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Christmas Present Tips for Guys

Christmas Shopping Tips for Guys

giftgreen1Most of us guys are useless at Christmas shopping. Here's a few tips I've picked up over the years.

Ladies, you might want to share this with the men in your family to avoid getting an undesirable and badly wrapped present this Christmas.

  1. Buying your Christmas presents at a petrol station or dairy on Christmas morning really isn't the done thing - apparently not everyone wants a funnel, box of biscuits or a car care kit. Don't do it.
  2. Get started early, no not on Christmas Eve, yesterday was already too late.
  3. First thing in the morning is the best time to Christmas shop, and I mean first thing, teenagers are still in bed.
  4. It's not the thought that counts, it's how MUCH thought that counts.
  5. Cash is a GREAT present for teenagers - and me.
  6. If you must give gift vouchers make sure they are from a shop the recipient actually shops in and try and avoid those with an expiry date.
  7. Wrapping and cards are important, you and I know it's just paper but for some reason they are important.
  8. Before you start browsing in a shop check that it does gift wrapping and accept the service - wait if necessary. If the shop doesn't do gift wrapping move on to the next. Unless you are an expert present wrapper - Yeah Right!
  9. Even if every present you buy is gift wrapped, buy plenty of wrapping paper and sellotape. You are going to need it because dairy's and petrol stations don't gift wrap and being a bloke you'll probably ignore number 1.

Guys ignore the above at your peril and have a wonderful Christmas.

Posted in Commentary on the Investment Environment.

3 things to think about in volatile times

Here are three things to think about if you already think things have been going pretty well:

  1. man at lecturn Being overconfident.
    As many investments over the last five years have worked out ok, many clients begin to feel confident about their ability to predict where returns will come from – or pick future winners. Strong performance of your investments during a rising market isn’t always an indicator of skills. It’s how we behave and how your investments perform during times of market distress that are the signs of a good investor, and a good portfolio.
  2. Underestimating the benefits of diversification.
    Diversification may sound old fashioned, and returns from multi-asset, risk-managed funds may appear ordinary compared to the hottest sector of the moment. In reality, true diversification across a number of sources of risk and return remains a smart strategy for spreading investment risk in good times and bad.
  3. Being swayed by recent events.
    We are wired psychologically to give undue weight to the most recent events, but investment mistakes occur when you make decisions based just on recent market events. With the GFC still fresh in the minds of many investors, global shares were shunned as being “too risky” a few years ago. Now that global shares have had three very strong years of returns, many investors are interested in them, yet the best returns have possibly been made. Instead of chasing yesterday’s winners, and reacting to the most recent and dramatic news, it’s best to remain patient and stick with the strategy that was determined to be most likely to achieve your long-term goals.

We often go to considerable efforts to maintain the belief that we’re in control in situations where we really aren’t. It’s the same for investments: no one truly knows what lies ahead in the market. The best we can do is plan for a range of different possible market outcomes, not get overconfident, be swayed by headlines or forget the fundamentals of good investing strategy.

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