News & Insights

Markets experienced increased volatility in the first quarter of 2026, driven by geopolitical tensions, rising oil prices and shifting inflation expectations. Our economic commentary looks at what’s behind these movements and how markets have responded.

Returns were uneven across asset classes this quarter, with developed markets and bonds declining amid geopolitical and inflation pressures. Emerging markets were more resilient, while commodity-linked markets such as Australia benefited.

Why do investors panic during downturns or chase opportunities that seem too good to miss? The answer often lies in emotion rather than logic. This article unpacks the behavioural drivers behind financial decision-making.

Markets remained resilient through the final quarter of 2025, supported by easing monetary policy and solid international equity performance. This economic commentary looks at what’s driving returns and the outlook as political and geopolitical events continue to dominate headlines.

The quarter delivered steady gains across most asset classes, with international shares leading returns and emerging markets outperforming developed peers. Bond markets diverged across regions, reflecting differing central bank paths, while New Zealand and Australian equities lagged global markets.

What do the Pantheon, Notre-Dame and the Taj Mahal have in common with successful long-term investing? More than you might think. This article explores how ancient architectural masterpieces were built to endure and what this can teach modern investors.

Global share markets continued to march higher during the third quarter of the year, contributing to strong returns for most diversified investors.

The third quarter of 2025 delivered exceptional returns across the board, with progress on US trade deals, ongoing strength in the technology sector and accommodative monetary policy being the key factors driving risk-on sentiment around the world.

Retirement no longer means what it used to. As more people work into their 60s, 70s and beyond, it’s time to rethink what this life stage really looks like for you.

The second quarter of 2025 defied expectations, with several markets reaching new highs despite ongoing geopolitical tension and economic uncertainty. Resilient businesses and steady investor sentiment helped support strong returns.

Global shares rallied in Q2 despite trade uncertainty, with emerging markets and Australia leading the way. Bonds also posted gains as central banks shifted toward easing.

Anyone can say no to bad ideas, but only a focused person will say no to good ideas.

The first quarter of 2025 brought a more challenging investment environment. While some markets performed well, weakness in the US and policy uncertainty contributed to increased volatility and lower portfolio valuations. Periods like these often lay the groundwork for future opportunity.

The US and Japan declined amid policy uncertainty, while Europe and parts of emerging markets posted gains. Volatility spiked late in the quarter following new US tariff announcements, with local markets also ending the quarter lower.

Drowning in market headlines? Learn how to cut through the noise, decode financial jargon, and spot the media spin with this no-nonsense guide to interpreting financial news.

2024 closed on a positive note, with strong returns across global share markets. Despite lingering economic challenges like inflation, high interest rates and unemployment, markets remain optimistic, reflecting future expectations.

This quarter, global markets had a mixed quarter, developed markets held steady, emerging markets struggled and bonds rallied on easing inflation. Read more about the key market movements here.

Ever feel the urge to act, only to regret it later? Humans are wired for action - even when doing nothing is smarter. Discover why stepping back often leads to better outcomes.

The third quarter of 2024 saw continued strong investment returns, with global interest rates beginning to decline, as central banks in the US, Europe, and beyond shifted focus towards managing economic slowdowns. While geopolitical issues remain a concern, markets have shown resilience, and lower interest rates may ease borrowing costs, positively impacting economies like New Zealand.

The third quarter of 2024 saw positive performance across most asset classes, with central bank rate cuts buoying markets despite weakening economic data. Notably, emerging markets outperformed developed markets, while AI investments faced skepticism, and New Zealand shares delivered solid gains driven by rate cuts and corporate acquisitions.

Most parents understand the importance of teaching their children about money and financial responsibility for a successful future. In this article, Warren Buffet offers some top tips from his children’s animated series “Secret Millionaire’s Club", which include starting when they are much younger.

Positive global share market momentum carried into the second quarter of 2024 for the USA, while share market returns in other regions were variable. The outlook for interest rates remained unchanged, however there is growing expectation for a general reduction in interest rates around the globe.

International share markets gained overall in the second quarter of 2024, although individual country returns were mixed. Politics was a key focus for the quarter. Outside of this, the artificial intelligence “theme” continued to lead markets, while policymakers continued to wrestle with how much (and when) to reduce interest rates.

Nothing will change your future trajectory like your habits. Habits are algorithms operating in the background that power our lives. Good habits help us reach our goals more effectively and efficiently. Bad ones make things harder or prevent success entirely. Habits powerfully influence our automatic behavior.

International share markets registered further strong gains in the first three months of 2024. A resilient US economy and ongoing investment enthusiasm for companies associated with artificial intelligence technologies were two of the key drivers.

Diversified investors had more reasons to smile as the markets began this year exactly as they left off last year - with another strong gain by most international share markets. In the absence of any major new economic or geopolitical shocks, investment sentiment continued to be closely linked to changes in the inflation and interest rate landscape. On that front, the first quarter of 2024 saw another discernible shift in inflation and interest rate expectations.

As Carl Jung once said “Life really does begin at forty. Up until then you are just doing research.” In this article, New York Times bestselling author and speaker Chip Conley shares five key insights from his new book, Learning to Love Midlife: 12 Reasons Why Life Gets Better with Age.

It was most appropriate that the fourth quarter of 2023 included Christmas, as it was indeed a quarter of many happy returns. Global share markets delivered strong gains as market expectations about the future trajectory of interest rates changed markedly over the quarter.

International share markets rebounded with a strong rally over the final three months of the year. While sharply lower prices for natural gas, crude oil, and gas oil contributed to lower inflationary pressures over the quarter.

Finding the balance between wanting more from your money, but being content with enough is an important aspect of financial wellbeing. At a basic level, the reason that any of us work to earn money is so that we can pay for things. Our wealth enables us to provide for ourselves, our families, and to sustain a certain lifestyle. But how do we strike a balance between wanting more and finding contentment?

In some welcome news, the world economy is showing signs of resilience this year despite lingering inflation and a sluggish recovery in China. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) released its latest World Economic Outlook in July, where they noted this resilience is increasing the odds that a global recession may be avoided.

After a generally good performance over the first half of 2023, international share markets gave up some of their gains in the July to September quarter.

If you thought the carefree days of your youth were behind you, or that happiness was a thing for the young, have we got a surprise for you. Scientists from Germany and Switzerland recently pinpointed the age at which people are happiest, and it’s not your twenties. Or your thirties. Or your forties. Or even your fifties. Or even...you get the point.

As the grey clouds gather for winter, it's pleasing to report the sun is still shining on portfolios. With New Zealand in a technical recession, there are signs that short-term interest rates could begin falling again in 2024.

Central banks maintained their laser-like focus on combatting inflation by continuing to raise interest rates globally during the quarter. But as these had already been factored into share prices last year, we saw most share markets still perform strongly over the quarter.

Regulators are warning of an increase in financial disinformation and outright scams. This article offers some tips to improve your information hygiene, and highlights the importance of sticking to sound investment principles and having a trusted financial adviser onside.

Following an upbeat end to 2022, investment markets continued to deliver generally positive returns over the first three months of 2023. However, there are signs indicating the interest rate tightening cycle still had further to run.

Global share markets delivered further positive results in the first quarter, buoyed by a reduction in recession concerns across leading developed markets.

This is the greatest time in history to be alive. The world has seen an unbelievable amount of progress over almost any time horizon you look at.

If you needed any reminder that investment markets are forward looking, then the last quarter of 2022 provided the perfect example. Entering the final three months of the year, investors were surveying an environment that included a seemingly unending supply of negative news headlines... So, what did share markets do? They went up. In many cases, they went up strongly.

After such a challenging first three quarters of 2022, it was difficult to imagine the final quarter would deliver anything substantially different. As they say however, it is always darkest before the dawn.

It’s that time of year to muse on what you hope to accomplish over the next 12 months. The best advice when making resolutions is to set goals that are “SMART” – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant (to you) and time-bound. Once you’ve set your goals, what can help you achieve them? Based on our research, we’ve distilled 12 goal-enablers. These cover four broad principles you can use to keep yourself on track.

The global economy has been buffeted by multiple challenges in 2022 and it is fast shaping as a year not many will remember fondly. During the drawn-out lockdowns and upheaval that accompanied the peaks of Covid-19, the world collectively pined for a seamless post-Covid recovery. The reality, however, has been rather bumpy.

Volatility remained high through the third quarter of 2022 as markets priced in changing expectations on the economic impact of rapidly rising interest rates, European energy uncertainty increased, and the effects of COVID-19 continued to linger. The quarter was a story of two halves - July and August delivered some initial relief and strong returns for battered investors in both share and bond markets, and then September reversed course, wiping out the majority of the earlier gains.

Former US president Ronald Reagan called inflation “as deadly as a hit man”. And, for any investor, it’s arguably the biggest enemy you face. Part of what makes it so dangerous is that mostly you don’t notice it. Even though experience tells you that $100 today will buy you less than it did ten years ago, the erosion is normally so gradual that you don’t feel it happening.

All retirees need more than just NZ Super, guidelines show. Retirement households continue to spend at levels in excess of NZ Super and will have to supplement their budgets regardless of whether they are seeking a no-frills lifestyle or one where they have more choices.

Whether you own a TV or radio, read a newspaper, or get your news online, it’s a fairly safe bet that the bulk of the economic news you are receiving at the moment sounds fairly gloomy.

Shares and bonds across the board were under pressure in the second quarter of 2022, as markets priced in further increases in interest rates as well as an increased risk of recession. Amongst equities returns, which were generally poor, the MSCI World Value index significantly outperformed its Growth counterpart, although both registered double-digit declines. The Chinese share market provided a rare highlight as prolonged lockdowns were lifted in some major cities, allowing macroeconomic indicators there to show some improvement.

We are living in a time of extreme uncertainty and the anxiety that comes along with it. Against the backdrop of war, humanitarian crisis, and economic hardship, it’s natural to wonder what effect these world events will have on our long term investment performance.

Headlines were dominated this quarter by the war in Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis continuing to unfold there. The implications of the Ukraine conflict quickly fed through into increasingly volatile financial markets, with share markets declining and bond yields rising further (meaning bond prices fell) over the quarter.

With the prospect of US interest rate hikes and unrest at the Russia/Ukraine border, there were few places for investors to hide in January, as bond yields spiked and share markets waned. Growth-tilted sectors such as information technology and consumer discretionary bore the brunt of the pain, while the energy sector generally performed strongly.

A new book by Nick Maggiulli explains how to save and invest — and how to strike the right balance between the two. But no matter how much money you are able to accumulate, most people, says Nick, never actually feel rich. Why is that? And what can you do about it?

Investors in global equity portfolios inevitably face periods of geopolitical tensions. Sometimes these events lead to restrictions, sanctions, and other types of market disruptions. We cannot predict when these events will occur or exactly what form they will take. However, we can plan for them by managing diversified portfolios and building flexibility into our process.

As we watch events in the Ukraine unfold, many Synergy investors are asking which investment fund managers have exposure to Russian assets, and how they are dealing with these investments going forward? Synergy portfolios contain eight managers with strategies that potentially have exposure to Russian companies in their funds.

In the midst of such turmoil, markets have operated exactly as they should. Global uncertainty has increased. As a result, buyers require a higher expected return from purchasing shares. They achieve those higher expected returns by purchasing at lower prices. Sellers, meanwhile, are happy to accept a lower price and a resulting lower realised return in order to reduce their uncertainty.

The fourth quarter of 2021 rounded out another year when developed share markets posted strong returns, despite ongoing uncertainties relating to global supply chains, inflation, interest rates and, of course, emerging variants of Covid-19.

The quarter started on a positive note for most share markets which, aside from a November lull, mostly ended the year strongly. It was a slightly different story in bond markets, with a weak start extending to early November, and generally a small recovery thereafter.

You don’t need new year’s resolutions. You need strategies to reach your goals. According to research from the University of Scranton, only 19% of people actually achieve their New Year’s resolutions, with most people giving up by the middle of February. This fact proves there is nothing wrong with us; the fault is with the tradition as a whole.

Achieving expectations and aspirations for retirement will be very challenging for the majority of New Zealanders unless they prepare and plan – that’s one of the main conclusions of the latest Retirement Expenditure Guidelines.

Synergy Investments has pushed above $800 million in a year that has seen stellar growth and the addition of five new Morningstar model portfolios to the discretionary investment management service (DIMS).

While it’s human nature to enjoy seeing the value of your investment portfolio increasing quickly, it’s also not reasonable for us to expect large gains each quarter. In fact, if markets ever get too far ahead of themselves, it could increase the chances of a future correction. In that context, a small positive return can sometimes be more reassuring than a large one.

The quarter started on a positive note for most markets, but gains generally eased in September, amid concerns of rising inflation, worries about China, and energy shortages in Europe.

We’ve learned a lot about investing over the past 60 years, a period that has seen many breakthroughs in the world of finance. What we know comes from studying public markets and is grounded in serious academic research. The lessons are clear: investing in markets is an excellent plan for meeting long-term goals, like maximising your retirement income.

It still seems extraordinary that something we knew virtually nothing about just 18 months ago, has so utterly dominated global news, our feelings of economic and personal wellbeing, and the normal functioning of our daily lives, ever since.

The second quarter of 2021 again saw generally positive returns for riskier assets. Many developed nations saw falling rates of Covid-19 infection, resulting in a loosening of restrictions which helped propel economic output and consumer spending. These, in turn, strengthened the outlook for future economic growth and pushed markets higher.

New Zealand investors are continuing to show more interest in products with environmental and socially responsible considerations; more and more Kiwi investors want to know where their hard-earned savings are being invested, and that the companies they are investing in operate in a manner that is consistent with their values. The same trend is being observed worldwide.

In the context of a long term investment plan, a single year is not a very long time. That said, it’s difficult to write this particular report without reflecting, at least a little, on what an extraordinary year we have all just experienced.

The first quarter of 2021 saw broadly positive returns for riskier assets supported by the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccines, paired with ongoing supportive fiscal and monetary policy.

Since last quarter, Consilium has been working on a number of Synergy portfolios, as we look to deliver better overall investment outcomes to Synergy investors. In this article, we explore how these recent changes to portfolios deliver lower fund manager fees for investors, better expected risk/return profiles and growing emphasis on the environmental and social characteristics of our SRI portfolios.

While 'investment advice' encompasses the act of investing assets, financial planning is that and so much more. A financial planner is a complex problem solver — helping clients work around life's inevitable curveballs. Engaging a financial planner can bring significant lifetime benefits, through good times, and bad.

You’re sitting in your favourite restaurant, feeling famished. The waiter arrives and reads out a long list of mouth-watering specials. Yet the moment he walks away, you find you can recall only the last item on the list. Congratulations, you’ve been struck by the recency effect.

Recently, one of America’s largest life insurers (New York Life) did a survey of over 2,000 people to find out what they considered to be their largest financial mistakes, and how long it took to recover from them.

Synergy Investments has introduced a new series of portfolios in partnership with MyFiduciary. Synergy will now offer advisers the choice of 28 portfolios with different investment styles and risk profiles to suit investors’ individual financial goals.

Scott Alman, Managing Director, Consilium sat down with Chris Douglas, Principal at MyFiduciary, to talk about the new MyFiduciary portfolios, their core-satellite approach and how they complement the current Synergy portfolios to give advisers more choice.

A few curious professors decided to run an experiment. They told volunteer students that they were the portfolio manager of the Berkeley Endowment and they had two investment options. The first was riskier but had higher returns. The other was a safer investment option with lower returns. So, what exactly was the purpose of the experiment?

CNBC ran a story November last year, and unless you are a super-fan you probably didn’t see it or notice it. The headline read, “Warren Buffet has $128 billion in cash to burn and analysts can’t figure out why he isn’t spending it.” Buffett is an extreeeeeme example of a principle, whose wisdom is now clear for all to see, and that is the wisdom of an emergency fund.

The stakes were high. Over the last 25 years there had been practically no communication or diplomatic ties between China and the United States. Finally, in 1972, Richard Nixon, of all presidents, was going on an official visit to mainland China. Would it be a success? Everyone had an opinion, but no one knew for certain.

In stark contrast to most of the past decade, the first few months of 2020 have delivered a large increase in market volatility. A big factor in this has, of course, been the emergence and spread Covid-19.

1968 was a great year. New Zealand won a gold in rowing at the Mexico Olympics, The Beatles recorded "Hey Jude", the United States at long last passed the Civil Rights Act and an expert biologist at Stanford predicted the end of humanity.

Benjamin Roth was a lawyer in Youngstown, Ohio, when the stock market crashed in 1929. Two years later he decided to keep a diary to detail the effects that the financial collapse had on himself, his neighbours, and the nation. Mr. Roth kept his diary for ten years. In the late 1930s, when the depression had mostly passed, he summarised a few points he had learned from the experience.

Day after day we are bombarded by the media and at the moment, we are seeing nothing but bad news. Coverage of the share market is full of headlines with words such as “plunge”, “recession” and “loss” repeated over and over again.

A couple of weeks ago, with the Covid-19 pandemic evolving around the world, we knew it would only be a short time until it reached our shores and affected our lives and business. And we wanted to make sure that the Consilium Service Team would be ready.

It was March 2nd 2009 and across America people woke up to the headline,"Stocks fall to lowest level since 1997 as Dow drops below 6,800.” The expectations were that it would go even lower and for good reason.

These are extraordinary times. Although the immediate outlook with respect to Covid-19 remains unclear, times like this provide a stark reminder of the importance of having a financial plan and undertaking regular planning meetings.