Getting Smart With Your Goals
By Phivos Hadjinicolaou January is a month of rejuvenation, focus, and inspiration, and it’s all about carrying these emotions and intentions through the entirety of the year. It is a time for resolutions, promises to ourselves, and carefully crafted goals. The question is, how many goals? How can they be measurable, actionable, and real? How […]
Dealing With High Interest Rates, Market Upheaval, and Uncertainty
Depending on what stage we are in our lives, we experience uncertainty, market upheaval, and high cost of living, differently. For those closer to pension, uncertainty and market upheaval erodes our savings; for the young, where long term growth is the goal, learning to observe, study and re-align options for saving and investing is a […]
What to Never Do: Buy Now, Pay Later
“Buy Now, Pay Later” is a concept promoted to all consumers, and it is a temptation worth contemplating on before actually leaping on it. What is Buy Now, Pay Later? The concept premises itself on our shopping habits and our tendency to shop as therapy, or for pleasure. Creating a habit of spending spontaneously and […]
Are We Speaking the Same Language?
Financial literacy has been a hot topic of discussion since 2020. But what does it really mean? The term refers to knowledge and practiced skills in making informed decisions that are effective and efficient with all of our financial resources. But, how can we understand core aspects of financial literacy, without speaking the language of […]
Why Setting Goals Matters
Situations occur in life and we want to have some goal posts within which we set our wants, needs, and red lines. That is why goals are important. Goals are like a compass, they can give us direction. We need direction especially at times when we get lost in life’s routine. We can review our […]
Merry Money, and a Happy New Year
In this blog, we wrap up the year by touching on concepts that we have discussed throughout 2021. Remember, knowledge is power and that it remains and empowers us the more we practice it. Understand your habits, nurture yourself, and most importantly, love yourself. Having clarity of mind and a purpose to focus on is […]
Personal Wealth and Worth
Asset rich, cash poor? Negative or positive equity? Our third tool, “Personal Wealth and Worth”, is a window to our wealth and its value. We assess whether our debt is weighing heavily on our wealth and assets; whether we are on the right track in achieving financial independence, and what changes need to be made […]
Forward Look to Christmas
It’s that time of the year when planning for Christmas means gifts, family gatherings, holiday breaks – and a big, deep step into cashflow! Ideally, we would all have a savings “wallet” for the season’s shopping. Remember the 50-20-20-10 rule: 50% towards expenses; 20% to pay off debt; 20% to savings and pension, 10% to […]
The Basics on Tax
Effective Tax Management with Saving and Investing There are different types of tax: income tax, property tax, and local government tax. Understanding these is an important step to improving your financial literacy. Each country has its own tax rules, tax rates, tax return forms and requirements. Accountants are helpful in assisting with filling in tax […]
The Power of Saying NO
Happy start to Fall. Following August’s pause, here we are into September and in the lead to Christmas. Returning from holidays we face up to the school season, end of year tax payments, the wish list for winter break, and work and housekeeping demands. This is the moment when prioritizing expenses, measuring income streams, and […]