October 11, 2014

FIVE ESSENTIALS TO BETTER INVESTING (AND INSURING)

How can you lose by learning to invest better?

Steadyhand Investment Funds sells no-load low-fee mutual funds directly to investors.
They've prepared an easy-to-read report called Five Essential Elements To Being A Better Investor (PDF). The focus is on sound, timeless basics rather than trendy quick-fix tips.

You'll find interpretations at

Watch

You can also watch my chat with David Toyne, their Toronto-based Director of Business Development on Tea At Taxevity (interview #20).


An Extension

The steps to becoming a better investor also apply to becoming better insurance buyer. The following list shows the Steadyhand recommendation in bold and my interpretation for health or life insurance in italics.
  1. Be realistic: risk happens even if you’re optimistic and we have a knack for worrying about the wrong risks
  2. Have a long-term plan: prepare for your financial risks during your working years (disability), retirement years (longevity), throughout (morbidity, mortality) and at death (taxes!)
  3. Commit to a routine: if your insurance gets cancelled because you missed premium payments (e.g., cheques bounced during a long vacation), you lose your protection.
  4. Prepare for extremes: that’s precisely what insurance does by transferring unpredictable financial risks from you
  5. Act as the CEO of your portfolio: be proactive to make sure you get the service for which you're paying. Without regular checkups, you risk having the wrong amounts of insurance and perhaps the wrong types of insurance.
The Steadyhand report is well-worth reading. You might even want to invest with them.

Links

PS Invest in yourself too. Keep developing marketable skills.

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