RNZ Radio 18 December 2025
Which is better – paying down the mortgage or investing?
– Questions from listeners on this
– Also a question on whether you can make faster repayments on a fixed term mortgage
Which is better – paying down the mortgage or investing?
– Questions from listeners on this
– Also a question on whether you can make faster repayments on a fixed term mortgage
Q&As:
– How 22-year-old should handle inheritance
– Could NZ funds fail, as they did in Australia?
– Sell 80-year-old’s home, or get reverse mortgage?
– And is 75 too young for such a mortgage?
– How much caution in retirement?
Good news on mortgages — not just rate cuts
– Official cash rate dropped again — and floating mortgage rate.
– Fewer people behind on mortgage payments
– Many people not reducing their payments, but using extra to pay down the loan. Makes a huge difference to total interest and how long the loan runs.
Q&As:
– Good and bad debt — and when good debt goes bad
– Cryptocurrency hugely volatile, not for the short term
– Aliens’ view of gold investments
– KiwiSaver first home withdrawal when buying bare land
– Meaningful Christmas presents
Q&As:
– House-sitting their way to home ownership — and keeping debt down
– Gold v share funds v rental property
– Is burying your gold a good idea?
– Unusual Simplicity fund investments
– Correction on share fund tax
Winners of 10 copies of updated edition of “Rich Enough? A Laid-back Guide for Every Kiwi”
Celebrating 10 years of RNZ segment. Contestants had to write what they learnt from it, in 60 words or less.
Themes include:
– Save regular small amount by direct credit
– Make a will
– Repay debt
– Spend on fun in retirement
– Ladder term deposits
– Leave KiwiSaver alone in downturns
– KiwiSaver works well for self-employed
Q&As:
– Money long ago forgotten
– Couple in 70s should sell bach and live it up!
– Avoid dud funds in and out of KiwiSaver
– Aftermath of a fund closing down
– Bank acknowledges complaints
Q&As:
– Good way to help family members with a mortgage
– Don’t try to predict share crashes — it doesn’t work
– 2 Q&As on why you may not need health insurance
Plus:
– Scam warning
Q&As:
– Why rental property is not a great retirement investment
– What about commercial property?
– How to handle money when husband going into care
– Help available for the retired
– Rule of 72 — when debt doubles
Q&As:
– KiwiSaver serious illness withdrawals not easy
– Are people doing KiwiSaver at expense of reducing their mortgage?
– Should homeowners’ mortgage interest be tax deductible?
– When choosing fund, choose lowest fees and what else?
– You can do KiwiSaver with more than one provider. Should you?
– Why rentals aren’t great in retirement
– List of KiwiSaver-exempt employers