values

1. 6 February 2026

   Money matters. Part 2: Expanding your capacity

   Earning more can be values-aligned behaviour. If living well requires resources, building the capacity to earn what your values actually require is itself a form of service — not greed.

2. 30 January 2026

   Money matters. Part 1: Does your spending reflect what you value?

   Many people with enough money — often more than enough — struggle to actually spend it on the things they say matter to them. They'd say health matters, but won't pay for the physio. They'd say relati…

3. 26 April 2024

   Evolving thoughts on private education

   My views on private education have shifted considerably over the years. I used to be firmly in the public school camp — we were zoned for good schools and the cost of going private genuinely staggered…

4. 18 May 2023

   Adiós, amigos!

   This blog and Fairhaven Wealth are on indefinite hiatus. I have other things in my life right now that are more important to me and my direct loved ones, and freeing up that mental bandwidth is more i…

5. 3 March 2023

   Living in line with your values and priorities isn’t always easy

   One of the themes of this blog is the importance of aligning your decisions with your values and priorities. Sometimes, this isn't easy. Sometimes it's hard. 2022 was a pretty bad year for me, but des…

6. 17 December 2021

   Kids and money – building financial literacy and investing on their behalf

   If you're actively thinking about your children's financial literacy, they're already lucky — that you care is more important than any specific tactic. I'm sceptical of both the Barefoot-style jam-jar…

7. 6 March 2020

   The magic’s not in the numbers (or: Why this blog is squishy)

   I rarely talk numbers on this blog, which might be surprising since it's mainly about money — and I LOVE spreadsheets. Numbers change, past performance isn't future performance, and precision can make…

8. 18 February 2020

   What type of inheritance do you want to leave?

   My wife and I joke that cafe treats and holidays are "coming out of the kids' inheritance". It's strictly true. But your children don't just inherit money when you die — they inherit memories, experie…

9. 14 February 2020

   The paradox of advice

   If you engage a financial adviser, you might think the decision will leave you better off financially. Not necessarily. I often encourage clients to spend more, or point out they can afford to earn le…

10. 22 November 2019

    You’ve got to spend money to save money

    Frugality is great — if it's mindful, and aligned with your values. But focus purely on savings rate and you can miss the forest for the trees. My wife and I joke that you've got to spend money to sav…

11. 1 November 2019

    The minefield of ethical investing

    Ethical investing sounds simple: invest in line with your values. In practice it's a minefield. What counts as ethical varies wildly from person to person, the labels on funds often don't mean what yo…

12. 11 August 2017

    Financial advice and the FIRE (“financial independence, retire early”) phenomenon

    The FIRE movement — financial independence, retire early — is alluring. The core lesson is simple: increase your savings rate, live frugally, and you can retire decades early. I'm sympathetic to it, a…

13. 17 June 2017

    The big financial decisions you make need to reflect your values and priorities

    My wife and I own a wonderful house. We could have bought one for half the cost, halved the mortgage, and been financially independent years earlier. We made the decision with open eyes — we were prep…