Health struggles can shake up every part of life — including finances. In this edition of Ruth’s Two Cents, Ruth shares her practical advice for dealing with financial uncertainty amid a medical crisis.
Money tips
Goodbye 2021, hello 2022. After another year of ups and downs, a new year offers the opportunity to reset and reboot. If you want to leave questionable spending habits and bygone goals in the past, now’s the perfect chance. Emma from The Broke Generation shares the actions you can take to make sure you start off this year on the right financial footing.
Money tips
As a part-time employee with her own blog and podcast side business, Ruth Henderson has a more complex tax-life than the average person. That said, she decided from the outset to manage her freelance income the same way she runs her household finances: simply and fuss-free! Read on to see how she organizes her taxes.
Company
It’s that time of year to look back on the past 12 months and ruminate on all of your choices made. We asked some of the PocketSmith team to do just that and reveal their purchases of delight and disappointment in 2021. From video games, mops, stock and new beds, it’s been quite the year of retail therapy!
Money tips
Amidst fancy hors d'oeuvres and a chorus of ‘new year, new me’, a celebration of glitz and glamoring could have you clamoring to save your bank account in the morning. Emma Edwards shares her best tips for making sure you keep your budget intact over the new year period — because New Year’s Eve is one night, but financial confidence is forever!
Product feature
While reflecting on the changes released during 2021, we ended up striking upon a couple of new features that will make a lot of users' lives easier. Read on for details on how you can now perform math operations in key number fields in the application, and also filter through your financial events in the Calendar. But first, a quick recap.
Interviews
We asked some of our wonderful users to share how they use PocketSmith to be productive with their money and plan for the future. Read how Wellingtonian couple Renee and Jamie use PocketSmith to track their finances and identify their money leakages!
Money tips
Christmas is mere days, minutes, seconds away. If your gift list is looking woefully empty this close to December 25th, fear not! The Broke Generation’s Emma has been a helpful little elf for us and gathered up some easy, low-cost options for last minute Christmas presents. You’ve still got time, so get cracking!
Money tips
Do you have a secure password? And are your devices secure? There are plenty of actions you can take to ensure your money and related data are protected. In the second part of our fraud series, Emma from The Broke Generation shares ten ways you can defend yourself from would-be hackers and scammers.
Product feature
PocketSmith has a new main menu! Topline features are just a single click away, and organization of key secondary features and settings into menu groups makes everything more accessible. Check out the intuitive design and let us know your thoughts.
Money tips
Shopping can be a rotten experience this time of year. People are stressed, shops are busy, and you have to buy presents for every second cousin once-removed at the family Christmas party. That’s why Anton, our Marketing Intern, has created this list of fun and easily accessible Christmas gifts. So whether you’ve got no time or simply have no idea what to get your loved ones, you can check out these ideas for inspiration.
Money tips
Accountants aren’t just number-lovers deep in spreadsheets. If you handle your household’s finances, you can consider yourself one too! Sam Harith, The Comic Accountant, is an accountant by trade and he explores the benefits of using home accounting software and why PocketSmith is his go-to.
Money tips
No doubt you’re not a stranger to scams — you’ve probably been hounded by an unknown number, or had a suspiciously constructed email show up in your inbox. Money scams and attempts to fraud you are a dime a dozen. But what other scams are you likely to come across? Emma from The Broke Generation explores today’s common money scams and fraud.
Money tips
Whether it’s the holiday season, a birthday or an upcoming special event, picking the right gift can be a hassle. Have you ever thought about a gift that keeps on giving? Ruth The Happy Saver is a big fan of giving shares as a gift, and talks about how it can be a thoughtful present for experienced and budding investors.
Interviews
We asked some of our wonderful users to share how they use PocketSmith to be productive with their money and plan for the future. Doug is “busier than a one-armed wallpaper hanger”, so we’re keeping things short with a LIGHTNING ROUND! Read how he uses PocketSmith’s forecasting features to make sure he can cover all expenses at work and at home.
Money tips
Thanks to the gig economy, side hustle opportunities like Uber are abundant, but you might not have the capacity, nor the want, to go out and drive after work. By picking up a side hustle you can do online, you can earn a bit of extra income in comfort and at your own pace. Guest contributor Brian explores six of the best online side hustles for making the most of your time and resources.
Product feature
You can now automatically track balances over time for non-transactional accounts! Build a rich balance history for accounts without typical transactions, like passive investments, to give you deeper insights into your money. Check out how you can enable this new setting for each account (tl;dr: Account Summary > Manage Account > Other settings > Track balance changes).
Money tips
The mention of Black Friday sales evokes images of both mammoth bargains and massive fights at the cash register. As a sale period that’s so close to Christmas, it could be your chance to keep your holiday budget intact. If you’re wondering how you can make the most out of this annual sale, check out Ruth The Happy Saver’s tips for sorting your Black Friday game plan.
Company
A big welcome to our newest data partner, Sharesight, a global portfolio management tool for DIY investors. Now, with a direct integration, PocketSmith users can connect seamlessly to Sharesight to bring in your portfolio balance automatically.
Money tips
E-waste is a growing environmental and economic burden. Mobile phones contribute a whopping 10% to all global e-waste. Instead of adding to that when you upgrade your phone, consider giving it a new lease on life! Stewart from Freedom Mobiles shares some of the many ways you can repurpose your old phone and save it from the landfill.
Money tips
It’s an inherently human desire to want to make a difference. When it comes to leaving a financial legacy, most would just think of a savings account that you leave behind. But can it be more than that? Ruth The Happy Saver ponders the concept of a financial legacy, and how you can make an impact before and after you’re gone.
Interviews
We asked some of our wonderful users to share how they use PocketSmith to be productive with their money and plan for the future. Read how Connor uses PocketSmith’s analytics and multi-currency features to track the trends of his spending habits as an expat living in Canada!
Money tips
Healthy credit is a big part of your borrowing power and there are many ways to build it. So many, in fact, that it can be confusing to know the best ways to improve your own. We explore the importance of credit and compile some tips for building your credit fast.
Money tips
These days you can work and unwind online in an abundance of ways, and investing is no different. Online investing platforms have exploded in popularity over the past few years, offering easy and accessible entry to the stock market. But are they suitable for beginner investors? Ruth explores the world of online investing platforms, and how you can use them to start your investing journey.
Money tips
As climate change intensifies, many investors are wondering how to adapt our everyday actions and decisions to build a more sustainable future. Kate Campbell from Rask Finance gives us an overview of ethical and ESG investing, and explores the impact that investors can have on the environment, by investing more mindfully.
