Asking the Right Questions
Returning to Dublin for December 6th Workshop
This workshop is particularly timely, given that the European IORP II directive comes into effect in January 2019 for Irish pension schemes, requiring trustees to disclose how they consider the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria in their investment decision-making processes. Sharing key learnings…
My American adventure: making an impact in Xela
Hola mis amigos It is Wednesday evening here in Xela, Guatemala. I am writing from my apartment, with my panoramic backdrop of the city surrounded by the mountains, the various shades of blue as the mountains and sky meet before the night sets in…
Warren Buffett’s recommendation: choose passive
Warren Buffett shares his recommendation to investors In the world of investment management one of the most revered active investment managers is Warren Buffett. Known as the “Oracle of Omaha”, Buffett has delivered considerable returns for his Berkshire Hathaway shareholders over the last 52…
Human Capital: An asset class in its own right
You are wealthy. You just haven’t realised it yet. The traditional way people think about their wealth tends to focus on their accumulated financial assets, i.e. savings, investments, pension, property or any other claim on ownership. Think of this as your financial capital. However,…
Another New Year; Life Is About Taking Risks
Another year almost down. Where did it go you ask? It is hard to believe we are now heading into 2017. The turn of the year always makes me more introspective. As I look forward to 2017, below are two pieces of wisdom that…
Chinese GDP data surprises, in line with expectations…..
Chinese third quarter GDP data surprised everyone, coming out right in line with market expectations. The economy grew by an annual rate of 6.7% in the third quarter, providing comfort that Chinese authorities have steadied the ship. The central planners remain committed to their…
Economic Growth and Asset Prices…..
The OECD released their latest Interim Economic Outlook, warning that “the global economy is projected to grow at a slower pace this year than in 2015, with only a modest uptick expected in 2017”. This is another case of groundhog day, for years now…
Retirement planning; the future is not that far away
In the film “Back to the Future”, Marty McFly transported from 1985 to the year 2015 in the Doc’s DeLorean time machine. The fact that they had flying cars in the future shows how far away 2015 seemed to those in 1985. Now while…
What do you want?
Over the weekend I watched Good Will Hunting, without doubt my favourite movie. I must have watched it well over a hundred times at this stage. The movie which earned two Oscars, Best Original Screenplay for writers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, and Best…
Gold, scarcity and supernovas
“There is something a bit odd about the value we attach to gold. Throughout history people have gone to extraordinary lengths to get their hands on this most precious substance which is strange because it is isn’t particularly useful for anything…but it has got…
