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Whether you’re a young Kiwi planning your OE (overseas experience), a family about to embark on that long-awaited trip to Disneyland, or a seasoned business traveller hopping between meetings in Singapore and Sydney, the excitement of travel is unbeatable. But with every adventure comes a bit of financial planning to ensure your holiday memories aren’t clouded by an unexpected hit to the wallet.

This month, we’re shifting gears with a fantastic read for the whole family – Barefoot Kids by Scott Pape. If you’re looking to teach your children about money in a way that’s fun, practical, and empowering, this book is a must-have. Barefoot Kids takes Scott Pape’s signature no-nonsense financial wisdom and adapts it for the next generation. It’s filled with engaging stories, hands-on activities, and simple lessons to help kids understand how money works – and more importantly, how to manage it well.

Global share markets witnessed a bout of volatility early in the month, driven predominantly by weaker-than-expected US employment data and the Japanese central bank raising interest rates by 0.25%. Japan’s share market fell -12% in a day as a result, its largest single-day fall since the Black Monday crash of 1987. Global share markets, represented by the MSCI World Index, also shared in the volatility, but to a much lesser degree. The second half of the month saw Global share markets stage a strong comeback as investors digested the release of more favourable economic data; the MSCI World Index ended the month up almost 2% in local currency terms, while Japan’s share market ended the month down only -0.7%.