Q&As: With mortgage paid off, should KiwiSaver contributions rise — plus new contributions options; Does couple have too much in property, and does it matter?; Big KiwiSaver provider staff members don’t know basic info; One more provider gives kids a break on fees.
Q&As: Market timing is upside down – but reader shouldn’t do it anyway; Another reader seeks advice on timing, plus switching KiwiSaver providers; Use bond funds, not balanced funds, in retirement; Have I followed my own financial advice?; A correction about percentages of retirees in long-term residential care.
Sorting your finances step by step. Based on Mary’s new book “Rich Enough? A laid-back guide for every Kiwi”: Why it’s best to do it in steps. Why the steps are in this order. What the steps cover: Step 1. Start now — it’s easy; Step 2. Kill off high-interest debt; Step 3. Set up insurance — and a rainy day fund; Step 4. Join the best KiwiSaver fund for you; Step 5. Boost your saving painlessly — how and where; Step 6. Stay cool; Step 7. Head confidently towards retirement — and through it; Step ? (when it’s the right time for you — if ever): Buy a house, or sell one.
Does Christmas have to be like this?: First — an early thought about a new year’s resolution; Survey findings on Christmas spending; Survey findings on Christmas financial stress; Things to think about this Christmas; Other ways to do it.
Q&As: The financial education that the banks don’t choose to give us; Will the KiwiSaver access age stay fixed to the NZ Super age?; Reader wants bigger grant for single daughter; 2 Q&As on tiny houses.
How to invest $10,000: Inheritance? A win? Goal achieved? Celebrate!; Repay high-interest debt; Emergency fund; Repay mortgage; Investment — how long? risk tolerance? In KiwiSaver?; Short-term; Long-term scared; Long-term brave.
What to tackle first: Credit card debt, mortgage or contributing to KiwiSaver? Part One: First get rid of credit card debt; Paying down mortgage is also great; Why contributing to KiwiSaver is so good; Best way to save for first home — and for some previous home owners.
Q&As: Million-dollar savings goals do more harm than good; Retirement expectations rise and so should saving; Don’t like one housing forecast? Here are some more; Several NZ passive fund providers.
Q&As: Would-be foreign exchange trader should give it a miss; Are credit cards sometimes tied to mortgages? Does it matter?; Young son might learn more than one lesson; Reader suggests ways to cut food bill.
Investment risks — Part 1. In a four-part series, Mary talks about the risks described in the newly updated booklet she wrote for the Reserve Bank, “Upside, Downside — a guide to risk for savers and investors”. You can download it here. In this session: The one high-return, low-risk ‘investment’; Risk is not a dirty word.