There’s a lot of speculation about how we’ll be working and getting paid in the future – think 2040 and beyond. While all those dystopian TV shows and movies might help you to imagine what it could be like, we are already getting glimpses of the future in our daily lives. This is thanks to our increased reliance on automation and, of course, the more recent surge in our use of generative artificial intelligence. One recent report on the future of work has found that traditional salaries will no ...
Feb 13, 2024•26 min•Ep. 98
What is the one thing you dread most about your job? For many, that could be asking for a salary rise – even if you deserve it. Experts say there is a right and a wrong way to ask your boss for a wage increase and you should start by being prepared before sitting down with your manager for the “salary talk”. This could include compiling your successes over the past year to boost your case. You should also consider your goals and what benefits matter most to you, such as a better work-life balanc...
Dec 26, 2023•13 min•Ep. 97
Knowing how to invest is an important skill to set you on the road to securing your financial future. Getting started, however, can be overwhelming if you are a beginner. While there’s a lot of advice on the likes of TikTok and YouTube, this is something you need to be wary about as many influencers are paid to promote investment services or are simply not financial experts. Taking the DIY investment route with exchange-traded funds (ETFs) is a great option as it is low-cost and puts you in char...
Nov 28, 2023•20 min•Ep. 96
As if rising interest rates and the cost-of-living crisis aren’t enough for investors to worry about these days. Despite all the talk of a bull market this year, stock markets continue their typical roller-coaster ride – one minute they’re in positive territory and your portfolio is in the black. And the next, they are impacted by a devastating crisis, such as the wars in Ukraine and Israel-Gaza. But is there a way to create a smarter portfolio to offset geopolitical uncertainties? Host Felicity...
Oct 31, 2023•14 min•Ep. 95
It’s so easy to get caught up in the treadmill of life – chasing money, building our net worth, planning for retirement, supporting our families, working long hours and not spending enough time to do the things we’re passionate about with the people we love. It took the Covid-19 pandemic to make many of us realise that our work-life balance was much more important for our long-term happiness, health and mental well-being. I recently came across a book by personal finance expert Marissa Thakor – ...
Sep 26, 2023•21 min•Ep. 94
The highs and lows of stock markets are often compared to a roller coaster ride – one minute, you’re on top of the world and making a profit. The next, it could all come crashing down and you start panic selling. Knowing how to keep our emotions in check while trading is an essential skill that investors need to learn, regardless of their experience. As legendary investor Warren Buffett once said: “The most important quality for an investor is temperament, not intellect.” What are the best strat...
Aug 29, 2023•15 min•Ep. 93
There are many reasons why we should have long-term financial goals – but perhaps the biggest is to ensure that we have a security net during our golden years. Working out what we want to achieve financially in our lives can be a struggle for some. Sure, there are the usual goals that many of us may aspire to – saving for a home and our children’s education, for instance. But what if your goals are different and you don’t want the responsibility of owning a home, or maybe you'd like to join the ...
Aug 07, 2023•10 min•Ep. 92
What are your plans for investing in gold for the rest of year? As many of you probably know, gold made a welcome comeback in April, jumping above $2,000 per ounce for the first time in more than a year. While the move was great news for gold investors, the bad news is that the precious metal typically rises during economic headwinds. In this case, the US banking crisis had taken hold amid persistent inflation and fears that the US was falling into a recession. While those fears remain, we’re al...
Jun 27, 2023•10 min•Ep. 91
In this special episode of Pocketful of Dirhams, we talk to the billionaire twin brothers who famously sued Harvard classmate Mark Zuckerberg for allegedly stealing their idea for Facebook. Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, former Olympic rowers and founders of crypto exchange Gemini, first became famous after their legal dispute with Mr Zuckerberg, portrayed in the critically acclaimed 2010 movie, The Social Network. Their venture into the world of cryptocurrency pushed the Winklevoss twins into th...
Jun 07, 2023•30 min•Ep. 90
As the summer holidays approach, have you started thinking about how to protect your hard-earned money while travelling abroad? There are numerous hazards to be aware of – from pickpockets to sophisticated bait and switch scams and online fraudsters, to name a few. But there are ways that you can protect your finances before and during your holiday, such as being prepared and having a plan B in place in case your financial security is compromised. Host Felicity Glover is joined by Carol Glynn, t...
May 30, 2023•17 min•Ep. 89
Are you financially prepared for the Eid Al Fitr celebrations? There are numerous expenses associated with the holiday — such as gifts, new clothes, family gatherings, zakat and overseas travel. There is no doubt that it can be an expensive time of the year for many households in the UAE — particularly for those who have left it too late to set budgets and put away money in the lead up to the holiday. And that is why it’s extremely important not to give into temptation and rack up debt during Ei...
Apr 18, 2023•14 min•Ep. 88
Have you ever wondered how finance professionals manage their own money? It can be difficult for many of us to manage our personal finances at the best of times, such as sticking to a budget, ensuring we have enough to cover our daily expenses and consistently saving for important financial milestones, such as a down payment on a home and retirement. There's no doubt that financial literacy is one of the most important elements of successfully managing our money — but it doesn't come naturally t...
Mar 28, 2023•15 min•Ep. 87
Have you tried ChatGPT yet? There’s been a lot of talk lately about the chatbot developed by Open AI to generate human-like conversations with people on a range of topics – big or small. There’s no doubt that many of you – like me – have already tried it and found that its potential is wide-ranging. Over the past few years, low-cost investment robo-advisers have democratised investing for the masses by using AI to assess, for instance, a person’s risk levels. This led me to start thinking about ...
Feb 28, 2023•20 min•Ep. 86
It’s that time of the year when many employees can expect a salary rise and bonus. On average, salaries in the UAE are expected to rise by 2 per cent to 5 per cent, although this depends on the sector you are working in and your role. According to a recent survey by jobs portal Bayt.com, 53 per cent of professionals in the UAE expect to receive a salary increase this year. Employees in banking, financial services, investment management and consulting can expect the highest salary increases and b...
Jan 31, 2023•14 min•Ep. 85
It’s been a tough year on our personal finances — from record-high global inflation to rising interest rates and an increase in borrowing costs for consumers. There are also strong warning signs that a global recession is looming. But, as we head into 2023, now is a good time to review your finances and plan ahead. This is to ensure you begin the New Year on a positive financial footing — such as setting goals to pay off or lower your debts, sticking to a budget and saving for the future. “It's ...
Dec 27, 2022•56 min•Ep. 84
It can be an extremely stressful time if you lose control of your debts and can no longer keep up with monthly instalments on credit cards or loans. There are many reasons why debts can spiral out of control — from losing your job to facing a medical emergency, or even spending beyond your means. Whatever the reason, there are consequences — after three missed payments, banks in the UAE will alert their collections department about a debt default. That is a situation you don’t want to find yours...
Nov 29, 2022•16 min•Ep. 83
The UAE’s Unemployment Insurance Scheme took effect earlier this month, giving all Emirati and foreign employees in the country a vital cash safety net if they lose their job. The mandatory social security support system is based on 60 per cent of an employee’s basic salary and is capped at a maximum of three months, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation said. While the finer details have yet to be announced, financial experts have welcomed the move but say it is imperative that peop...
Oct 25, 2022•11 min•Ep. 82
Buying property is one of the biggest financial commitments that we will make in our lives. But getting on to the property ladder can be difficult for some — saving for a deposit while also meeting other expenses can take years, more so these days as property prices quickly rise and mortgages become more expensive due to central banks raising interest rates to rein in inflation. Others may feel uncomfortable making a financial commitment to buy a property and prefer to live their lives free of t...
Sep 27, 2022•22 min•Ep. 81
It has been a difficult year for cryptocurrency investors. Bitcoin has plunged from a record high of about $68,000 last year to trade in the $19,800 range on Monday, while the cryptocurrency sector's market capitalisation has again fallen below the $1 trillion mark. Analysts warn that the cryptocurrency roller coaster ride is far from over, dragged down by this year’s equity bear market, global economic uncertainty, higher interest rates and a sharp rise in the cost of living around the world. M...
Aug 30, 2022•33 min•Ep. 80
The government’s overhaul of visa regulations last September means that teenagers aged 15 to 18 can now work part-time in the UAE, giving them an opportunity to earn a regular salary and learn some vital life skills at the same time. Those skills can include anything from money management to time management, as well as building confidence, instilling a sense of responsibility and gaining that all-important on-the-job experience. While it is an empowering experience for youth, the two most import...
Jul 26, 2022•19 min•Ep. 79
As the UAE’s property market continues its strong recovery from Covid-19 pandemic-induced headwinds, recent changes to the country’s visa rules have opened up long-term real estate investment options for residents wanting to put down roots in the Emirates. While average property prices in Dubai rose by 10.9 per cent, year on year, last month, residents can now qualify for a 10-year golden visa if they buy a property for as little as Dh2 million ($544,588). Despite rising interest rates, the init...
Jun 28, 2022•14 min•Ep. 78
It's difficult at the best of times to stick to a budget — not only do you have to fund your daily living expenses, but there’s also paying down debt and meeting important savings goals to set you on the path towards a secure financial future. For parents, there are also expensive education costs to consider, as well providing for their children. But during times of high inflation and rising interest rates, it becomes more difficult for households to stretch their dirhams further. Regardless of ...
May 31, 2022•27 min•Ep. 77
Buying a new or used vehicle can be an overwhelming experience for many — especially if you know very little about cars and what to be aware of before making a commitment. But cutting through the noise of slick sales talk and the many deals that are on offer in the UAE — which typically include extended warranties, free service packages, insurance and registration for the first year — is only the first step. It is essential to do your research and set a budget before deciding on which car to buy...
Apr 26, 2022•18 min•Ep. 76
Protecting our finances online has become more difficult since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, when we switched our lives online to work, study and shop from home during movement restrictions. The recent spate of true-crime documentaries on streaming services, including Netflix’s The Tinder Swindler, Bad Vegan and Inventing Anna, have served to highlight the issue — showing just how easy it is to trick people into handing over their life savings to a scammer. Since 2020, online fraud has sur...
Mar 29, 2022•14 min•Ep. 75
Salaries, hiring and workplace trends have been some of the biggest concerns for employees since the Covid-19 pandemic began two years ago. From temporary furloughs to salary cuts and working from home, it has been a difficult experience for many people around the world. However, the jobs market in the UAE will continue to recover in 2022 as business confidence and hiring activity return to pre-coronavirus levels, according to recruitment experts. A number of specialist recruitment agencies in t...
Feb 22, 2022•16 min•Ep. 74
Personal finance expert and author Andrew Hallam has inspired expatriates around the world to invest more effectively through his international bestselling books Millionaire Teacher and Millionaire Expat, which detail his journey about how he built a million-dollar portfolio of low-cost exchange-traded funds on a teacher’s salary. Hallam, who started investing as a teenager and became a millionaire at 37, has a new book out this month: Balance: How to Invest and Spend for Happiness, Health and W...
Jan 25, 2022•20 min•Ep. 73
With so much talk about stagflation, inflation, stock market bubbles, the Covid-19 pandemic and the supply chain crunch, investors have every right to feel jittery these days. And as central banks start preparing to withdraw their pandemic stimulus measures, now is the time to put your investment portfolio through a stress test to help protect your financial future. Taking steps to shield your portfolio from market forces should be done at least once a year, experts say. While nobody can accurat...
Dec 28, 2021•25 min•Ep. 71
Almost everybody has dreamt of one day winning a life-changing amount of money. For most, however, it remains nothing more than that: just a dream. But for Junaid Rana, a 36-year-old Pakistani driver who grew up in Dubai, that dream became reality when he won Dh50 million ($13.6 million) after entering a Mahzooz weekly draw last month. He’s gone from earning Dh6,000 a month as a company driver to now having the financial freedom that many people spend a lifetime seeking. One month on from his li...
Nov 30, 2021•11 min•Ep. 72
“Money doesn’t grow on trees” is an expression we have all heard at some point in our lives. It might be something our parents told us or we tell our own children when they demand things that are too expensive. The transformational coach and yoga teacher Esra Ogut, author of Money Does Grow on Trees: The Myths We Create and Live By, says the reverse is true. Ms Ogut, a former shoe salesgirl from Turkey turned millionaire living in the US, believes that success is a matter of personal choice and ...
Oct 26, 2021•27 min•Ep. 70
If there’s one lesson that the Covid-19 pandemic has taught us, it’s that being financially secure during times of uncertainty is crucial. This includes having a financial safety net to protect against job loss or other unforeseen events, as well as saving and investing for the future. But money skills continue to lag, according to a 2019 financial literacy survey by Visa, which found that 43 per cent of respondents in the UAE felt they were not ready to manage their own money.Another 53 per cen...
Sep 28, 2021•13 min•Ep. 69
