Pocketful of Dirhams

Andrew Hallam, the author of Millionaire Teacher and Millionaire Expat, is famous for building up a million-dollar portfolio of low-cost stock and bond index funds on a teacher’s salary. Since retiring from his profession in Singapore in 2014, the personal finance author now blogs about his experiences and delivers talks to investors across the globe.

What’s unique about Mr Hallam’s method is that he shows investors how to manage their own money or how to find a suitable financial adviser who won’t charge ridiculous fees. With many investors keen to enter the markets following the crash and partial recovery during the pandemic, Mr Hallam’s strategy is simple: first build a globally diversified portfolio of low-cost index exchange traded funds, second invest regularly without speculating and third increase the amount you invest over time as your salary increases.

So what do novice investors need to put in place to start their DIY investment journey? And how much attention should they pay to the current volatility in the markets amid Covid-19?

Here, Mr Hallam joins podcast host Alice Haine, the personal finance editor of The National, to share his investment journey and explain how others can follow his lead.

The coronavirus pandemic has changed our lives in many ways. With so much turmoil in the global economy, it’s no surprise that our investment portfolios have taken a big hit. Over the past few months we’ve seen share prices crashing, livelihoods destroyed and governments rolling out generous stimulus packages to prop up economies. While stock markets have rallied from the lows we saw in March, the road ahead is still very unclear which can leave investors uncertain about what steps to take next.

So how should investors position their portfolios now? What opportunities should they consider? How much risk should they take? And with the record-breaking bull run encouraging many to manage their own investments, what’s next for the DIY investor?

Host Alice Haine, the personal finance editor of The National, is joined by Stuart McCulloch, the market head for the Middle East at The Fry Group, a financial advisory company based in Dubai International Financial Centre.

The coronavirus pandemic has changed our lives dramatically. And with many in the UAE and around the world now dealing with a salary cut or job loss, there has never been a more important time to diversify how you earn your income.If you only rely on the salary you earn from your job to support yourself, it can leave you and your family vulnerable if that income suddenly reduces or stops coming in entirely. So what is the best way to diversify your income streams? And how do you identify what skill sets you can tap into? Plus are there any other ways to raise extra cash at this difficult time?

Host Alice Haine, the personal finance editor of The National, is joined by Zach Holz, a teacher and author of the personal finance blog The Happiest Teacher, who has multiple side hustles to ensure he can always earn an income.

As Ramadan draws to a close, many residents in the UAE would traditionally be scouring travel websites for the best offers on Eid breaks. But with hotels in the UAE only just starting to open their doors to guests following the Covid-19 pandemic and global travel restrictions grounding flights across the globe, going away for a few days is not as straightforward as it once was. Social distancing measures are still in place across the UAE and the rest of the world, which makes checking into a hotel more of a challenge for guests. So what staycation deals are available? And in this era of saving – as residents try to protect their finances from the effects of Covid-19 – do you really want to spend money on a few days away if you are not going to get the same experience as before?

Host Alice Haine, the personal finance editor of The National, is joined by Ashleigh Stewart, The National’s culture editor, who guides listeners through the staycation options ahead of the Eid break and the guidance around ensuring where you stay is safe.

If you have lost your job or are considering a career move, you might feel that now isn’t a great time to secure a new position. Movement restrictions across the globe have caused many to lose their jobs after schools, malls and businesses shut up shop to help contain the spread of coronavirus. Here in the UAE, movement restrictions have seen malls, schools and businesses close to help curb the spread of Covid-19. While the restrictions have eased, some residents have been affected financially either through a salary cut or job loss. As the economy slowly opens up again, what is the best way to secure a new job in this climate? Which sectors are hiring? How do you make sure your CV stands out from the crowd and how do you negotiate salaries at this time?

Host Alice Haine, the personal finance editor of The National, is joined by David Mackenzie, group managing director of recruitment company Mackenzie Jones, who guides jobseekers through the options.

As we approach the hotter summer months and the end of the academic school year, a number of UAE residents will be planning their relocation either to their home country or another destination.But while shipping is a standard process many of us deal with, things become a little more challenging when you are trying to move during a pandemic. So what is the best way to move your possessions at this time? How do you get a shipping quote in this era of social distancing? Will there be any restrictions on items being shipped in? Does Covid-19 make shipping more expensive and will it take longer for your items to reach their destination?

Host Alice Haine, the personal finance editor of The National, is joined by Bana Shomali, the founder of ServiceMarket, a UAE marketplace for moving and home services, who guides listeners through all the challenges of relocating during the Covid-19 outbreak.

As we approach the summer, many UAE residents are thinking about their travel plans. But while we would normally be discussing the exotic destinations we are heading to, or the journeys we are planning to our home countries, this year is very different. Rather than hunting for the best deals, many of us are more focused on either securing a refund on the flights and holidays we have already booked but cannot take, or moving travel plans to much later in the year. 

So, what is the best way to secure a refund on your flights or holiday? Does travel insurance protect us at this time? When will flight restrictions be lifted around the world? And, with lots of cheap deals on offer, should we even be considering booking a holiday right now?

Host Alice Haine, the personal finance editor of The National is joined by Hayley Skirka, The National’s travel correspondent, who guides us through all the options for travellers at this difficult time.

It’s that time of year when many residents in the UAE consider buying a new car – mainly because the market is flooded with Ramadan offers.From price reductions to zero financing and offers of free maintenance, registrations or insurance, they are all kinds of ways dealerships lure in customers. But buying a new car might not be a top priority for many in the Emirates at the moment who are still observing movement restrictions as the country works hard to curb the spread of coronavirus. So how are car dealerships adapting to this era of physical distancing? If you do find an offer you like, how do you know if it really is a good deal? And, more importantly, how do you test drive the car or actually purchase it?

Host Alice Haine is joined by Imad Hammad, the co-founder of second-hand car platform CarSwitch.com, to tackle these questions.

With the coronavirus outbreak still dominating our lives, stock market volatility looks set to continue as the markets struggle to interpret the economic fallout from the crisis. While some investors may naturally want to flee the carnage and stash their money in the safest possible place, there are still options out there. Airlines, hotel chains, entertainment operators, car manufacturers and oil companies may have been hammered, but some will be better placed to bounce back when the crisis starts to ease. Meanwhile, other sectors such as supermarkets, online retailers and healthcare have benefited during the outbreak. So what is the outlook for assets such as stocks, bonds and gold now? And what can investors do to protect their portfolio?

Host Alice Haine, the personal finance editor of The National, is joined by Maurice Gravier, the chief investment officer at Emirates NBD, who offers his insights on the state of the markets.

As the number of coronavirus cases and deaths escalate around the world, the virus is affecting our lives and our finances in one way or another. Containment measures in the UAE, such as stay-at-home directives, cancelled flights and the closing of schools, malls and beaches could lead to a drop in revenue for businesses and a cut in income or job losses for residents. With this in mind, many banks in the UAE have rolled out new relief measures to help individuals cope with the fallout of the crisis. For retail customers the measures include debt repayment holiday of between one and six months, reduced bank charges, and lower interest rates on new credit. So how can consumers affected by the crisis take advantage of the measures? And how do you qualify as “being affected”?

Host Alice Haine, the personal finance editor of The National is joined by Ambareen Musa, the founder and chief executive of financial comparison website Souqalmal.com and a panellist on The National’s debt panel, who offers guidance on the types of support offered by lenders in the UAE.