The mortgage crunch: What you can do about it
– Survey finds worries about mortgage rate rises
– What to do: Important to talk to lender early
– Change term, switch to interest only, or reduce part or all payments
– But big increases in interest paid
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:
– How to avoid the boss’s meanness — a different way to contribute to KiwiSaver
– Credit card interest rise alarming
– Don’t bail out of KiwiSaver
– Funds’ relative performance all over the place
– 2 more providers let you withdraw dividends from funds — which can work well in retirement
– A reader’s story: Lessons learnt boost confidence
Spending that makes you happy
Research tends to find the following spending brings the most happiness:
– Getting rid of money worries — paying off debt, getting insurance etc
– Experiences — events, travel ….
– Changes that give you more time — hiring others to do tasks etc
– Beautiful things — art, plants etc
– Spending on others — charity, shouting a friend, gifts
Q&As:
– Reader leaves marriage with $3 million – what to do with it?
– Widowed pensioner finds inheritance “very scary”
– Only some KiwiSaver providers offer this service for the retired
– 3 Q&As on investing versus reducing a mortgage
Q&As:
– When it can be good to be in debt — how rental property works
– Adviser didn’t listen
– Are term deposit investors being treated unfairly?
– How best to turn shares into deposit for child’s home
– Using KiwiSaver for its lower fees
Q&As:
– How does diversification apply to a share fund?
– Don’t forget fees and tax when comparing mortgage paydown and investing
– Small payments off fixed mortgages okay …
– … and bigger payments easy in current environment
– Many Q&As about last week’s angry reader and my response
Q&As:
– A classic too-good-to-be-true offer
– KiwiSaver government contributions to some over 65s? No — let’s make it beneficiaries
– Mortgage paydown probably better than buying shares
– Let’s get this widow mortgage-free before retirement
– Reader unhappy with te reo in last week’s column
Some shocking results in survey on New Zealanders’ finances
Canstar Consumer Pulse Report 2022:
– More than half spend more than they earn — especially young
– 2/3 don’t have enough rainy day money
– Nearly ¼ don’t save anything
– Only 45% are debt-free, excluding mortgages
How you might change your habits.
Q&As:
– So you’re a millionaire? Big deal!
– Moving KiwiSaver provider in volatile times
– Which to pay off first — student loan or mortgage?
– Charity unhappy with last week’s wording
– An offer for those setting up scholarships
– 3 NZ Super recipients are unhappy with the rules