Good news goes unheralded. One of the findings in a recent survey caught my eye. Only 12 per cent of New Zealanders surveyed said the value of their financial investments had grown in the previous six months, with 42 per cent saying the value was unchanged and 46 per cent saying it had fallen. The vast majority got it wrong.
Q&As: Tips for retired couple whose interest income has halved; Savings accounts may pay more interest than term deposits — but take care; Tax on foreign shares seems tough in current environment.
Getting in and out of share market a losing strategy. Many people with share investments — including KiwiSaver and other funds that hold shares along with other assets — are probably eying the 37 to 39 per cent drops in the New Zealand, US and Australian share markets last year and considering taking flight to lower-risk investments. Don’t.
Q&As: Everything you need to know about the government’s new deposit guarantee scheme; Under the new scheme, should we move our money from banks to covered finance companies?; Will KiwiSaver still be good for self-employed 62-year-old if National wins the election? Plus:Readers’ views on KiwiSaver.
Safe haven for nervous investors. Spooked by the Blue Chip, Feltex and finance company collapses, a growing number of New Zealanders are joining the “flight to quality” by buying government bonds or their little brothers, Kiwi Bonds.
Q&As: Grandma will help grandson more by opening her own KiwiSaver account and giving him the savings; Ultraconservative KiwiSaver funds are as safe as bank accounts, and bring much higher returns; Is lack of self control more prevalent now than in the past?; Government bonds have their place for the ordinary investor.
Q&As: KiwiSaver the last straw for employer of “whinging, incompetent” New Zealanders; Reserve Bank offers some reassurance for reader worried that NZ banks could be caught up in their foreign parent’s woes…; …But if you’re still worried, consider the safest investments of all, government securities.
Q&As: Should a couple with 3 children move to a bigger house in town or take a bet on a coastal property?; Are KiwiSaver bond funds as conservative as they seem?
Q&As: $29,000 rental in Gore not the thing for a risk-averse man; More on tax on a second job.
Kids, cash and cards: Help your children learn about money. Also in this issue: From the Mailbox — Saving for the children’s future.