Money Talk May 2020
What’s the best way to save for children or grandchildren?
Making regular savings for young children or grandchildren can be a great way to help them head into adulthood.
NZ Herald 22 February 2020
Q&As:
– Should an 18-year-old get a credit card?
– Money questions for 20-somethings
– How can last week’s FIRE fan make it work?
– Beneficiaries should get more, and non-beneficiaries should quit KiwiSaver — reader
– DIY investing in Australia not difficult, says reader
NZ Herald 1 February 2020
Q&As:
– Reader: “We” are lucky to have KiwiSaver — I’m not part of that “we”
– 2 letters on why KiwiSaver should work for beneficiaries too
– Last week’s correspondent has found a way to spend more, but worries about teen son
RNZ Radio 30 January 2020
Recommended changes to KiwiSaver
The Commission for Financial Capability has made 19 suggestions on how to improve KiwiSaver. Mary and Jesse discuss four of them:
– Set up “Small Steps”, so people’s contributions rise gradually each year if they wish
– Add “sidecar savings” to KiwiSaver for short-term emergencies
– Exclude fixed fees from KiwiSaver accounts with balances under $5000
– Show members how much their fees are likely to total over the years in KiwiSaver, compared with average fees for that type of fund
Also: an unusual letter from a listener — grow marijuana or join KiwiSaver?
NZ Herald 30 November 2019
Q&As:
– Clever ways to make Christmas less expensive and more fun
– Who’s creaming it, the lawyers or the banks?
– Bonus Bonds give reader nothing over 48 years
– An argument against online donations
– Give now rather than in your will, reader says
– Reader reckons he deserves his pension, after paying for others
Plus:
– List of charities offering meaningful Christmas gift programmes
RNZ Radio 28 November 2019
Notes from a conference
Westpac Massey Fin Ed Centre conference on “Building financially capable communities: our pathways to success”
– Current Financial teaching in schools is not effective, especially for lower sociology economic kids
– Self efficacy — whether you believe your actions and effort will affect your outcomes — is more important to wealth than things like financial literacy. Can it be changed?
– Changes coming to regulate payday lending. Will they help?
NZ Herald 23 November 2019
Q&As:
– Bonus Bonds work well as on-call account …
– … But not so well as a gift for grand-daughter. Other options for her
– Means-testing NZ Super may cost more than it saves
– Lower-income retirees already get more
– Take care with charity donations in wills
– Tell charities how you want to be treated …
– … Here’s what to do if they ignore your requests
NZ Herald 9 November 2019
Q&As:
– Family tree doesn’t explain why women are worse off in retirement
– Should we give more NZ Super to those in need?
– Reader seeks ideas on giving to charity
– Offset mortgage one way parents can help children buy a home — but not a tax break
– Look beyond bank adviser
– Investors in KiwiSaver and other funds pay slightly less tax
NZ Herald 2 November 2019
WOMEN AND MONEY
Q&As:
– A new kitchen might be best use of $15,000 no longer needed
– What can 66-year-old do to improve her situation? Maybe work longer
– How to find a suitable managed fund
– When lending to family, have a way to get your money out
NZ Herald 26 October 2019
Q&As:
– Loan within family might work, but there’s lots to consider
– How to find KiwiSaver funds that are pretty much fully invested in shares
– No rules about KiwiSaver fund names
– Tax rate should be called “marginal” — or should it?