Christmas Wishes

Dear Santa

We are really looking forward to catching up with you at Christmas.   Hasn’t the year gone by quickly?  I hope all is well with you and Mrs. Claus, and of course the little ones.   We hope you did not have any money invested in CDO’s or in any New Zealand or Australian finance companies that have gone into receivership. 

As financial planners we have a number of special requests for clients.  It would be great if you could bring them their Christmas wishes.  We’ve asked some what they want for Christmas and have received some interesting requests, so we hope you can help.  

When you are at Helen’s and Michael’s homes can you please tell them it is OK to give us some very nice tax breaks.   Given next year will be an election year, can you please ask John and Helen to design their competing tax packages so they not only help individuals and companies but also motivate New Zealand to move forward and invest for their future.  And Santa, please ask them to make all investments tax free, especially now that the Retirement Commissioner is recommending that the age to start receiving Super should be raised.  Doesn’t she sound like the Grinch that stole Christmas?

We would really like the USA economy to boom, and for somehow all those dud mortgages to come right.  If this happens, our share markets may prosper.  You could hold on a little over the credit crisis, while we continue to buy more listed debt.  It is like all our Christmas’s are coming at once with the yields we can get, provided the issuers do not fall over.  Please Santa, make sure that their credit ratings stay nice and high, and that Standard and Poor’s do not make any mistakes with them.

How have you got on with locating the new best selling book Investing for Dummies? We hear that it has been specially written to help greedy investors overcome their desire to put disproportionate amounts of their lifesavings into shaky finance companies.  And Santa, why is it that investment advisers are getting blamed, when most of the money was invested directly?

Santa, can you please make sure that investment company managers are given compulsory lessons in ethics, especially when it comes to disclosure of conflicts of interest and related party loans.  While you are about it, the same should be given to a few financial planning companies.  The elves have let it slip that one group is planning on pulling $60 million out of one finance company next year for no good reason, other than to invest with their owners.  

It would also be great if you could help out the good folk at IRD.  They may need your helping hand with all the new work resulting from Kiwisaver and the tax changes that have been introduced this year.

Santa, you are an inspiration to people.  You are generous, create jobs for elves, and have a real affinity for animals, especially reindeer.  Have a great Christmas yourself and a well earned restful New Year.   If you ever need some investment advice give us a call or drop by, it’s on the house.   We all appreciate your efforts in dealing with these issues.
 
Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year

Steven & Susan