Q&As:
– Help for low-income people in rundown house…
– … And for woman with inheritance
– … And for reader with lousy luck
– Lend rather than give money to offspring to buy a home
– Letters about banking headed for Commerce Commission
Q&As:
– Widow needs help with coping with son’s selfishness
– Scam text from “IRD” looks genuine
– Reader annoyed at having to phone bank to get better rate
– A warning for people changing banks
– Parents invest kids’ inheritances in a rental …
– … But did they follow the law?
Q&As:
– Term deposit website worries me
– Not easy to invest for teens without their knowing
– Clever idea for helping your child into their first home
– Readers’ stories about switching to smaller banks
Q&As:
– Where can 16-year-old get term deposit in their own name?
– The perils of guaranteeing an adult child’s mortgage
– Budget adviser likes reverse mortgages
– Colourful quotes from Bernard Baruch
Plus:
– Your story about switching banks
It’s OK to give up on ever owning a home.
– Home ownership falling — people need family help to buy
– It can work to be a long-term renter
– Advantages of renting
– But you need to save lots for renting in retirement
– Prediction — long term house prices will fall relative to incomes
– Best way to save
Q&As:
– Wobbly markets don’t mean you should sit on the sidelines
– Reader unhappy after following my advice
– Tips for nervous investors
– Best KiwiSaver plan after first home purchase
– Use a reverse mortgage to help son?
– A reader’s story: Learning to appreciate market downturns
Kids and KiwiSaver
– You can sign them up at any time
– The rules for under 18s on government and employer contributions, when teenager gets a job etc.
– Maybe make small contributions — starts saving habit
– $10 or $20 a week could start a house deposit — not just from parents
– Changes at 18 — keep helping with contributions
– Saving for children outside KS — pluses and minuses
KiwiSaver back to positive! Also, new KiwiSaver help for new parents
– Returns January to March positive for almost all KiwiSaver funds
– Are the best short-term funds also the best long-term?
– Main points: Hang in there; higher risk = higher return; never judge by short-term performance
– Government helps KiwiSavers on paid parental leave
Q&As:
– Rental property comparison with KiwiSaver not valid
– Working out your true income can help you curb spending
– How reader can keep getting some benefits after 65
– A pity more managed fund providers don’t distribute dividends to investors
– A reader’s story: Recovery from divorce, and 21st birthday presents
Q&As:
– KiwiSaver gifts good, but make sure you treat the children equally
– I made a worrying assumption in last week’s calculations…
– … and what happens when inflation is included
– Trapped with low interest on your term deposits? Here’s a plan
– Another reader has trouble getting a credit card
– A warning about selling a home before you buy
– Reader could move to another environmental fund
– My key messages don’t change
Plus:
– Happy holidays!