Cryptocurrencies – Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, etc. – have been in the spotlight globally and locally in the past few months. Moneysmart.as states that “today, there are hundreds of digitally created currencies, as well as Initial Coin Offerings, or ICOs, which are like initial share offers to the public, giving you an opportunity to acquire the…
This is part V of ĠEMMA’s series on Rules of Thumbs that act act as a useful and reliable steer which engages persons offers a better course of action than not following it is in the withdrawal of savings from your retirement pot. Today’s post explores the Life Expectancy Rule. This Rule sees you each…
This is part IV of ĠEMMA’s series on Rules of Thumbs that act act as a useful and reliable steer which engages persons offers a better course of action than not following it is in the withdrawal of savings from your retirement pot. Today’s post explores the Fixed Date Rule. This Rule sees you run…
This is part III of ĠEMMA’s series on Rules of Thumbs that act act as a useful and reliable steer which engages persons offers a better course of action than not following it is in the withdrawal of savings from your retirement pot. Today’s post explores the Inflated 4% Rule. This rule is tested for…
In last Tuesday’s post ĠEMMA referred to the importance of following successful Rules of Thumb that nudge and guide persons to reach financial and money management decisions. One important area where Rules of Thumb act as a useful and reliable steer which engages persons offers a better course of action than not following it is…
Not everybody wants individual financial advice and not everybody can afford it. Those who get individual financial advice want comfort that it is robust and reliable. Rules of Thumb are used in some savings and pensions markets to give general advice to retirees. A working definition of a Rule of Thumb is: “A simple principle,…
The ĠEMMA team has uploaded a new calculator – the ‘Inflation Purchasing Power Calculator’. Prices have a way of increasing from year to year, so most of the goods and services that we buy tend to cost more next year than they do now. This is called inflation. Over enough years, even small annual price…
The ĠEMMA Risk Profile Quiz COVID-19 is having a negative impact on businesses and economies. For some of you this may be an opportunity – investing in shares whilst they are down: as the adage goes, what goes down, goes up. With the banking sector rendering it hard to get much interest back these days…
In a recent post, we discussed how life expectancy could impact your retirement planning. There are other key factors to take into account when planning for your retirement. The first is inflation. Inflation represents the general sustained increase in prices resulting from the demand for goods. Obviously, the prices of selected goods may increase for…
Seems complex , yet so simple. What is a bond? A bond can be thought of as basically a loan agreement. There are different classes of bonds, with differing bond characteristics. Who can issue bonds? Businesses and governments issue certificates of debt, called bonds. It is a certificate showing that the bondholder has lent a…
Risk is the probability an investment would not give you the outcomes you want. For example, you may expect your investment to grow but its value falls or is lost entirely. In another scenario, you may expect regular interest of 10% but interest payments fall to 5%. Or you may expect to be able to…
Below is a list of terms that are frequently used in investment together with their significance TermDescriptionAnnual Management ChargeAdministration charge to cover the services provided. The charge Is usually a percentage of the total fund value.AnnuityAn annuity uses a member’s accumulated pension fund to provide payments at regular scheduled intervals upon retirement.Annual Percentage RateAn annual…
Our new Investment menu … a truly comprehensive, educational, interesting, and enjoyable reference tool. We welcome you to explore Gemma’s resources and reading and we hope that each journey will prompt you to question, learn, explore more and share that knowledge with others. Investing: your introductory guide When do you start investing? What to ask a…
Initial coin offerings (ICOs) are a way for developers of Blockchain technology to raise development funds. ICOs have been used to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for blockchain-related projects, often with limited information about their goals. ICOs sound similar to initial public offerings (IPOs); however, they are not the same and usually do not…
get the ball rolling Investments vary a great deal from one another and the opportunities available to invest in a flourishing economy are numerous. Each broad investment type—from bank products to stocks and bonds—has its own general set of features, risk factors and ways in which they can be used by investors. Risks are two-fold: There…
When you know your needs, your goals and your risk tolerance. When you have done an investment plan, outweighing different types of products, and choosing the one that best suits you, among many alternatives. When you have checked all the charges involved. When you have got plenty of money in your cash savings account –…
Investment … to put money to use; financial products are something you buy or put your money into to get a profitable return; such as compound interest products. The simplest way to save is to put a sum of money aside and continue adding to it periodically. However, money saved in this way is not…
Increasingly, have you been hearing more and more about crypto-currencies? … which is one form of crypto currencies, has become part of our language. Yet most of us do not know what crypto currencies are and how they work. This is a link to a short BBC feature which explains in a simple manner what…
towards a financial plan and products that are right for you now and in the future If you decide to see a financial adviser, especially if it is your first encounter, you should plan in advance by pulling together your relevant paperwork, your financial goals and a list of questions to ask. An advisor will…
Understanding the importance of saving and planning for retirement alone does not suffice. Such a clear vision shall guide us to analyse all alternatives, make clear decisions and take actions in making the most of our savings / investment for an ultimate financial reward at retirement. Investment helps to promote growth. It’s money put to…
