Q&As: Looking after the pennies is more rewarding than we realised; Three Q&As on readers’ suggestions on how a couple can better manage their money — including ideas on mortgages and software; Is it worthwhile trying to time a home purchase to make the most of market movements? — plus KiwiSaver first home assistance details.
Q&As: How can a woman persuade her partner to stop spending more than the couple earns?; Retiree’s share buying hobby turns ugly — but he hasn’t given it a chance; Why splitting this column into KiwiSaver and non-KiwiSaver columns is not a good idea; It won’t always be quite this good for KiwiSaver enthusiast.
More losers than realised from income sharing. When I die, I hope that over my lifetime I’ve paid more in taxes than I’ve got back from the government. That’s because people who do it the other way around — getting more than they’ve paid for — have often led tough lives, with long periods of unemployment, illness or disability.
Q&As: Reader who has previously owned a home but may still be able to receive KiwiSaver first home assistance; Couple in similar situation may also get the assistance, even if they have too much in savings; More options for investing in emerging markets; Last week’s reader is making progress in getting KiwiSaver contributions that her employer didn’t send to Inland Revenue.
Q&As: What happens when your employer doesn’t forward your KiwiSaver deductions to Inland Revenue; Do I still recommend share investments after the Feltex case?; I shouldn’t have said “nobody foresaw the downturn” in the last column; Queensland might be good to retire to, but is it a good place to invest?; A brickbat about BRIC funds.
Turbulent times lead to confusing KiwiSaver returns. Confused KiwiSavers are asking some probing questions about the returns on their accounts, and I can’t blame them.
Q&As: Does it make sense to try to pick where Baby Boomers will retire and buy property there?; How KiwiSaver works if you move from employment to self-employment; Should couple use lump sum to repay a commercial mortgage or for other investment — and how KiwiSaver affects this?; Some alternatives for investing in emerging markets.
Q&As: Two readers are unhappy with ASB’s closing of some of its investment funds — with some justification, but only “some”; Another reader gives up on reading this column, claiming I am “inside the tent” with the financial industry.
Ridiculous offers shouldn’t be banned. Two recent press releases had a similar ring to them. Both warned about offers to buy investments at low prices. But there’s a key difference between the two situations.
Q&As: One reader is angry that ASB is closing the trusts he’s invested in, while…; Another reader sees it as a great opportunity to try a new investment strategy with term deposits; I might be a duck or a weasel, but I’m not a financial adviser.