Should you fix your term, and for how long, in a volatile mortgage market?
– Why this question is so hard
– Split your risk — like diversification in investing
– Changing the structure of your loan
– Recommendations from Tony Alexander and Bruce Patten
KiwiSaver members taking more risk
– More people move to higher-risk than move the other way
– Bigger growth in money in riskier funds
– Beyond KiwiSaver, fewer people in term deposits and bonds, and more in shares
– A listener’s letter: what should she do about falling KiwiSaver balance?
Are KiwiSaver members getting value for their money?
Financial Markets Authority (FMA) is looking into this.
Report from a panel discussion on the topic at a conference:
– Are fees coming down?
– Some providers pay commissions to advisers who bring in KiwiSaver members
– Some performance fees are unfair
Also, brief comment on controversy over GST on KiwiSaver fees
Start — or increase — your saving NOW
– Starting to save early in life makes a huge difference
– The cost of delaying for just two years
– How much more you can save in a higher-risk KiwiSaver fund
– The power of changing KiwiSaver contributions from 3% to 6%
– Use KiwiSaver calculator on sorted.org.nz
Many ways to “eat your house” in retirement:
– Take in boarders or flatmates
– Sublet part of home — permanently or Airbnb (wttch tax and insurance)
– Subdivide — easier now
– Sell your house and buy smaller or in a cheaper place
– Sell your house and become a renter
– Reverse mortgages
Animal investors — what we can learn from them
These creatures have been picking investments, and mostly doing well:
– Orlando the cat
– Adam Monk the Brazilian monkey
– Lusha the chimpanzee
– A small herd of cows
– Mr Goxx the hamster
How do they do well?
What’s happening here?
Bridging the gender retirement gap
Ideas from a conference on how to help women increase their retirement savings:
– Why the gap is there
– Suggestions on government action
– Suggestions on employer action
– Suggestions finance industry action
Dumping on KiwiSaver
Answering four letters from listeners on:
– Conservative fund not so conservative lately
– It’s fine to increase risk in a downturn
– Plans to use KiwiSaver money soon
– Will people in KiwiSaver end up getting less NZ Super?
Cutting back your spending
Some more unusual ideas on ways to spend less:
– Wait for a week
– Stay away from shops
– Separate bank accounts
– Ideas from FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early)
– Wear the same clothes repeatedly
– Fish and chip dinner parties
– Many other great ideas from listeners
Are KiwiSaver funds good value for money? If not, what should you do about it?
A listener asks about Financial Markets Authority report on KiwiSaver and other managed funds
– 3 key findings: impact of fees, wrong indexes, commissions paid
– KiwiSaver still worth being in because of government and employer contributions
– But go for low fees
– Funds with high returns often don’t stay good
– Is KiwiSaver best if contributing for grandchildren?