Market & Portfolio Update - January 2022
The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures show high inflation in major economies across the globe. They reached 7% in the US for 2021, the highest since 1982, they reached 5.9% in NZ, the highest since 1990, and they reached 5.4% in the UK, the highest since 1992. This high inflation is one reason for the central banks interest rate hikes, as higher rates help to counteract inflation.
The USA, UK, Australia, and Spain (among others) have all seen daily recorded covid cases peak and start to fall back in January. While we hope this brings us closer to the end of the pandemic as the virus runs its course, we are watchful as to what this will mean for NZ in the next few months.
You can read more on the current investment market with our recent article A Choppy Start To 2022.
The Summer Reset
Summer has a way of easing the pressure. The days feel longer, the calendar softens, and life slows just enough to remind us that not everything needs to be urgent, solved, or optimised right now. It’s a subtle shift, but a powerful one. And it’s what we like to think of as the summer reset.
Lifetime Book Club: Ikigai by Héctor García & Francesc Miralles
“The happiest people are not the ones who achieve the most. They are the ones who spend their lives doing what they love, with purpose.”
That is the central idea of Ikigai.
This is not a hustle manual or a step-by-step guide to success. It is a gentle, thoughtful exploration of what gives life meaning, and how small, intentional choices can lead to a longer, happier, more fulfilled life.