Economic wellness. Also National’s KiwiSaver idea.
– What ‘economic wellness’ means
– How can we achieve it
– Will our health improve if we achieve economic stability?
– Is it easier to be well if you have money?
Plus: Is National’s plan to let people withdraw $20,000 from KiwiSaver to start a business a good idea?
Q&As:
– You don’t need nearly a million to retire comfortably
– Should couple sell Covid-struck business now and retire, or wait and hope?
– Report shonky kiwifruit contractor, reader urges
– Reverse mortgage could help last week’s house buyer
Q&As:
– 72-year-old should buy house she rents. Plus how to make her savings last
– Last week’s indebted reader should get a mortgage
– No choice but to apply for overseas pensions
– No government handouts without rules — but help is available
Why drip feeding (or dollar cost averaging) is often best
Example: Non-employees depositing $87 a month into KiwiSaver
– You don’t forget it!
– Easier to budget
– Probable better return in KiwiSaver than in bank
– Most importantly — spread your contributions out.
– Dollar cost averaging in other situations: employees in KiwiSaver, other savings, moving from one risk level to another, moving money between countries
– What about when you have a lump sum to deposit?
Q&As:
– When debt can be good…
– … And when it’s not
– Job seeker benefit not easy to apply for
– Is this NZ Super reduction fair?
Q&As:
– Parents can give money to adult son without tax complications
– Another parent can do likewise, but watch out for care subsidy rules
– Conservative KiwiSaver fund’s high returns are genuine — but won’t always be there
– Change will give people NZ Super despite their partner’s overseas pension
– NZ Super application timing was wrong on some websites
Invest in NZ assets rather than overseas ones? Is that wise?
– Which is better for you — NZ or international investing?
– Which is better for New Zealand as a whole?
– How to invest internationally
– How to tell if your KiwiSaver fund is mostly NZ assets — not easy
Q&As:
– Government KiwiSaver contributions to over 65s wouldn’t work, or be fair
– How reader with cancer could set up her savings
– Over how long should you drip-feed a lump sum into an investment?
– Is weekly drip-feeding better than monthly?
– I suggest reader takes rental property off the market …
– … but she’s sold it! Don’t put proceeds into another rental
Q&As:
– A “bit of bitcoin” is OK, but don’t get carried away
– Realistic recommendation on fixed versus floating mortgage rates
– KiwiSaver could be more welcoming to newcomer with mortgage
– KiwiSaver timeframes all over the place
Mixed messages to New Zealanders these days
– Some examples: work from home vs support CBD businesses, Buy NZ goods vs imports
– In more depth: Encouraging you to spend vs setting up your emergency fund
– 2 recent surveys: How big are people’s emergency funds? What are people doing about that?
– The big question: Is it selfish to look after your own finances, rather than helping the economy to recover?