Money Magazine November 2022

EDITOR’S DESK If you’ve always dreaded checking your bill statements, there’s a good reason, and it’s not only because of the amount at the bottom of the page. So many bills, from your utility and phone bills to your home loan statements and insurance, are almost indecipherable. You wouldn’t know whether you’ve been overcharged or undercharged because of the obscure jargon, hard-to-read disclaimers and, in some cases, intentional omission of important details about rebates and pricing changes. That’s why in this issue we asked personal finance writer Nicola Field to help us decode basic household bills and sift through the jargon (page 42). It’s also that time of the year when we publish our annual cover story on “How to invest $10k” (page 32). Or should that be $10,700 this year to account…

FROM THE EDITOR EDITOR’S DESK If you’ve always dreaded checking your bill statements, there’s a good reason, and it’s not only because of the amount at the bottom of the page. So many bills, from your utility and phone bills to your home loan statements and insurance, are almost indecipherable. You wouldn’t know whether you’ve been overcharged or undercharged because of the obscure jargon, hard-to-read disclaimers and, in some cases, intentional omission of important details about rebates and pricing changes. That’s why in this issue we asked personal finance writer Nicola Field to help us decode basic household bills and sift through the jargon (page 42). It’s also that time of the year when we publish our annual cover story on “How to invest $10k” (page 32). Or should that…

Take into account the green bottom line, too Thanks for sharing Hayden’s broken dishwasher handle story (On my mind, August). We made the same decision a few months ago. A couple of years ago we bought a good-quality old dishwasher with a few broken buttons for $50 from a lady who was doing up her kitchen. Then the handle went this year, and while it was tempting to buy a new dishwasher, like Hayden and his wife we also made the ethical decision to fix it and for $300 got a new handle and buttons. No extra landfill and still a good-quality dishwasher. I’d love to see more Money magazine stories that highlight the importance of the green bottom line. If we don’t make the environment a part of all…

Take into account the green bottom line, too Thanks for sharing Hayden’s broken dishwasher handle story (On my mind, August). We made the same decision a few months ago. A couple of years ago we bought a good-quality old dishwasher with a few broken buttons for $50 from a lady who was doing up her kitchen. Then the handle went this year, and while it was tempting to buy a new dishwasher, like Hayden and his wife we also made the ethical decision to fix it and for $300 got a new handle and buttons. No extra landfill and still a good-quality dishwasher. I’d love to see more Money magazine stories that highlight the importance of the green bottom line. If we don’t make the environment a part of all our financial decisions, no…

MAX RIAZ Contributing writer Inflation usually runs in 20-year cycles, so after 20-plus years of low inflation we may now be heading into a long period of high inflation. Money’s value will continue to diminish as its circulation increases to fund fiscal deficits. I would invest $10,000 in funds and ETFs that target real assets (for example, natural resources, precious metals, water, energy). Bitcoin also looks interesting at these levels. MARK CHAPMAN Contributing writer I’d invest the funds in paying down my mortgage. With interest rates nearing 6% and rising (meaning 6%-plus interest saved) and a tax-free return, there isn’t anywhere else where you can get such a low-risk, high-return investment on your money. MICHELLE BALTAZAR Editor-in-chief I would put $7000 into shares, $2000 in a couple of professional development courses and $1000 into my…

MAX RIAZ Contributing writer Inflation usually runs in 20-year cycles, so after 20-plus years of low inflation we may now be heading into a long period of high inflation. Money’s value will continue to diminish as its circulation increases to fund fiscal deficits. I would invest $10,000 in funds and ETFs that target real assets (for example, natural resources, precious metals, water, energy). Bitcoin also looks interesting at these levels. MARK CHAPMAN Contributing writer I’d invest the funds in paying down my mortgage. With interest rates nearing 6% and rising (meaning 6%-plus interest saved) and a tax-free return, there isn’t anywhere else where you can get such a low-risk, high-return investment on your money. MICHELLE BALTAZAR Editor-in-chief I would put $7000 into shares, $2000 in a couple of professional development…