.

Look at everything you spend and take a long term view of it. I know some people who take lottery tickets every week. If you are just taking the basic ticket for a power ball, it costs $12. That is around $600 per annum.Think of what can be done with that.

Take a moment to think, “What can I do today that my future self will thank me for?

I can tell you now, that there will be no one who will reach the retirement age and regret that they contributed to a retirement scheme all their lives.

It is the same with financial education. It will enable you to make the best choices for your money. Financially illiterate people tend to fritter their money away on things and then when the car breaks down there is nothing in the kitty to fix it. No one is going to regret that they gained a financial education.

You don’t have to be rich to invest, but you have to invest to become rich. Most people think, “I will do this or that when my ship comes in,” but that day never arrives. 

Building a solid financial base requires planning. Joining a retirement scheme is a must. Developing the saving habit is important. The sooner the better. It will then make life easier further on down the track.

Young people have the advantage of time on their side. This means that there is more time for them to recover from a financial hiccup such as a share market meltdown. Financial experts advise the older generation, particularly, the retired ones to be more conservative with their investments. This means taking on less risk. New Zealand financial advisor Frances Cook has a formula for working out how much investors should have in the share market. She says, “Subtract your age from 100”, so a 65 year old, according to her formula should only have 35% of their savings in the share market.

I do know of older people who have a much higher percentage of money in the markets than they should do according to Ms Cook’s formula. I am one of them.

As long as one knows the risks that they are taking on and will take responsibility for any losses that may occur instead of pointing the finger at others when something goes wrong, then why not go for it?

The main thing to remember is that if the loss of your money is not going to cause you any hardship, then by all means take some calculated risks.

Everyone has their own personal circumstances as far as finances go; there is no one size fits all. It is a matter of deciding what your priorities are and what you are going to sacrifice. 

About this article: This article is of the experience and opinion of the writer and may not be applicable to your personal circumstances therefore discretion is advised. You may use the article as content for your ebook or blog.

Read my other articles on www.robertastewart.com

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Factors which determine your Financial Priorities

Written by R. A. Stewart

Everyone has their own life to live and what this means is that everyone has their own unique set of circumstances which determines how they spend their money.

It is called setting priorities and there is no one size fits all when it comes to designing a life. As far as money is concerned, setting priorities is what we all do even if we are not consciously aware of it.

There are several factors which determine how you are going to spend your money:

The main ones being:

Your income level

The cost of living

Your health

Your age

Your marital status

Whether you have children

Your debt level

Your money goals

Your risk profile

The choices you make will have a major influence on your financial priorities. It is no secret that many people are simply broke because they have made wrong choices in life, not only how they spend their money but made some major mistakes such as getting involved with the wrong person or having kids out of wedlock. Having to pay child maintenance if your ex-partner or ex-wife is the one taking care of the children is going to kill off any chances you have of getting ahead financially.

If you are young, single, and smart, you will afford this kind of a life and live a prosperous life.

Age is a major factor in determining your priorities. Someone aged in their 60s will have different priorities than a person in their 20s.The young ones will be able to take more risks with their money because they have more time to recover from  a financial setback such as a share market tumble. A 65 year old is not going to set goals with a 30 year deadline but the twenty and thirty somethings do this all the time when they take out a mortgage.

There are several factors which will hinder your chances of any kind of financial success. Smoking, drugs, alcohol, and debt are the main ones. It is sad that some folk will prioritize their spending on cigarettes rather than buying good wholesome food for their children.

As far as these things are concerned it is important for the young ones in particular to make decisions which their future self will thank them for. I mean, honestly, I can thank my younger self for not taking up this disgusting habit. Another decision which I can thank my younger self for was my decision to join and contribute to a retirement savings scheme. In New Zealand it is called Kiwisaver.

About this article: This article is of the opinion and experience of the writer and may not be applicable to your personal circumstances therefore discretion advised. You may use this article as content for your blog or website.

Read my other articles at www.robertastewart.com

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Giving your money a job to do

Written by R. A. Stewart

It is one thing to earn money, it is another thing altogether to ask your money to do likewise. Most people know how to earn money from whatever job or career they have but fewer people know how to invest their money in order for their money to work for them. 

It is not just a matter of investing in this or that and expecting your wealth to increase, there are factors which must be considered and this will determine where you should invest your money.

It all boils down to your timeline. If you are investing for the long term, that is 10 years or more then growth funds may be your best option. The reason for this is that if there is a major market downturn then there is more time to recover from such a setback. If it is the short term you are investing for then you need to be more conservative otherwise, you may find that a major market plunge may reduce your savings just when you need the money.

Your investing strategy is dependent on your priorities and everyone’s priorities are different, therefore, don’t be talked into investing in something by well meaning friends who may not be on the same page as you are as far as investing for the future goes.

Saving and investing are good habits to develop and the earlier you start the better off you will be, not just in terms of increasing your wealth but also increasing your financial literacy. There is no substitute for experience and this can only be acquired by getting involved in the markets.

Fortunately, in this day and age, investing in the share market has been made easier for the man and woman in the street with all of these online investing platforms such as sharesies in New Zealand and Australia and Hatch in the US. There are a lot of others such as robin hood in the US.

A person who has their head screwed on the right way will have established clear financial goals and a job for their money. Here are some of the money goals which are quite common:

An emergency (rainy day fund)

Saving for a car fund

Saving for a house deposit fund

Saving for your retirement fund

Saving for an overseas holiday fund

Saving for an investment portfolio fund

On that last one. If you are building an investment portfolio .you are able to drip feed money into an investment rather than saving until you have say, a grand, before investing a lump sum into an account.

The advantage of investing a little bit into the markets regularly, whether that is every week or two weeks is that you will purchase shares or units at a lower price when the markets are down.

This is all some food for thought for those just starting out on their investment journey.

About this article: This is of the opinion and experience of the writer and may not be applicable to your own personal circumstances therefore discretion is advised.

You may use this article as content for your blog/website, or ebook.

Check out my other articles on www.robertastewart.com

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10 Oldest Public Listed Companies in the World

Written by R. A. Stewart

I have seen the list of the world’s oldest publicly listed companies on the stock exchange, and it makes interesting reading and there may be some kind of lesson and conclusions which we can draw from the list. 

Here are the top ten on that list.

1 GSK Plc

GSK is a British multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with global headquarters in London. It was established in 2000 as the result of a merger of two other companies, Glaxo Wellcome and Beecham PLC. They were also the result of a merger of a number of pharmaceutical companies.

2 NatWest Group Pl

NatWest Holdings is based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Services provided are personal, business, and investment banking, insurance, corporate finance, and more. Subsidiaries include the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Ulster Bank.

3 Birkenstock Holding Plc

Birkenstock is a footwear manufacturer. They invented the footbed. The company was founded in 1774 and has its headquarters in the United Kingdom.

4 Inter-Continental Hotels Group

Inter-Continental Hotels Group is a British Multinational hospitality company with its headquarters in Windsor. It is listed on both the London and New York Stock exchange. Inter-Continental’s subsidiaries include Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo, and Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants.

5 Takeda Pharmaceutical Company

Takeda is a Japanese Multinational Pharmaceutical company. It is among the top 20 Pharmaceutical companies in the world. It was founded in Osaka in 1781 and has its headquarters in Tokyo.

6 Bank of America Corporation

Bank of America is a multinational investment bank and financial services holding company which is based in Charlotte, North Carolina. It also has headquarters in Manhattan. The company was formed in 1998 as the result of Nation Bank’s acquisition of Bank of America. Its roots date back to 1904 when the Bank of Italy opened in San Francisco and eventually became the Bank of America.

7 The Bank of New York Mellon

BNY is an investment management and services company. They help individuals and institutions invest in America and worldwide. Bank of New York was originally founded in 1704.

8 Cushman and Wakefield PLC

Cushman and Wakefield PLC is a real estate services firm. It is among the world’s leading real estate firms. It is based in Chicago, Illinois. The company was founded in 1917.

9 Cigna Corporation

The Cigna Group is a multinational managed healthcare and insurance company based in Bloomfield, Connecticut, USA. It was founded by the Insurance company of North America in 1982.

 

10 State Street Corporation

State Street Corporation is a global financial services company with headquarters in Boston, USA. It was previously called the Union Bank which originated in 1792 making it the second oldest continually operating bank in America.

Banking/finance companies feature four times on this list. It is an industry which is considered recession proof. Pharmaceutical companies feature twice on this list while shoe manufacturing and a hotel chain have also made it on the list. It is important to realize that industries which rely on discretionary spending money for their revenue are always going to be vulnerable during downturns in the economy. This all provides some food for thought with these companies having stood the test of time.

www.robertastewart.com

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6 Benefits of Saving Money

The value of saving money

Written by R. A. Stewart

If there is one habit which will make your life easier it is the habit of saving money from each payday. As a responsible adult this is the mature thing to do. People who just spend all of their money leaving them broke before the next pay day arrives are irresponsible. 

Saving money without an end goal may seem pointless to some people and that is why it is important to have goals so that your money has a purpose. This gives you motivation to save otherwise you will become just like most people and just fritter your money away and when that rainy day comes there will be nothing to fall back on.

Here are reasons why you must save:

  1. Saving helps you to avoid borrowing

People who have no savings often borrow for stuff they need, such as some appliance breaking down or a medical emergency. Borrowing adds to the cost of whatever it is a debtor is paying for. This cost is called interest. Another word for interest is dead money because it gives you nothing tangible for your money. If you have debt then getting rid of it must be your first priority.

  1. Saving helps you to avoid future inconvenience

Imagine having no savings and the car, washing machine, or internet modem, or something else needs fixing and you have no savings. These are items which we take for granted but having no money to repair or replace something which needs replacing will cause you a great deal of inconvenience. Having a rainy day account for emergencies is a good idea.

Having

  1. Saving enables you to build your wealth

Saving money will help you to build your wealth portfolio and you do not need to have a fortune to begin investing but you do need to invest in order to create a fortune. Share market platforms such as Sharesies and Hatch enables anyone to invest on a shoestring. Investing with these platforms helps build your financial literacy.

  1. Saving provides more opportunities 

Saving money creates more future opportunities. It provides opportunities to study, to travel, and to move locations for work. Your future you will thank you for what you have saved today. Will anyone reach the age of 65 and regret having made consistent contributions to kiwisaver? I think not.

  1. Saving provides more peace of mind.

Saving provides a certain amount of peace of mind. When you have something up your sleeve to pay for emergencies when you need it life becomes much less stressful. That is something which should be part of your financial plan.

  1. Saving helps prepare for retirement

Having money behind you helps make your retirement years more comfortable. Whichever country you belong to it is important to join your country’s retirement scheme and take advantage of any tax incentives if any.

About this article: The contents are of the opinion of the writer and may not be applicable to your own personal circumstances. You are advised to seek professional budget advice if necessary. Feel free to print this off for easier reading. You may use this as content for your blog, website, or ebook.

Www.robertastewart.com

 

Disclaimer: I may receive a small commission if you sign up with sharesies. (see below)

 Investing with Sharesies is an accessible and straightforward way to invest in the stock market. By following these steps, you can get started on your investment journey and start building your wealth. However, before making any investment decisions, it is essential to do your research and seek professional advice if necessary.

 Join Sharesies here

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Prioritizing your spending

Prioritizing your spending

Written by R. A. Stewart

Life is all about making priorities and it is not all about money and how you prioritize your spending but about what you do with your time. We have different financial commitments and different levels of income but when it comes to time, we all have an allotted 24 hours in the day, no more and no less but our income and how we earn our income will have an effect on how much time we have to devote to the important things in our life.

Many people sacrifice their time for money by spending all of their time working leaving little time for anything else. They are out of balance.

If you have a specific goal in mind such as saving for a house deposit then the sacrifices may be worth it in the long term. Maybe because only you will know whether the long days were truly worth it. It all depends on what your priorities are.

What factors should you consider when setting priorities?

Here are several to consider:

Your commitments

Your debt levels

Your age

Your family circumstances

Your health

Your career

Your pets

It is important that you base your priorities on what is important to you and that you do not try to copy someone else’s figures. There is no one size that fits everyone; it is your own needs and wants which determine how you are going to prioritise your spending.

Everyone has different levels of commitments; these have to be managed as best as you can. Commitments can be financial such as a mortgage or other debt or something more personal such as a relationship. 

Your age is another factor; you are not going to take out a 30 year mortgage when you are 60. If you are in your twenties you will have different priorities. As a young investor you can take more risks with your investing strategy because you have more time to recover from a financial meltdown.

That does not mean being reckless with your investing but rather; taking calculated risks.

Your family circumstances are another factor to weigh up. If you have kids then you will have less disposable cash to play around with than if you are single. The flip side is that if you are in a relationship then you have the advantage of having two incomes which will make it easier to save for major life events such as having kids. It is a good idea to put aside money for this purpose.

Then there is your health to think about. If you are fit and healthy then that is great but as we all know, Father Time catches up on us sooner or later. If you have health issues which lessens your chances of reaching the retirement age then your priorities need to be different from those who are healthy.

Then your career or job is a priority. It has to be your top priority because it pays the bills. It is where you spend so much of your time so a carefully chosen career will help make your life more meaningful. Adding different strings to your bow will give you more options. Learning does not end once you leave school is a lifelong project.

Your pets can bring enjoyment to your life but they can also become a burden to your finances as a lot of people have found during the cost of living crisis. The SPCA were swamped with cats and dogs because people could not afford to keep them. When deciding whether to get a dog or a cat it is important to work out how much this is going to cost you. It is also important to consider the fact that keeping pets fits the discretionary spending category and that money spent on them will be better off going towards the mortgage if you have one or towards your retirement fund. 

As far as pets are concerned, many people let their hearts rule their heads; I mean honestly, why else would one spend a grand on a vet bill for a cat or even more than that on a dog when it would be cheaper just to have the animal put down?

 

This article is of the opinion of the writer and may not be applicable to your personal circumstances, therefore, discretion is advised. You may use this article as content for your ebook, website, or blog. Feel free to share this article.

 

www.robertastewart.com

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Cost of living crisis affecting retirement savings

Cost of living crisis affecting retirement savings

Written by R. A. Stewart

Thousands of New Zealanders have suspended contributions to their retirement fund due to the cost of living crisis and this will affect them when their retirement comes around.

New Zealand financial adviser Carissa Fairbrother advised people to keep sowing into your kiwisaver whatever your financial circumstances. Look at where else you can make cutbacks because not investing into your Kiwisaver will affect you when you retire.

Kiwisaver is New Zealand’s retirement scheme; it is voluntary, unlike the retirement schemes of other countries which are mandatory.

There is a $520 tax credit per annum for contributions to Kiwisaver but to obtain this investors will need to deposit a minimum of $1040 every year. This is just like getting 50% interest on your money for the first year the money is deposited.

Anyone who is a New Zealand resident can join kiwisaver. There is no upper or lower age limit. People under the age of eighteen or sixty five and over are not eligible for the $520 per year tax credits. It is still a good idea to join kiwisaver despite this for several reasons.

The $520 tax credits or government incentives as they are sometimes called is paid out in July into your Kiwisaver. If you contributed less than $1,040 during the previous year then you will receive 50% of your contributions.

The Kiwisaver year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30. It makes sense to check your contributions during the year and to make sure that you deposited at least $1040 by June 30.

One is it will give the young ones a good start to life as far as savings are concerned and it will also give them a good education in finances. 

For those aged 65 and over, it is still a good idea to keep contributing to your kiwisaver if you are not going to be using it in the short term.

Buying your first home

If you are purchasing your first home you may be able to use some of your kiwisaver for a deposit. It is all the more reason to start saving as early as possible as it will enable you to reach your goals quicker.

There are other circumstances where you may be able to access your Kiwisaver early. These are if you have a terminal illness, you are moving overseas permanently, or due to financial hardship. There are lots of hoops to jump through before you can access your money.

It is all the more important to have a rainy day fund when everything is going well for you and not just fritter away your discretionary spending money because things do go wrong in life.

It is never too late to join Kiwisaver, you can still join even if you are 65, though you are not eligible for the government incentives. It is still worth your while joining. It is a good way to play the share market.

You are never too young to join kiwisaver. You may not be eligible for the government incentives until you are 18 but joining early then having family members make contributions while you are still at school will give you a good financial platform for the future. Who knows, a rich uncle may leave you a sum of money in his will to be deposited into your kiwisaver.

About this article

This article is of the experience and opinion of the writer and may not be applicable to your personal circumstances, therefore discretion is advised. You may use part or all of this article as content for your ebook, website, or blog.

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5 Ways to Diversify your investments

5 Ways to Diversify your investments

To have a diverse portfolio means to have your money in several places so that if one company or industry is in trouble then income from your other investments should at least minimise the shock.

There are 5 ways to diversify your portfolio. 

Number 1: Invest in several industries

Investing in different kinds of industries protects you from a downturn in one. With the online share market platforms I am with I have investments in a building company, an energy company, a farming retailer, phone company, and a New Zealand milk supplier. This diversification technique minimizes risks and gives me plenty of interest too.

Number 2: Invest in several funds

If you invest in managed funds and that includes everyone who is in Kiwisaver then you will be in various types of funds; growth, balanced, or conservative. The best strategy is to invest in the fund which is right for you and that depends on how soon you need the money. Long term, medium term, and short term money should be in growth, balanced, and conservative funds respectively but it all depends on your risk profile.

Number 3: Invest in different platforms

Most of us have heard of the online investing platforms such as Sharesies, Hatch, Investnow, Kernel Wealth, and Robinhood. Investing in several different platforms will help cushion you against the shock of having one of them fail, and certainly, there is no guarantee that this will not happen. I advise not investing all of your life savings into one online platform.

Number 4: Invest in different asset classes

Investing in different types of asset classes will enable you to withstand a downturn in one class of asset. Investing in fixed term interest, the share market, gold, and property are all different types of assets. It all depends on what the right kind of assets are right for your kind of personal circumstances. 

Number 5:Invest in different companies

This is very important. It is unlikely that all of the companies will fail even though the industry is going through a bad patch. This rule is just as applicable to investing in finance companies for a fixed term return as it is for shares. 

Benefits of Diversification

The number one benefit of diversification is it reduces your portfolio risk. If you placed all of your eggs in the one basket then you could lose it all if that one company went under and it did happen to some investors during the 2008 Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and 1987 Sharemarket crash (Black Monday).

It can be enjoyable for investors to own a little bit of a number of countries. Micro investment platforms such as Sharesies, Hatch, and Robinhood make this affordable for Mum and Dad investors.

Downsides of Diversification

Diversification can be time consuming but then everything worth doing is worth doing well. Investing in managed funds or mutual funds as they are called in the US is an option for busy people. More transaction fees and commissions is another downside to diversification and that could reduce your short term gain.

About this article: This article is of the opinion of the writer and may not be applicable to your personal circumstances, therefore discretion is advised.

 

Sharesies is an accessible and straightforward way to invest in the stock market. You can get started on your investment journey and start building your wealth. However, before making any investment decisions, it is essential to do your research and seek professional advice if necessary.

 Join Sharesies here

Disclaimer: I may receive a small commission if you sign up with Sharesies.