Category: Money Matters

2020 was a tragic year for those who fell victim to Covid-19. Hundreds of thousands globally lost their lives while millions more lost their livelihoods. Few parts of the world escaped its grip; Bali has been among the worst affected and the misery is not yet over. Yet some have benefitted. Industries and businesses that […]

Firstly a Happy New Year to all readers of this column! When I expressed the same wish at the start of 2020 I never imagined how the year would become a nightmare for billions of people across the globe. In December 2019 the coronavirus was just a breaking story in the unheard of city of […]

It is not difficult to get depressed when we see how the pandemic has struck down so many and disrupted the lives of many more around the globe. But let’s start on a brighter note, namely the approval in several countries of the first fully-tested vaccines which in theory should bring the nightmare of the […]

At the time of writing the US presidential election is all over bar the shouting, or should I say sulking. President Trump is refusing to accept a fair and clear defeat and is instead claiming massive voter fraud without a shred of evidence to back the claim. The president and his team appear to have […]

The coronavirus has been a wake-up call to a world that has been brought almost to a standstill by its impact. It has caused chaos in developed and developing countries alike and all but destroyed global travel and tourism, the industry most vital to Bali. The disruption to work, travel and the lockdowns has also […]

With the pandemic affecting all aspects of our lives thoughts are mainly focused on how we are going to get through this period. Survival is the first instinct that motivates us. Planning comes way down the line in the list of life’s priorities. Nevertheless, we have to convince ourselves that we are going to pull […]

Financial planning may not be uppermost in your mind if your business is no longer functioning or you have lost your job and are struggling to make ends meet. I have not been to Bali since before the pandemic was fully acknowledged in Indonesia, but I hear plenty of distressing stories from friends and clients […]

The pandemic has already forced many individuals and businesses to make changes they had not planned as they struggle to keep afloat during the worst global health crisis for a century. The tourist industry, the lifeblood of Bali, has been decimated and the focus for many will be on survival until the tourists return. Some […]

For many of course this would be wishful thinking. If you are among the thousands in Bali affected by the impact of the coronavirus the priority is to survive the crisis and hold everything together until a vaccine is found and the world returns to normal. Bali is used to coping with crises and has […]

For many years this column has expounded the wisdom of sound financial planning, ranging from protection to maintaining cash reserves, regular savings schemes, building up a pension pot and diversifying investments.  The pandemic has not changed any of that but its massive global impact will undoubtedly modify our approach in the future.   Protection – […]