The Investor 27 February 2010
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.
NZ Herald 27 February 2010
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?
NZ Herald 20 February 2010
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.
The Investor 13 February 2010
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.
NZ Herald 13 February 2010
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.
NZ Herald 6 February 2010
Q&As: It’s not wise to let yourself be forced into being a landlord; Which New Zealand providers offer passive or index funds?; What are the minimum investments in passive funds?; Details on how the new resolution schemes for disputes with advisers will work.
NZ Herald 30 January 2010
Q&As: Investing doesn’t have to be a part-time job. There’s still time for novel reading; KiwiSaver calculation — far from being wrong — is correct to the cent; How the lack of a tax credit for kids in KiwiSaver affects contributions to their accounts; There’s much more to financial advice than just investing.
The Investor 30 January 2010
Oh no, oh no, it’s off to work we go. Returning to work after a holiday is rarely easy. Back when I was employed — as opposed to self employed — I remember always feeling as if I were in the wrong job on my first few days back at work.
NZ Herald 23 January 2010
Q&As: Should couple repay mortgage with redundancy money, or invest it in KiwiSaver or elsewhere?; Big KiwiSaver provider should know better about first-year tax credits; More information available about investment advisers — and are hourly or percentage fees better?; Less room for trouble if people make their own investments after seeking adviser’s recommendations.
The Investor 15 December 2009
Do KiwiSaver — but not to the max. At a recent KiwiSaver seminar I was surprised to find that many employee members were still contributing 4 per cent of their pay, rather than the 2 per cent permissible since April 1 this year. And an AMP survey confirms that is not unusual. “Few have reduced their contribution, though indicating in February they intended to,” says AMP.