The Investor 28 January 2012
Take action now to avoid bill blues next January. Ah, summer. Time for beaches, baches, barbecues — and facing probably the year’s biggest credit card bills, or even demands for payment from loan sharks.
The Investor 17 December 2011
Don’t wait for change on how advisers are paid. It’s one of those situations in which, 20 or 30 years from now, I reckon people will say, “I can’t believe they used to do it that way.”
The Investor 3 December 2011
Columnist is wrong — mortgage repayment is well worth it. Contrarian investing — when you put your money into investments that most people are getting out of — sometimes works well. Such investments are usually cheap. But should we extend that to borrowing when most others are repaying debt?
The Investor 19 November 2011
Two thoughts about Christmas shopping. Look at any graph of credit card spending over the years and you see a clear pattern — spikes each December as we put Christmas gifts, food and drink and holiday spending on our cards.
The Investor 5 November 2011
Too many KiwiSaver non-contributors miss out on the good stuff. Not far from half of all members of KiwiSaver are not contributing regularly to the scheme — whether they be employees on a contributions holiday or non-employees who are simply not putting money in. What a pity.
The Investor 22 October 2011
Who needs money when you’ve got what New Zealand’s got? New Zealanders, it seems, are better off than people in any other OECD country when we look at non-financial measurements. The saying “money isn’t everything” rings true in this country.
The Investor 8 October 2011
Fees matter, especially for younger KiwiSavers. Too many KiwiSavers — particularly younger ones — are sitting in funds that are likely to grow less than other similar funds.
The Investor 24 September 2011
Harsh words worth listening to. I’ve been hesitant to write about a recent speech by Paul Mersi in which he told off New Zealanders for their attitudes to money.
The Investor 10 September 2011
Labour shows up National on retirement savings issue. Come on National, you can do better. In less than a year, the first New Zealanders will gain access to their KiwiSaver money to spend in retirement. They need help with how to handle that money.
The Investor 27 August 2011
Bridging the gap between those who want to borrow and those who have to. There were times when I felt distinctly uncomfortable at the government’s recent Financial Summit to discuss what should be done about loan sharks.