These Markets Aren't Emerging, They're Exploding

Look, it's not that "emerging markets" is a loaded term. In fact, it's a pretty exciting one. You're talking about countries that are transforming themselves in a few short years from being highly dependent on their ability to sell raw materials to the West into dynamic, information-driven economies with burgeoning middle classes and plenty of domestic consumption. Yes, they're emerging. But that sounds a bit like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis....

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Why can we make disastrous decisions in love?

This is your brain on love - more neuroscience! Her front brain is telling her he's trouble. Look at the facts, it says. He's never made a commitment, he drinks too much, he can't hold down a job.But her middle brain won't listen. Man, it swoons, he looks great in those jeans, his black hair curls onto his forehead so adorably, and when he drags on a cigarette, he's so bad he's good. His front brain is lecturing, too: She's flirting with every guy...

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Womenomics

A recent McKinsey survey asked men and women executives to define the event that has had the most significant impact on their careers. Both men & women report that work factors have more influence than those from home. Women were more likely to say they had role models and mentors. The top three career changing moments were:Realisation you were not leading the life you wanted.Difficulties balancing work and private life.Change in marital status.Women...

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Who's counting?

The UN estimates that the cost to end world hunger completely along with diseases related to hunger and poverty is about $195 billion a year.Twenty two countries have joined together to raise this money by each contributing 0.7% (less than 1% of national income).Now let’s think about US foreign policy dominated by its military budget. The US will spend about $800 billion on security compared with less than $20 billion for economic development.Take...

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Everyday Money

Everyday we pay tax – in fact work for months to fill the government’s coffers before we get our share of our earnings. Most of us understand that we have to fund the services we enjoy, but the surplus the government has now is something else entirely – and the speciousness of those in charge in regards to this is incredible. Finance Minister Michael Cullen told a select committee last year that anyone advocating large tax cuts because large surpluses...

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I have decided to apply for the position of All Blacks coach

I have decided to apply for the position of All Blacks coach. I feel I have superb qualifications;Teamwork; - I never have an issue with teamwork as long as everyone does what I say. Fieldwork; - I have a lovely garden so don’t see how I can fail to be creative in a field. Rotations; I have rotated a few men in my time and it has not been wildly successful. Based on those experiences I firmly believe that no rotation would benefit the AB’s.Uniform Colour; - as every fashionista knows black is the new…..black so no pansy pink shirts for the...

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Finance and investments

Many people don’t begin their retirement savings until they are about 40- the mile stone that I refer to as “the age of reason”. It’s when you finally stick your head over the parapet, and, whether you’re male or female, think, ‘My god, 20 years have gone by and what have I done with my money? Not very much’ not surprisingly it’s at that point that people start thinking quite seriously about doing some saving. I agree with a recent report done...

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Why?

Why do we treat money differently depending on its source? A dollar is a dollar after all. I heard a story yesterday in my nail salon, the technician had a client text her to say she had won $1000. Forty minutes later another text arrived reporting on the loss. It reminded me of an apocryphal tale which does the rounds in that gambling capital Las Vegas. The legend of the man in the green bathrobe. By the third day of their honeymoon in Las...

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Womenomics

“In a society where the rights and potential of women are constrained, no man can be truly free. He may have power, but he will not have freedom” Mary Robinson, Ireland’s first woman president.There has been a slew of reports and commentaries of working women; why the women in the workplace figures are different, women as working parents (Why do men as working parents never get a mention?) and the glass ceiling. It appears that unemployment...

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Who's counting?

The myth, the math and the sex. I was intrigued to see that Kiwi women have more casual sex than any other nationality-and more casual sex than men. This fascinated me as I thought the maths was wrong. The general consensus seems to be that it is men who are promiscuous by nature-spreading their genes far and wide while women are genetically programmed for monogamy. One recent US survey concluded that men had a median of seven female...

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Everyday Money

If you recall my post about the charges against Chris Taylor of The Jones’ organisation you will be pleased to note that the charge was dismissed. I guess Comedy Central, oops the REINZ had an attack of rationality. The good news is that the cowboys are about to be run out of town by Sheriff Clayton Cosgrove, with the introduction of an independent body to oversee licensing complaints, disciplinary and enforcement procedures and give out consumer...

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Musings and Amusings

From the Kennels If you are a dog lover then you know your dog reads your mind and now proof is here in the results of an experiment at Canterbury University. In fact Michelle McGinnity went so far as to suggest that dogs have the ability to draw conclusions from what they observe. I recently did a poll on www.slynkey.com, as follows: Who handles the finances in your household?A) MeB) My PartnerC) The Dog Thinking...

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Money Money Money Ain't it Funny Book Review

Not So Funny – Personal Finance Books and Sheryl Sutherlands “Money, Money, Money...”Business books are generally amongst the least convincing of literary assets. The genre seems bloated with "try hards", preachers and smart alecs who write as though they never falter in the commercial world. Worse, the two ultimate criticisms are generally bang on - if these people had found any serious secrets they wouldn't be telling the world and, if they were seriously useful performers they wouldn't be writing books.Perhaps worst of breed are the DIY investment...

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Finance and investments

Oceans of ink have been used in discussing the current and ongoing dramas surrounding finance companies. Here are some tips for you to consider should you be inclined to invest in these institutions; firstly consider the financial information. Start with key facts and figures-if you are happy with these then you can progress on to examine the company more closely. Ask the following; - What are the current funds under management? (Size of portfolio)...

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Womenomics

I have just read a disturbing and poorly researched article by Sarah Catherall published in the Dominion and here in the Press on the 2nd of October. There is no denying the statistics she quotes, but as always the figures are historical and as usual can make a case depending on how they are framed (For more on framing read Money, Money, Money..Aint it funny)The article would have had better balance if she had examined the trends relating to women...

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Why?

Why do we think that globalisation is our invention? Globalisation is a new word to describe a process as old as the human race. It really began according to Nayan Chanda around 60,000 years ago when our ancestors first walked out of Africa. The motives of the early adventurers were generally selfish- to profit, convert, learn or conquer-the overall effect has been to contract our world and draw us down the path to a “global village”. Humankind followed...

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Musings and Amusings

'That mans got balls'I am not a sports fan at all, but I think that I might give croquet a try. A male streaker running across the croquet lawn gave members of the Takaro Croquet Club in Palmerston North more than they bargained for at their club day on Sunday morning. Manawatu Croquet Club publicity officer Rex Oliver said the streaker "appeared, completely nude, at one corner and disappeared in the other. No-one was fast enough to catch him."...

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Who's counting?

It’s not so much who is counting as how we are counting. Ways ignorance about maths and probability can hurt you. There is a scene in a Simpson’s episode where a psychologist is giving a ‘team talk’. He makes the statement, ‘You are all very good players’. The team members mimic the psychologist, ‘We are all very good players’. Then the psychologist says, ‘You will beat Shelbyville!’. And the team, again in unison, reply, ‘We...

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Everyday Money

“Bizarre” says Clayton Cozgrove-and that is putting it politely. Everyday Kiwis buy and sell homes and if you don’t plan to do it yourself, you will use a real estate agent. Now, you've got to wonder what is going on at Agent Central; The Real Estate Institute. A 2003 survey on the REINZ website showed that only 23% of all vendors thought that that agents commissions were reasonable. And its not just the commissions that concern us. In May the...

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