Author page: morrallamanda@gmail.com

Mindfulness is getting a lot of airtime from many high-flyers, including Bridgewater's uber-successful (and wealthy) hedge fund magnate Ray Dalio, a daily meditator. Courses and certifications are even taught at the hallowed halls of Oxford University. While trending for years, mindfulness is rooted in ancient philosophy and practices that used to be the exclusive domain of monks…

A few weeks ago, I made a cardinal personal finance sin. I purchased a puppy. Getting a pet is a financial liability. Most veteran pet owners know that. First time pet owners, go into it blind, captured by those puppy dog eyes and fluffy stuff. The rules of common sense don't apply when you get a pet.…

Every few months, the folks over at Morningstar, who eat, breathe and live investment stuff, put together a report on KiwiSaver. The newest one just came out for the period ending June 30, 2023.  Now, not everyone's heard of Morningstar outside of the finance world, but if you're curious about how different funds and their managers are…

The following Q&A with myself (on behalf of Simplicity KiwiSaver) and Women's Weekly NZ is reprinted below with permission.  In New Zealand, are there still inequities for women in the workforce?  Women still have a way to go to reach equity here and elsewhere in the world. Only last month, female CEOs finally outnumbered CEOs…

Comparisons between New Zealand and Australia usually don't end well. It's the same with those involving the United States and Canada. Feelings get hurt. Conversation descends quickly. Here's hoping the end justify the means; in this case super comparisons with our Antipodean neighbour sparks positive change. I was originally going to write about the growing drift between…

I was asked recently how I defined success? It was harder to answer than I expected because my definition of success seems to change with every milestone I achieve. I don't think I'm unique in this regard. Life is dynamic and we move through ages and stages over a lifetime. Our perception, expectations and definitions of success inevitably evolve I…

This week on SmartMoney with NewstalkZB host Tim Beveridge, we talked about borrowing money to invest and whether it is a bad idea.  Intuitively you'll know the answer I imagine. The topic followed hot on the heals of Auckland City Council's highly contested decision to sell some of its shares in Auckland Airport to avoid passing on hair…

Last week, the Labour Government announced a new proposal to help close the gender gap in KiwiSaver  balances. For qualifying individuals taking Paid Parental Leaving AND contributing from that 3% into their KiwiSaver, Government will match the 'employer' contribution that you would normally get at work, for up to 26 weeks. T&Cs apply so be sure to…

Before exiting this blog or questioning its relevance, my flexibility and the madness entangled in the pose above, consider this: The body that formed that shape (which, by the way, is called Mermaid pose or eka pada rajakapotasana in Sanskrit) started contorting, training and shaping at age 6 and continued to do so for decades; it…

Charity is a core pillar in the world of personal finance. Many famous personal finance gurus, including Tony Robbins, Robert Kiyosaki of Rich Dad, Poor. Dad fame and Dave Ramsey follow a tithing system, where they give away 10% of their wealth.  Some religious organisations suggest you should do this too but in this case their charity is self-directed, so not pointed at…

The crazy thing about retirement is that the best time to think, and plan for it, is when you're young. Ironically, when you're young, you think you're going to live forever and the very idea of 'retiring' is repugnant because it's another word for getting old. As a consequence, most people fail to plan when they…

The latest financial blow-up involving Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), and the contagion of Credit Suisse, have likely had one of two responses: “SVB who?”,  Or :”Which one is next and am I invested in it?" If your reaction was the first, read Matt Levin’s excellent piece here in Bloomberg. If the latter, read on.  Levels of panic…