NZ Herald 11 July 2020
Q&As:
– When debt can be good…
– … And when it’s not
– Job seeker benefit not easy to apply for
– Is this NZ Super reduction fair?
RNZ Radio 18 June 2020
Mixed messages to New Zealanders these days
– Some examples: work from home vs support CBD businesses, Buy NZ goods vs imports
– In more depth: Encouraging you to spend vs setting up your emergency fund
– 2 recent surveys: How big are people’s emergency funds? What are people doing about that?
– The big question: Is it selfish to look after your own finances, rather than helping the economy to recover?
RNZ Radio 4 June 2020
Keep your hands off KiwiSaver in economic downturn!
Commission for Financial Capability survey results. How we could do this better:
– Sidecar emergency savings fund attached to KiwiSaver
– More use of moneytalks.co.nz to access free financial advice and budgeting help
– Build up your own emergency fund
NZ Herald 23 May 2020
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
RNZ Radio 23 April 2020
Take advantage of mortgage rate drop
– Try to keep up old payments and reduce your term and total interest
– Or set up a rainy day fund
– A warning: Don’t expect rates to stay this low forever. How would you cope if rates rise?
NZ Herald 4 April 2020
Q&As:
– Daughter, 21, puts her Mum right on switching KiwiSaver funds
– Son seeks research on trading versus buying and holding shares, to convince Dad
– Got your visa? Get into KiwiSaver
– Don’t wait until markets recover
– Is it wise to take a “mortgage holiday”?
– Are different bank accounts treated differently if “haircut” happens?
– Should retiree try his luck again on timing the market?
– 20-year-old should get into share market cautiously
– Moving to higher risk is a good move
Money Talk March 2020
Paying off your mortgage allows you to get stuck into some serious saving
You’ve paid off your mortgage. Yay! But what now?
NZ Herald 21 March 2020
Q&As:
– 2 readers ask whether this is a good time to buy a home
– Drip feed into an investment, but preferably not out again
– How COVID-19 affects KiwiSavers planning to withdraw to buy a first home
– 65-year-old in KiwiSaver should relax
– More on “blood in streets” quote
NZ Herald 1 February 2020
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
RNZ Radio 30 January 2020
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?