2006

Big Game Part VI : Insurance rip-offs could undermine confidence in the finance sector
Gareth Morgan concludes his investigation into savings and life insurance industry rorts by advocating 3 steps to to bring an end the securities malfeasance and at the same time help the thousands of savers who have thrown their money into this awful industry, get at least some of their property back. ...
6 December 2006 - investment - Gareth Morgan

Big Game V: The Tactics - how the insurance multinationals get away with it
Gareth Morgan continues his series on investment rorts . This article focuses on how the life insurance companies fend off any queries from the public about the care they're not taking with their savings. The tactics are to deny and if an objector is persistent, to burn them off with litigation - even to the extent of creating vexatious litigation to frighten those simply trying to protect their own property. Bullying of the small guy is meat and cheese to these corporates....
30 November 2006 - investment - Gareth Morgan

The Big Game Debate – Letters Exchange
Letter exchange between John Smith, Company Actuary, Fidelity Life and Gareth Morgan...
30 November 2006 - investment - Gareth Morgan

The Big Game IV - Inside the Actuarial Snakepit
Gareth Morgan continues his investigation of investment rorts . At the heart of the problems that life insurance companies have brought to the savings industry is their practice of using reserve funds to separate savers from their money. These companies use actuaries on their staff to provide a thin veil of propriety to the "freeing" of these reserves from the ownership of the savers, making them available ultimately to be owned by the insurance company. The ethical deficit of the so called 'self-regulated' actuarial profession is central to this rot....
21 November 2006 - investment - Gareth Morgan

The Big Game III - Product churn, zombie funds and the renewal cycle
Gareth Morgan continues his investigation of investment rorts. Why do life insurance companies have so many savings products and unit trusts in the market, most of them without much money? Why do they always seem to be closing funds to new money and then some years later wind them up? Didn't you know that for many fund management companies the deliberate obsolescence of a fund is what they plan for? The game is to shift as much of your savings into fund reserves as they can, shut the fund down and then keep the reserves for themselves. Charming ethics. ...
13 November 2006 - investment - Gareth Morgan

The Big Game II
Gareth Morgan continues his investigation of investment rorts. Creation and then manipulation of reserves is a favourite device that funds deploy to get your money. Once your money is set aside in reserves its ownership becomes moot. One thing's for sure you no longer have an unchallenged claim on it so don't expect it back. This article describes the devices the Funds use to move your savings into its reserves....
7 November 2006 - investment - Gareth Morgan

The Big Game I - How the savings industry takes your money and keeps it
How the savings industry takes your money and keeps it, Gareth Morgan investigates, in the first of a six-part series. The methods popular amongst the long term "savings" products peddled by life insurers include bundling savings and insurance together so their actuaries can apply actuarial "discretions" in an unfettered manner to separate you from your money. Another trick is to make you just another unsecured creditor on the fund that has your money in it. Finding yourself at the back of the line when it comes to claiming your savings back, is a gut-wrenching experience for most....
3 November 2006 - investment - Gareth Morgan

Korean Nuclear Tests – A Perspective from the Peninsula
Gareth was up at the DMZ the day the nuke test occured. See inside for his observations on the reaction from ordinary South Koreans....
12 October 2006 - kimchi kiwis - Gareth Morgan

South Korea – An Ecological Contradiction
South Korea – An Ecological Contradiction...
11 October 2006 - kimchi kiwis - Gareth Morgan

South of the South – From Dynasties to an Industrial Powerhouse
From Dynasties to Industrial Powerhouse - the mountains finally make way for a little bit of valley floor down here near the capital of the Shilla Dynasty. But its industrial power that is the modern day prowess of souther South Korea....
3 October 2006 - kimchi kiwis - Gareth Morgan

Up to the DMZ and down again
Going under the DMZ in a North Korean constructed tunnel is a new experience, but just the extent of the war machinery and personnel in this most beautiful mountainous part of the world is tragedy enough....
3 October 2006 - kimchi kiwis - Gareth Morgan

Kapyeong, K-Force and touching the DMZ
The area just south of the DMZ has very special significance to New Zealand. It is here where the ultimate sacrifice by Kiwis was made. And still today this a very tense stand-off....
3 October 2006 - kimchi kiwis - Gareth Morgan

Seoul and Away
Seoul and Beyond - Riding out of the mayhem that is Seoul traffic, Gareth and friends soon reach the serenity that is the mountains of South Korea. With first class roads the motorcycling is superb, the scenary sublime and the food - an acquired taste....
25 September 2006 - kimchi kiwis - Gareth Morgan