WealthDesign

In Australia, self managed superannuation (the selfie) is huge; with investments of over 30% of all superannuation assets managed by the individuals themselves. These assets add up to close to A $700 billion compared to the NZ $42 billion in KiwiSaver schemes in New Zealand. In fact, the average balance in these accounts is much higher than the average balances invested by individuals in managed funds, such as the New Zealand KiwiSaver schemes.  They are very popular as the individual investors have control of what investment strategies/ investments they employ.

For over 20 years I have helped our clients manage and grow their wealth in New Zealand. These portfolios are very much like the selfies of Australia. I am a firm believer in having investors actively engaged in where their money is invested.  I like direct Australasian shares and this strategy has been extremely profitable. Unlike many financial planners, I like direct property and I’m not a fan of managed funds.

It might be 10 years since the Global Financial Crisis, but I still haven’t forgiven a number of managers who miss led the market and who still bounce around telling everyone how great they are!

For almost 10 years we have been in a market recovery/bull market, as the world has recovered from the worst equity disaster of all time.

Whilst investing in good times is great, the real advantage of buying and owning your own shares/assets comes into play in the tough times. You aren’t exposed to silly selling by uninformed investors. You get to choose if you hold or sell an individual investment or change your investment strategy – you are in charge.  In fact you are often on the other side of the table buying when every one else seems to be selling. This is when you really make a dollar or two.

In March 2008 I clearly remember an astute client ringing and requesting we buy Australasian banking shares (ANZ, CBA, NAB and Westpac).  These shares had fallen sharply and whilst investors in managed funds seemed to be pulling out and going to cash, my elderly client rang and said “they just don’t seem to understand, I’m happy with the strong dividend payments these banking stocks are providing and no government is ever  going to let the major banks fail, let’s make money out of the silly sellers.” History showed she was 100% right and she pocketed a pile of tax free capital gain.

Buying direct shares isn’t difficult and once you are set up, the system works really well. Information today is only a click away and if you understand and apply a solid investment strategy, it can be very profitable.

We have a number of investors that are regularly buying Australasian shares. These portfolios are performing extremely well but we are looking forward and watching to see what happens next. As I say sometimes investors make more money in the tough times than in the good. Simply, we aim to buy when others are keenest to sell.

If you’d like to talk about investing, please give me a call. There is no charge for the first appointment, plus there is no time like the present to take the first step towards owning a successful investment portfolio.

John Barber
WealthDesign – a life well planned

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KiwiSaver is ten years old now. There is more than $43.2 billion invested collectively. Of that figure, do you know the details of your slice of that pie?

Even today, 20% of members still have their funds invested in a conservative default scheme. These investors are missing out on potential returns as the average default scheme returned 4.1% for the rolling 12 months, compared to 7.8% for the average balanced fund. If you do the numbers, that means that if you have a balance of $30,000 in your KiwiSaver fund, and it’s in a default fund, you have lost out on $1110 in just this year alone! When you compound that up (over however many decades until you turn 65) it could make you weep!

We have been doing some research and we are finding that:

15% of people don’t know who their investment is managed by.

62% of the members don’t know if their fund is doing okay compared to the market.

43% don’t know if their PIR rate is correct.

53% of members have never had any KiwiSaver advice.

Of the 47% who have had advice, 13% of members got it from a qualified adviser and 19% got advice from a bank employee (who can only give information about their bank’s products).

The trends are interesting. Those who got advice, seemed to understand and have invested in the right fund for their age and stage of life, and they tend to have an understanding of the tax implications. They also understand market volatility and how it will impact on their individual KiwiSaver.

It is nine years since the global financial crisis smashed the global equity markets. For those investors who don’t understand risk (the chance their balances could fall), a market correction could cause a lot of sleepless nights when they see thousands wiped off their KiwiSaver balance.

If you are one of the 53% that has never had KiwiSaver advice, or one of the 47% who wants to ensure management of your KiwiSaver fund is optimised, give me a call and come and have a coffee. I don’t charge for the first appointment. Let’s first see if we are a good match, and then we can go about optimising your investment plan for you and your circumstances.

John Barber
WealthDesign – a life well planned

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We have a new government and despite which side you of the political divide you sit on, one thing we all agree on is things are going to change.  Over 50% of the New Zealand sharemarket is foreign owned and what none of us knows, is how they are going to react to the new order.

One thing I know is we will read about their reaction in the paper the day after it happens. If foreign investors get spooked, they will sell and take their money out of New Zealand.  Our markets will fall and our dollar will go south. Interest rates and inflation in New Zealand will go up. Cost of fuel and living will go up and if we aren’t careful, New Zealand will have a very tough time.  There is already talk of wage inflation, as if just paying people more is good for our economy.

We are tiny on the global stage. Melbourne has more people than all of New Zealand, yet we think we are world leaders – oops, wrong! We are a little island nation miles from anywhere, and really the world doesn’t care (or in some cases) even know we exist.

For over 12 months we have been talking to our clients about building cash reserves and of paying down debt. Our investment strategy has been to buy quality companies with solid underlying assets. Focusing on companies with little debt and strong cash flows.

If and when the New Zealand sharemarket falls in value, our clients will be sitting on the other side of the table, happily buying any shares in quality companies that spooked investors (both foreign and local) are willing to sell, at a discount.

As an adviser, I’ve been through times like this before, and I’ve seen the winners and the losers. I know what strategies work. If you would like to have a chat, my door is always open. Remember, the first meeting is always free.

John Barber
WealthDesign – a life well planned

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Z Energy (ZEL) is a well-known New Zealand brand. The company owns the Z Energy and Caltex fuel distribution network. It is an integrated supply company, from crude oil to your local fuel stop.

In my view, this company is an infrastructure stock – the success of this company is based on their strong cash flow, and dominant brand.

On the 28 September, ZEL informed the market that they would dial back their debt repayment schedule, and increase the dividends paid to their investors. The weird market has responded by selling down ZEL and the share price is today trading at $7.36 (29^th September 2017).

I think ZEL is a great long term investment and any time great companies sell at a discount, I’m the first to suggest being on the other side of the table, and being a buyer.

I suggest investors do some reading – visit NZX.com and look up the announcements and their annual reports. Make up your own mind, as it is your money.

If you would like to talk about investing, I love nothing more than sitting down over a coffee and sharing ideas about savvy investment.

John Barber
WealthDesign – a life well planned

Disclaimer: Please understand this is not personalised advice. I recommend any potential investor gets qualified advice before making any investment decision.

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