The money flow effect and investments

Incessantly, money flows in liquid-like streams up and down in commerce interactions and economic upheavals.

At times, the flow will frantically speed up reminiscent of drenching rainstorms, while at other times it settles to a consistent,...

Why Bermudian investments matter to you

Considering the role of Bermudian investments and their effect on you and your family. Your first thought: what! I don’t even have an investment account, so this type of article doesn’t affect me.

Wait. Read on.

Oh, yes investments...

Frustration and despair at delinquent employers

This is the last in the three-part series of review, comments and responses to the Bermuda National Pension Amendment Act 2019.

Moneywise thanks the many who read the first two parts of this series last month, and then...

What could be better about pension changes

This is part two of the overview of the original innovative Bermuda National Pension Scheme (Occupational Pensions) Act 1998, the National Pension Scheme (General) Regulations 1999 and the 2019 amendments to same that were tabled in...

Lump-sum pension option coming at last

Part one of two: evaluating the Bermuda National Pension Scheme (Occupational Pensions) Act Amendment 2019 tabled in the House of Assembly on Friday, September 13, 2019, but not yet enacted as law.

Well, dear readers, the...

Lessons for Bermuda in Bahamas tragedy?

A human and natural tragedy of catastrophic proportions. Are there lessons for Bermuda?

According to recent Dorian hurricane media reports, the Bahamas islands most heavily affected areas are lowlands, rising 15 to 20 feet above sea level...

What happens when employers steal from staff?

Over more than 20 years of practice in Bermuda, anecdotal stories filtered through from employees short-changed by their employers had almost always the same sad outcome — little to no recourse for recovering a 15 to 20 per cent reduction of...

The significance of the inverted yield curve

Global capital markets have been roiling and boiling in roller-coaster activity for months, as various country twitterheads-in-charge jockey for trade concessions with various tactics, including tariffs and economic sanctions.

Of course...

Employers stealing from employees

Our Bermuda forebears and the futuristic-minded leaders of today enacted employment legislation to define employee positions, rights, and future security that far surpass much larger countries.

The employer-employee relationship is a...

Bonds and the inverted yield curve

It was significant news. Bloomberg’s Katherine Greifeld, Ruth Carson, and John Ainger, on Thursday wrote that “the yield on the United States 30-year Treasury bonds dropped below 2 per cent for the first time; the world’s pile of...

Mapping a journey to financial freedom

This is the second in a new, possibly monthly, series on the millennial trend to becoming financially independent, retire early (FIRE!). We first covered this phenomenon on July 27.

FIRE! is a very real financial...

Research and have a plan before you emigrate

This is the third and final part of the series for Bermuda residents leaving the island, giving relocation references and general timeline guidance. This first and second instalments were published in The Royal Gazette...

Millennials drawn to retire-early movement

Surprise! Fire — short for Financial Independence, Retire Early, is not about us anxious-about-retiring oldsters.

Nor is Fire about Fireworks, but a new millennial finance movement, generating a heightened global surge of interest (and...

Financial considerations when leaving Bermuda

This is the second part of a look at relocating away from Bermuda to the US, UK or Canada.

Before beginning, a word of caution: this article is general financial information only and cannot, and should not, be...

Complications of relocation

More frequently now, according to local social media, and anecdotal commentary, individuals and families have already left Bermuda or are contemplating moving to other jurisdictions. While actual relocations numbers are not quantified, a...

Risk, correlation, and modern portfolio theory

Reader comments sometimes state that Moneywise articles are not as detailed as they should be. Just a gentle reminder that The Royal Gazette personal finance column space size is limited each week, necessitating more general...

Understanding the role of preferred stocks

This is part of the Bermuda Fundamental Financial Planner Primer; Segment Two — the First Bermuda Investment Primer

A reader wrote after last week’s article about the pros and cons of share buybacks, and asked:...

Share buybacks: the pros and cons

The following is an excerpt from The First Bermuda Investment Primer, segment two of the Bermuda Pondstraddler Fundamental Financial Planning Primer Series.

When Warren Buffett, the highly respected, legendary...

Adverse child experiences costly in many ways

When a child arrives in our world as a beautiful, precious new life to be celebrated, as much as we derive happiness from our perception that their future life will be a great success, that is not always the case.

Children are the future...

Be prepared for a hit to the paycheque

Today is the day that your monthly paycheques will become smaller.

This reduction is due to the significant increase in health insurance premiums caused by Government’s mandatory (now legislated) decree that private insurers remit each...

Questions about looming healthcare changes

It is official. In a matter of days, the reality is that all local health insurers offering and managing health insurance in Bermuda will commence remitting an additional $233+ per SHB (Standard Health Benefit — MRP) premium to the Bermuda...

Household finances take hit from healthcare

All Bermuda residents trying to maintain a reasonable budget for their families, along with saving for a rainy day, continue to cope with more cost of living challenges going forward. This time it is another increase in...

A guide towards handy financial information

This is part two of the annual research ideas publication for Bermuda individual investors.

Before progressing readers, please keep in mind that this is general information, some sections or statements may not...

Where to get your financial information

Introducing the annual research ideas publication for Bermuda individual investors — part one.

Readers of The Royal Gazette often write to me about Moneywise column topics and how my answers and...

Considering a simpler life, Bermuda style

This is a revised version of a food series published in Moneywise 2008.

Our Easter bunny has come and gone. Treats of resplendent chocolates, marshmallow peeps, jelly beans, Cadbury creamy-rich eggs, all more...

Survival planning for relationships

Part two: survival planning for relationships in cases of divorce, becoming a widow/widower, partner incapacitation situations and just plain relationship common sense.

Readers, you should know that I often use...

Financial security after a partner dies

Ladies, have you planned for your future financial security?

It is a statistical fact that women overall live longer than men. Longevity is in the genes in many Bermudian families where we find female individuals surpassing the 90-year and...

Bermuda rates well against economic giants

Bermuda has been held accountable to meet yet another economic compliance hurdle.

We’ve been in these scrutinised headlines before. We’ve heard it all before — from country friends and economic foes alike.

Frustratingly, from our...

Reading into a public company’s numbers

This article is part two of a basic review of a public company’s financial results and some selected financial ratios that analysts and investors use to assess profitability, suitability, and financial strength.

But first, dear readers, as...

How to read a company financial statement

Spring is here. The Easter bunny is on his or her way as Easter approaches. Get those kites decorated!

Meanwhile, millions of publicly traded companies (those operating on a calendar year) across the globe are in the process or reporting...

Get your retirement buckets in line

A reader who read our retirement series of articles has sent the following question:

After reading your investment article in The Royal Gazette of March 9, it inspired me to review my retirement...

Readying my Bermuda-focused investment guide

Today, dear readers, this is the introduction to the New Bermuda Investing Primer Series, the first book of the overall Bermuda Fundamental Financial Planning Primer Ebooks Series that will cover all aspects of finance planning. These...

More steps for Bermudians selling US property

This is part two of the Pondstraddler Life Financial Planning Series looking at Bermudian owners of US real estate who want to sell, and want to know what the ramifications of doing so are. The first part was published last month, and a...

Steps for Bermudians selling a US property

This is part one of the Pondstraddler Life Financial Planning Series looking at the ramifications for Bermudian owners of US real estate who want to sell.

A reader writes: About ten years ago, we purchased a vacation...

Put yourself in others’ shoes

A 90-year old widow with a developmentally disabled adult child struggles with the everyday cost of living while trying to make sense of the proposed government budget tax and social service increases. This is a hypothetical composite case based...

Your relationship and money: take our quiz

It’s that time of year again, close to Valentine’s Day where love and relationships are renewed and celebrations are in the air.

In the very best of all worlds, social, business, and personal, relationships should always be completely...

Getting to grips with investment concepts

This is the part one of the 2019 Bermuda Investment Series.

Capital trading markets are not the same as they used to be. For example, over the last century alone, the dominant United States investment industry has seen and...

Welcome to the world of income tax

A new land, a new home, a new spouse, a new life. This is part two of the Bermuda Pondstraddler continuing series. Part one featured a relevant discussion on this hypothetical Bermudian individual’s background and emigration concerns was...

Accelerating paying off your home mortgage

A reader asked for information about reducing their mortgage faster than the original 30-year term, and wondered whether some-type of a mortgage-payment assistance programmes is helpful.

My caveat, as always, is that this is general...

Build yourself a cash cushion

Creating a cash cushion for yourself and your family is a good plan to start the new year.

This is a continuation of last week’s article, “Forget new year’s resolutions — just set one goal”.

A cashflow liquidity crunch, or a credit...

Forget resolutions, just set one clear goal

Hmmmm. It is now day five of brand new year 2019. You’ve just experienced another hectic year-end deadline at your job; you may have children and you’ve shopped and spent to meet the holiday expectations; you’ve laid out the red carpet for all...

Managing the urge to splurge

Readers, this week, we feature some light-hearted ideas for the holidays.

Seriously, readers, you need a break from the never-ending stream of serious, distressing topics of late invading your consciousness.

We holiday gift givers...

There is nothing ‘zero tax’ about Bermuda

Readers, take a look at the table accompanying this article. Have I missed or duplicated anything?

Reviewing the Tax Reform Commission report, all 76 pages, requires more study time than publishing deadlines permitted. I encourage you all...

Tax complexities of relocating abroad

This is the latest in the “Pondstraddler” series of articles. Disclosure: this is a composite illustrative situation intended for general information purposes only. It does not reference any specific person, living or deceased, nor is it...

Be thankful and be an agent for change

November is traditionally the month for giving thanks. Each year, the Money page provides some thoughts on living today and taking the time to reflect on the positive values within ourselves and our community.

Imagine...

Borrowing money to pay for borrowing money

A small newspaper notice on November 8 noted that the Bermuda Government was “rolling the government debt” in a repurchase and a new bond tender offering set for November 15.

As this article went to press last Thursday, the results are...

Fight for survival continued after Great War

Armistice Day, tomorrow, November 11, 2018, marks the 100th year anniversary of the end of the Great War, the First World War. I write to honour and remember Bermuda’s men and women who served in Great War and thoughts on the lives of...

Combining costs when running a business

In our Moneywise article “Calculating and Managing Overhead” on October 20, we featured the hypothetical business narrative of the Smith family matriarch’s dream of the whole family owning a successful pizza operation. Understand, readers, that...

Know your US tax liability or pay the price

This article is part of the Pondstraddler Life continuing series on the last Saturday of each month.

We are using a hypothetical person to maintain reader confidentiality.

“I’m a Bermudian, an older student,...