Investing is both an art and a science, and success in the financial markets requires more than just luck. We have shared in past articles the qualities that you should look for in a good financial advisor but what are the qualities of a good investor? Research has shown that there are certain personal qualities and behaviours that help to improve the chances of investment success and ensure a resilient and sustainable approach to wealth-building.

Patience

If you have followed my articles through the years, you may know that my first degree is in Management Studies and Psychology and so I am very interested in the psychology of investing and how different cognitive biases affect investors’ decisions. One such bias is recency bias. This is a psychological phenomenon, where individuals give more weight to recent events and experiences. It can often cloud investors' judgment, leading to suboptimal decisions. This bias is particularly relevant now in the current bond market conditions.

Estate planning is a complex task. It becomes significantly more manageable with the strategic inclusion of bonds in the financial portfolio. Bonds, known for their stability and income-generating potential, offer a range of benefits that align seamlessly with the goals of effective estate planning. In this article, we explore how bonds can streamline the estate planning process, providing a foundation for a secure and efficient wealth transfer.

It's a New Year! -So, get ready to embark on a journey of self-reflection, analysis, and strategic planning. After my previous article Securing your Legacy—Estate Planning and Wealth Creation, I decided to make “Securing Your Legacy” a series, where I will be diving into the different elements of leaving a lasting impact, not just in terms of finances, but in the broader sense of the key elements that contribute to securing your wealth and protecting your assets.

Every investor's journey is different. Occasionally an investor may receive a financial windfall, be it an investment maturity, proceeds from a tender or sale of property or an unexpected inheritance. When an investor receives a lump sum, they may wonder, “What should I do next?” Before taking any action, they should consider how these funds factor into their long-term financial plans, the timeline in which they may need these new funds and their current risk tolerance.

As the sun sets on the year 2023 and the new year 2024 peeks over the horizon, we look back at the year that was, while looking forward to the opportunities ahead. There are many lessons to be learnt from the experiences of the past year which should mold our decisions with the dawn of the new year. What did we learn as investors and how can these lessons guide our investment strategies going forward?

Selecting the right financial institution for your investments is a pivotal decision that requires a thorough evaluation of various factors. Here are some considerations to weigh when choosing where to invest your hard-earned money:

The last few weeks have been quite traumatic for us Jamaicans, first we were very shaken up by an earthquake, which followed on the heels of the one experienced in September, then just a few weeks later, we experienced storm like conditions which understandably would have left several of us still feeling traumatized. As I thought about the shocks and the aftershocks, which were felt literally and figuratively, it got me thinking about the shocks experienced in investments.