NZ Herald 22 December 2018
Q&As: KiwiSaver balanced fund investor should relax; Wait until 65 not as bad as it seems; Real estate fees should be lower — shop around; Mum gets more NZ Super, and I sign off for the year.
Q&As: KiwiSaver balanced fund investor should relax; Wait until 65 not as bad as it seems; Real estate fees should be lower — shop around; Mum gets more NZ Super, and I sign off for the year.
Q&As: “Better area” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a better investment; TSB is like Kiwibank on term deposit rules; Should superannuitant put inheritance in KiwiSaver to avoid means test?; Parents in 70s should quit work and get assistance; Advantages of not getting residential care subsidy; 55-year-old might as well retire.
Winning questions. The best 5 listeners’ questions are answered on air, and the questioners receive a copy of Mary’s new book. Their questions cover: Is house out of reach for couple in their 30s?; Ways to get value from your house in retirement; Which debt should you pay off first?; Couple worry about investing in Auckland apartment; How a beneficiary should handle an inheritance.
Q&As: Penalty acceptable for breaking term deposit, but not month-long wait; Another theory on “rule of thumb”; More on “government pays” versus “taxpayer pays”; Reader’s parents “milked the system”; Meaningful Christmas gifts.
Q&As: Reader prefers “taxpayer pays” rather than “government pays”; How do trusts affect the residential care subsidy?; Stats on retirement income confuse a reader; Book winners — six of the best.
Sorting your finances step by step. Based on Mary’s new book “Rich Enough? A laid-back guide for every Kiwi”: Why it’s best to do it in steps. Why the steps are in this order. What the steps cover: Step 1. Start now — it’s easy; Step 2. Kill off high-interest debt; Step 3. Set up insurance — and a rainy day fund; Step 4. Join the best KiwiSaver fund for you; Step 5. Boost your saving painlessly — how and where; Step 6. Stay cool; Step 7. Head confidently towards retirement — and through it; Step ? (when it’s the right time for you — if ever): Buy a house, or sell one.
Q&As: Do we need $1 million for retirement?; Is “rule of thumb” offensive?; Advice that has stood the test of time; Reader says property manager well worth it; Is buying jewelry a way to get subsidy?
Q&As: It’s great to be a cash buyer; Should couple in 70s panic about their KiwiSaver?; Reader plans way to get more from the government; Retired couple should consider retirement villages.
Reverse mortgages: A worry or a great idea? — What is a reverse mortgage?; The one big negative; What to ask about; Tell the family?; Conclusions.
Q&As: Help for woman whose husband did all the finances — and then left; Rent and hold, rent and sell, or stay put?; Reader points out fishhook in the idea of selling your home and renting in retirement; At least one bank gives KiwiSaver members the option of not seeing balance daily.