NZ Herald 27 March 2010
Q&As: Why do people pick on landlords?; What tax breaks do rental property owners get that others don’t get?; Why some accountants’ advice to repay mortgage before joining KiwiSaver is wrong.
Q&As: Why do people pick on landlords?; What tax breaks do rental property owners get that others don’t get?; Why some accountants’ advice to repay mortgage before joining KiwiSaver is wrong.
Q&As: Why it wouldn’t work to make tax changes for rental property apply only to people who buy property after a certain date; Landlord retaliation probably won’t last long; Holding people accountable for giving bad KiwiSaver advice — and lining up a partner to also get the first home subsidy; How might people with private pensions be compensated for rise in GST?
KiwiSaver neither guaranteed nor ghastly. Recent news suggests New Zealanders are poles apart on KiwiSaver. Some think the scheme is safer than it is. Others are leaping to ridiculous conclusions about how unsafe it is.
Q&As: Mum will probably never embrace KiwiSaver, but there’s hope for her son; What happens to KiwiSaver if you are made redundant; Last week’s column left a reader confused about tax rates.
Q&As: How will superannuitants fare under proposed tax changes?; Should young couple invest their savings in a rental property while overseas?; Two Q&As about children and the KiwiSaver tax credit.
Readers react over GST. Two readers sound angry about my last column about GST. Some of their points are valid, but over all I think they just didn’t “get” it.
Q&As: KiwiSaver trustee change raises questions about how much trustees protect members; Hazards of dealing with an overseas sharebroker; What’s the difference between investing and gambling?
Q&As: Paying off mortgage — and getting rid of badly undiversified portfolio — are two great ideas; KiwiSaver can work well for student; Laying out the details on KiwiSaver exit fees; Buying shares directly from overseas broker cheaper in short run, but may not be wise.
Wanted: Clear thinking on GST. A lot of nonsense has been spoken about GST since John Key more or less said the government will increase that tax — probably to 15 per cent — and use the money to cut income tax rates.
Q&As: Some active share funds will do better than passive index funds, but it’s impossible to predict which ones; Don’t go chasing high-performing KiwiSaver funds — here’s how to choose your provider; Another index fund available in New Zealand; Fee-charging advisers don’t gain from putting clients in higher risk investments than they should.