I’m what you call a set-and-forget type of investor, one who is influenced by the likes of legendary multibillionaire Warren Buffett, who once said: “If you aren’t willing to own a stock for 10 years, don’t even think about owning it for 10 minutes.”
It’s valuable advice that I’ve taken to heart over the years – I transfer a certain amount of money every month to my low-fee exchange-traded funds and that’s pretty much the only interaction I have with my investments.
While set and forget might be my mantra, I do occasionally struggle to ignore stock market volatility — which has (understandably) been on the increase of late thanks to surging inflation and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
But I’ve managed to stay the course thanks to Mr Buffett, the world’s sixth-richest person with a net worth of $115 billion, and his wise advice.
However, I took a leap into the unknown about six months ago, going against the advice of my 91-year-old investment mentor (cue pangs of guilt), and jumped into the roller coaster world of cryptocurrencies.
I can still hear Mr Buffett’s comments about cryptocurrencies reverberating around my living room during a 2018 interview with US news channel CNBC: “In terms of cryptocurrencies generally, I can say almost with certainty that they will come to a bad ending.”
Ouch. Perhaps he was right when you consider Bitcoin hit a record high of $68,000 in November last year, then suffered a mighty crash in January to settle just above $35,000, dragging all other digital coins down with it in the process.
While it’s been a bad start to the year, Bitcoin this week started another rally and was trading above $44,000 at the time of writing. But who knows what tomorrow will bring – or if Elon Musk will start tweeting about Dogecoin again, which usually results in a massive surge in cryptocurrency prices.
It wasn’t that I set out to ignore Mr Buffett, who is a well-known critic of cryptocurrencies.
My decision to dive into cryptocurrencies wasn’t so much a fear of missing out, or Fomo as my daughter calls it. It was, I reasoned, a learning experience: if I am writing about cryptocurrencies as part of my job as personal finance editor at The National, then I need to know about investing in digital currencies.
And what a learning experience that has been. First came the research and deciding which cryptocurrencies I wanted to invest in and the platform I would use. While researching, I’d come across “inspirational” stories about people who had become multimillionaires overnight.
One guy, apparently, invested just £100 ($132.70) in meme coin Shiba Inu in its very early days and had made millions. Today, Shib, as it’s known, is trading at about $0.000026. I can’t imagine just how low it was when he bought in.
But it’s easy to see how people can get carried away by these types of stories. Who doesn’t want to quit their job and be a millionaire on the back of a £100 lark?
Which reminds me. One acronym that I have learnt during my time in the cryptocurrency world is Fobo — the fear of better options.
To prevent Fobo, I've learnt not to get carried away by click bait headlines: why you should buy Solana (currently trading in the $103 range), or why Cardano ($0.96-ish) has a better future than Ethereum ($2,988) because of its proof-of-stake blockchain platform, but has still yet to prove itself.
Or even that Shib will one day climb to a lofty height of one cent. Just 0.999974 of a cent to go, which doesn’t seem like much but in the cryptocurrency world could be the equivalent of a mountain. Although I do like imagining all those new millionaires and billionaires it would create if that ever happened.
The golden rule of investing is to never invest what you can’t afford to lose – and this also applies to cryptocurrencies. Advisers recommend a 5 per cent to 10 per cent exposure and this is a wise rule to follow.
I’m also applying my set-and-forget mantra to cryptocurrencies – but with a disclaimer. If I one day wake up to find that I’ve become an overnight millionaire, I will have no qualms about cashing out.
Until then, however, it’s back to following Mr Buffett’s advice and remembering to keep my emotions in check.
As he once said: “The most important quality for an investor is temperament, not intellect.”
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
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The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
SPECS
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
UAE%20Warriors%2045%20Results
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Favourite things
Luxury: Enjoys window shopping for high-end bags and jewellery
Discount: She works in luxury retail, but is careful about spending, waits for sales, festivals and only buys on discount
University: The only person in her family to go to college, Jiang secured a bachelor’s degree in business management in China
Masters: Studying part-time for a master’s degree in international business marketing in Dubai
Vacation: Heads back home to see family in China
Community work: Member of the Chinese Business Women’s Association of the UAE to encourage other women entrepreneurs
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BIRD%20BOX%20BARCELONA
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Overall head-to-head
Federer 6-1 Cilic
Head-to-head at Wimbledon
Federer 1-0 Cilic
Grand Slams titles
Federer 18-1 Cilic
Best Wimbledon performance
Federer: Winner (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012)
Cilic: Final (2017*)
