No, not staring at your phone, takeaways, or eating ham while pregnant – the most dangerous substance to get hooked on is the belief that playing it safe, reduces the chance of bad things happening. Comfort-seeking chases safe bets, predictable returns, and validation‑rich investment narratives. It dulls our risk-awareness, and sets us up
Passive retirement income sounds like the holy grail, right? Imagine the money quietly rolling in while your capital sits there untouched - perfect! Yet when you dig into how this is usually sold to retirees and pre‑retirees, it often turns into something very different: concentrated bets, misunderstood risk, and portfolio structures that look “safe” on
In the 1956 classic, The 10 Commandments, Pharaoh Rameses used the phrase "So let it be written; so let it be done" to assert his absolute power, meaning his decree is law and must be executed. It's tough being a parent who cares about what media his kids consume. Over the past 5 years in
Last week, a seemingly routine visit to my local dentist, Dr Hau, after chipping a tooth, turned out to be unexpectedly insightful. He recognised me from my podcast, and our conversation shifted from dental repairs to the idea of using a gold filling for my tooth. As the gloved fingers of the dental assistant gently
Spoiler alert: The best, short-term investments are actually savings strategies: a simple savings accounts for money needed soon, term deposits for medium-range goals, and offset or revolving credit mortgages for homeowners. Each option protects your money, while optimising the returns for the timeframes you have to work within. Does Timeframe Really Matter? Every dollar held
It’s a question that every DIY investor must confront at some stage. Fresh research from the Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission shows more than half of New Zealanders feel uncomfortable heading into retirement. Most regret not having planned sooner. Many discover, and this is true with people I talk with also, that managing an
[Originally published in the Herald - August 2025] Is Your Investment Strategy 'Age Appropriate'? The younger we start, the faster a little bit of money can grow. To take a little and make it greater, we need to understand the double-edged sword of ‘risk’. ‘Riskier’ investments or strategies can give you the edge, to avoid
Why Focus and Effort Trump Easy Paths In a world mesmorised with the mirage of effortless wealth or returns without risk, it’s worth pausing to ask: can genuine, transformational wealth still come from work hard and focus? With record amounts of cash sitting idle in bank accounts and property markets showing signs of strain, many
Why Does It Feel Like We're Being Watched? If you’re a homeowner, or thinking about getting onto the property ladder, consider this theory: New Zealand is an experiment. The Reserve Bank of NZ hiked interest rates quicker/faster/farther than anyone thought possible, and now our economy is paying the price. It's too much. Yes, it was
Originally published in the Herald 29/06/25, by Darcy Ungaro If Not Property, Then What? Remember when a property was just a home? There was a time when a house wasn’t an “asset” but simply shelter for families. Fast forward, and now property is the investment of choice for most Kiwis, myself included, as a way
