RNZ Radio 20 May 2021
Reverse mortgages: Free up money for retired people — but take care!
– Growing interest in them
– How they work
– What to ask about them
– Some problems
– How people use them
– Where to get more info
RNZ Radio 6 May 2021
Changes to consumer lending – harder to borrow but less spiralling debt
Notes from Financial Services Complaints Ltd conference on May 4
– Changes in effect last year: Caps on interest and fees.
– Changes in October 2021: Lenders must assess whether borrower can afford loan.
– Consumer Data Right: Government considering this. Consumers can choose to give their financial data to providers, budgeting platforms or comparison websites, etc.
– Another topic: “A complaint is a gift”.
RNZ Radio 22 April 2021
DON’T BE SCAMMED!
– Bernie Madoff (just died) and David Ross (recently released from prison)
– Who is most often approached, and how?
– Types of scams — boiler room, Ponzi, high-risk products, shares, software packages and seminars, imposter websites
– What to do if considering an investment that might be dodgy
– What to do if you think you might have been scammed
RNZ Radio 8 April 2021
Low-risk funds — a good alternative to bank term deposits
(But first — a quick follow-up on share trading)
– Defensive and conservative funds, in and out of KiwiSaver
– Where to get info — Smart Investor tool. Look for low fees.
– Don’t panic when balance falls a bit
– Comparison with bank term deposits:
— Pluses: withdrawals, PIE tax, safety
— Minuses: fees, don’t know returns, some volatility
RNZ Radio 25 March 2021
The wisdom (and otherwise!) of listeners
Runners up and winners of 5 copies of Mary’s new book, A Richer You — how to make the most of your money.
Some themes in the entries:
– Money and happiness
– Families and finances
– Shopping
– Investing in shares
RNZ Radio 11 March 2021
Emergency — or rainy day — money
– But first — win a copy of Mary’s new book!
– Make emergency money your second to top priority
– When things go wrong…
– How much do you need?
– How to set up saving for this
– Where to keep the money
– Use your mortgage?
– Charity fund?
– If you use the money, top up again!
RNZ Radio 25 February 2021
Follow-up from last time: If not paying extra off mortgage, where is best place to invest? Shares?
– But first: 2 texts commenting on last session
– Alternative investments need to be: high enough risk, long-term. Also: can you cope with volatility? Are you strong financially?
– 2 choices: property and shares. Are they over-valued?
– Rental property might work, but…
– Shares: Some people too fearful, others too brave.
– 2 ways to approach shares: trade, or hold for long term.
– 2 ways to select shares: pick individual shares, use share fund
– In a share fund, 2 styles: active and passive.
RNZ Radio 11 February 2021
Is paying down your mortgage still the best strategy?
What to do with extra savings — beyond KiwiSaver minimums etc.
Also lump sums — inheritance, redundancy, win
– Mortgage used to be the winner — after include tax and fees. Now — with 2–3% loans?
– Other options: more into KiwiSaver, non-KiwiSaver funds, shares, rental property?
– The main issue: risk — needs to be high enough risk, long-term. Can you cope with volatility? Are you strong financially?
– Other issues: security (psychological and financial), simplicity, but diversification, learning about markets
– Penalties for paying fixed-term mortgage early
– Conclusion: perhaps do what you want!
RNZ Radio 28 January 2021
Watch Your Spending
New Zealanders’ household spending is way up, compared with late 2019.
Spending is OK if not getting into debt
Why spend on non-essentials?:
– Happiness. But often short-term.
– Appearances.
– Pressure to spend on special shopping days.
What to do:
– Use credit cards?: pluses and minuses
– Estimate spending in different categories, then keep track for 2 months
– Change a habit for just a month. Letter to futureme.org.
– 2 birds with one stone: Cut spending on unhealthy things
– Help w budgeting: MoneyTalks. Free, confidential and non-judgmental, around NZ.
RNZ Radio 17 December 2020
You don’t HAVE to jump on house buying bandwagon!
– First homebuyers and investors in rental property
– Market has gone mad! Prices and sales
– Last time sales were high — then what happened?
– First home buyers: wait and keep saving, or buy and don’t worry
– Investors: No high return with low risk. Do worst case scenario