Q&As:
– Couple muddling trusts and wills — and courting trouble by not discussing uneven inheritances with family
– Young hopeful homebuyer in a position to take risks
– KiwiSaver retirement estimates too high? — what to do about it
– Travel early in retirement, 85-year-old urges
Q&As:
– Parents can give money to adult son without tax complications
– Another parent can do likewise, but watch out for care subsidy rules
– Conservative KiwiSaver fund’s high returns are genuine — but won’t always be there
– Change will give people NZ Super despite their partner’s overseas pension
– NZ Super application timing was wrong on some websites
Q&As:
– My expertise on cows and farmers’ markets is called into question…
– … Nonetheless, my comments last week helped reader
– KiwiSaver becoming workable for people with special needs
– Change KiwiSaver provider any time, but take care with changing funds
– Who does government borrow from, and how?
– Are we likely to see negative interest rates, and if so, where should we save?
– Not good news on tax and negative interest rates
– Negative interest rates unlikely to threaten banks’ strength
Q&As:
– Help abounds for young man who helped parents get a mortgage
– My tax info not good enough for accountant
– How to tell how strong your bank is
– Can you be in more than one Simplicity fund?
– House buying plan depends on two impossible forecasts
– Put most of savings into house deposit
– Young man loses house deposit in receivership
– Divorced woman, 59, should put most money into new home
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.
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
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
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?
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
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?