Ethical investing

[Vicomte13]

I cant see those links.
Nzers mostly invest in property, if they can even get on the ladder.

Ok, so let me ask some questions.

First, does New Zealand have a public retirement system akin to Social Security?
Does New Zealand have universal public health insurance?
Is public education free in New Zealand? What about college?

I ask these things because they are the big chunks for which people need money: retirement, when they can no longer earn. Health care, for when they or their children are sick. Education, through college, for self and for children.

I assume that New Zealand, being a modern Western society, has all of those things to some degree.

So, what we are talking about then, is seeking an excess past the state retirement, or funds past whatever economic aid there is for college.

And so we come to the next question: housing. Do you own your own place or rent it? Do you have children?

Essentially, you will need to shelter yourself your whole life, and as population grows, land prices rise over time. Therefore, you should buy your lodging, particularly if you can get cheap money.

With interest rates so low, it makes sense to borrow and buy NOW. Lock in your house at a fixed low interest rate loan. And then stay there. On the other hand, if you're not married but are contemplating it, you may not want to spend the closing costs on a house that you may have to sell if you marry and consolidate.

If you buy your house and are single, consider renting out the spare bedrooms to friends. Even if you don't make a profit, you will certainly bring down your cost of living thereby.

If New Zealand has something like tax depreciation on rental property, you will be above to offset the rental income you earn with the depreciation.

Ideally, you will completely eliminate all debt, including housing debt, and be further along in your career when you can consider what to invest in.

The next question relates back to the government. Does NZ have tax-exempt retirement investment? Essentially, whatever is tax favored is generally your best bet, because whatever you invest in, you're taxed upon. That which avoids taxation leaves money in your pocket.

To the extent that you can borrow money at low interest rates for land, investing directly in rental farmland is a very good, very safe, long-term investment. And usually agricultural land has the very lowest real estate taxes.

 

[dqhall]

One who invested five talents and gained five talents more was entrusted with five cities (Matt. 25).

I would not buy a home without getting a home inspection.
I would not invest in a stock without looking at a summary of key financial statements.
I would not invest all in one stock.
Low load index funds usually outperform more than 50% of managed funds.
I would not invest in tobacco, liquor, casinos or porn.
Some of my money would be invested in ventures that do not pay anything in return, such as charities for the poor or direct contributions to the poor. Supporting medical research universities was interesting. Supporting charities that help persecuted Christians gave me a raison d'etre some days.
It is important to invest in ventures that are not operated by swindlers who make sure they get paid, but do not care if anyone else gets paid.

 

[Goodbook]

I'm not going to buy a home as I'm single and live at home anyway.
I'm not going to investing in stock as I don't know how and you can't do it on your own anyway. You have to do it through a stockbroker and at the moment I'm concrattrating on finding the right kiwisaver. Plus, I don't have much to invest.

I think I will just give my money to the poor and not worry about getting anything in return --- but I have given to charities like bible and child funds. I am thinking of Gideons for that, and salvation army.
With the kiwisaver I emailed Koinoia to ask them some questions, I will do that with some others and compare.

Sorry, I am not going to answer all those questions as its my thread, and the topic is ethical investing, so please stick to the topic.

 

[Goodbook]

Liberty trust, gives interest free mortgages for christians wanting to buy their home.
I am not interested in buying a home at the moment because its unaffordable and there is no need. I am happy where I am.

I just want to know what to do with my kiwisaver. I will have...29 more years to go before I can access it, so, if I start being wise investing now, I won't regret it later.

 

[Vicomte13]

Sorry, I am not going to answer all those questions as its my thread, and the topic is ethical investing, so please stick to the topic.

I was sticking to the topic, by focusing on the one-foot-in-front-of-the-other basics of mundane life on earth as God has permitted things to be. Looking after yourself, so that you will maintain your health, and not end up being a burden on others, and be able to properly provide for your own family - both your children if you ever have any, and your parents when they are aged should they fall into need, and also your siblings and your relatives and your circle of friends: THAT is ethical investing.

You seem to be interested in intellectual things as opposed to pragmatic ones. You're going to do as you please anyway, so by all means carry on.

Out.

 

[MoneyGuy]

I'm a certified financial planner in Canada. I've had a few clients ask about ethical investments but have rarely used them. It's hard to guarantee something is ethical. Take a stock, for example, maybe a bank. You may think the bank invests ethically but the bank may invest into companies that don't meet your criteria. That can apply to most stocks.

Risk has been discussed here. Don't fear volatility, embrace it. It can be the friend of a long-term investor and can increase your returns. Ignore volatility and you should do well.

Regarding real estate, that asset class tends to underperform stocks.

This covers some of the topics of this discussion. Interesting topic.

 

[Goodbook]

there are ethical investments and I'm just wondering what they would be.
I know there are unethical investments too for example, casinos. I think its just knowing the names of the big ones to avoid, like maybe for example Exxon.

Would property come under ethical investment. For example, you invested in church buildings, schools and hospitals and orphanages, and other refuges. Or maybe forestry?

But you didn't invest in something like a hotel that harboured prositutes. Or...I don't know, say Disneyland that is known for spreading occult to children. Or something like coca-cola that rots everyones teeth. Or a pharmaceutical company. Why would they need more of your money?

 

[createdtoworship]

I would boycott any company you don't think is ethical.
don't just refuse to invest.

 

[createdtoworship]

I'm a certified financial planner in Canada. I've had a few clients ask about ethical investments but have rarely used them. It's hard to guarantee something is ethical. Take a stock, for example, maybe a bank. You may think the bank invests ethically but the bank may invest into companies that don't meet your criteria. That can apply to most stocks.

Risk has been discussed here. Don't fear volatility, embrace it. It can be the friend of a long-term investor and can increase your returns. Ignore volatility and you should do well.

Regarding real estate, that asset class tends to underperform stocks.

This covers some of the topics of this discussion. Interesting topic.

I only trade on volitile days, if it's not volitile. I look to options.

message me, if you want to know more. A few christian guys are coming over next saturday to learn trading. And to brainstorm.

 

[createdtoworship]

Remember the instructions of Jesus, "Love not the world, nor the things of the world." along with many other instructions similar.
Then also
"Be harmless as doves" - i.e. do harm to no one.

Since , for comparison and in the same vein, casinoes (all gambling) brings harm to individuals and families (everyone in many families) ,
and since many families lose everything , and others considerable amounts,
NO MATTER if someone else gains - (the claim / the lure/ of gambling) -
it harms many people, and is unrighteous activity. (maneuvering and marketing financial instruments with the built in caveat - SOMEONE ALWAYS LOOSES) .

It is an awkard analogy - but consider archery with a $100000.00 prize for a bullseye.
But the target is set up in the middle of a sidewalk cafe crowded with people.

On the "market" , there's been many times someone won "MILLIONS" of dollars= even "BILLIONS" sometimes, and corporations, businesses, portfolios CRASH at the same time/ as a result OR providing the winnings....

So, is anyone harmed by that ?

Is anyone harmed if 10,000 people all at once shoot their arrows at the bullseye (surrounded by people who become "collateral damage") trying to win the great financial prize ?
(Rough analogy I know, but the point is the same - many people get hurt. By what other people do. Did Jesus EVER hurt anyone by what HE did ? )

every business by it's nature hurts other business.


when trading you are your own boss, CEO, CFO etc.

when you trade badly, your company hurts. When others trade against you, it hurts. When you are on the wrong side of a trade, you get out. When you are on the right side of a trade, you let it run. every trade has losers and winners.

every stock you buy, someone is selling it.

every stock you sell, someone buys it, or you don't sell.

that choice can be a bad decision or a good decision.

but the money is not the issue, the morality lies in the wisdom of your investment.

did you do it smart, or did someone exit a winning trade, while you entered. and you got caught at the top of the peak, with nothing?

I learn, that you sell when people are buying.

and you buy when people are still selling.

(message me for more info, I can't give financial advice here, but I am willing to teach anyone to trade that wants to)

 

[Goodbook]

not sure what you mean refuse to invest in any company you boycott.
But invest in ones you happy to invest in?

For example I was just looking at superlife Ethica's list of shareholdings and one of them is Nestle.
Nestle is notorious for bad ethics, I think it was them that were involved with the whole GE food thing. Novartis is also a drug company.

Koinia emailed me back with some info. On their website they just say no to

alcohol, breweries, pornography, armaments, tobacco and some fossil fuel companies that damage the environment.

(what would an example of a company that endorses pornography???)
But I'm thinking I would add drug Pharmaceutical companies to that list because of all the damage they do to people, including me. I would not want to give them any money as part of a mutual fund.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

To me, that's horrible. It's not anything of faith when others can be hurt so much from trading. Not businesses being hurt - no, that's nothing.
Men and women and children losing their homes, their lives, their sustenance because of traders, because of the trading markets, because of greedy marketers and house flippers and corporations buying up real estate all over the country, real estate they don't need, they don't live in , they won't let anyone else live in......... just for greed....

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

But I'm thinking I would add drug Pharmaceutical companies to that list because of all the damage they do to people, including me. I would not want to give them any money as part of a mutual fund.

Did you know (I didn't until the last few years) that the us government 'survives' off of heavy investments in wicked corporations like the druglords (drug makers) ?
Most of the top 500 possibly are heavily invested in by the us government,
and
so
guess who the us government PROTECTS ? UNrighteously.
The very ones who cost the most.
THe very ones who hurt people the most.

 

[timewerx]

Can anyone explain what this really means and what you should or shouldnt invest in?

That would be something that will result to a positive impact to everything a long way down the road. 1,000, 100,000 thousand years down the road, that's what I'm talking.

 

[Goodbook]

Well yes the US govt is notorious for that. Big pharma always tries to push medical doctors into using their potions pills and other sorceries. If you watch any american tv or media they constantly have ads selling ppl drugs they dont need.

I think the main ones are glaxo smith kline
And astra zeneca.

 

[Goodbook]

Land Speculators are rats.
Some finance companies went under in 2009 i think it was and people lost all their life savings cos they trusted in dodgy residential property schemes. People got greedy.

 

[dysert]

there are ethical investments and I'm just wondering what they would be.
I know there are unethical investments too for example, casinos. I think its just knowing the names of the big ones to avoid, like maybe for example Exxon.

Would property come under ethical investment. For example, you invested in church buildings, schools and hospitals and orphanages, and other refuges. Or maybe forestry?

But you didn't invest in something like a hotel that harboured prositutes. Or...I don't know, say Disneyland that is known for spreading occult to children. Or something like coca-cola that rots everyones teeth. Or a pharmaceutical company. Why would they need more of your money?

Property could be unethical if, for example, they build Planned Parenthood clinics or other buildings used for ungodly purposes. Forestry would definitely be unethical if you wanted to stay green.

Again, it's extremely difficult to find only companies that share your values. You might want to jump into something that's "pretty good" now (so your money doesn't go to waste under the mattress) because I suspect you could always change your mind later.

 

[dysert]

Well yes the US govt is notorious for that. Big pharma always tries to push medical doctors into using their potions pills and other sorceries. If you watch any american tv or media they constantly have ads selling ppl drugs they dont need.

I think the main ones are glaxo smith kline
And astra zeneca.

There are lots more you could add to that (e.g., Lilly, Pfizer) if you wanted to avoid big pharma. Don't forget, though, that for as rich as they are, they do do some good too. Where would we be without Bayer aspirin, for example, or penicillin?

 

[dysert]

Land Speculators are rats.
Some finance companies went under in 2009 i think it was and people lost all their life savings cos they trusted in dodgy residential property schemes. People got greedy.

From this you learn to diversify. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. By definition, mutual funds are already diverse, but personally I invest in multiple mutual funds just to break it up even further.

 

[dysert]

not sure what you mean refuse to invest in any company you boycott.
But invest in ones you happy to invest in?

For example I was just looking at superlife Ethica's list of shareholdings and one of them is Nestle.
Nestle is notorious for bad ethics, I think it was them that were involved with the whole GE food thing. Novartis is also a drug company.

Koinia emailed me back with some info. On their website they just say no to

alcohol, breweries, pornography, armaments, tobacco and some fossil fuel companies that damage the environment.

(what would an example of a company that endorses pornography???)
But I'm thinking I would add drug Pharmaceutical companies to that list because of all the damage they do to people, including me. I would not want to give them any money as part of a mutual fund.

Examples of companies that endorse pornography would be Playboy, Penthouse, Maxim, et al.