Q&As: Check credit ratings before investing in finance companies; Reader gets higher term deposit interest by asking; Possible interest rate rise and what to do about your mortgage; How KiwiSaver employee contributions are counted towards tax credit.
Coping with a falling KiwiSaver balance: What share market declines do and don’t mean; How much does a drop in shares affect KiwiSaver and other investors?; What you should do; Another way your balance could fall — interest rate changes.
Q&As: Why term deposit returns now beat old returns above 10%; Is it OK if an employer makes employees pay their own KiwiSaver employer contributions?; Is it better to pay down the mortgage fast or be in KiwiSaver?; Might a fees-only financial adviser still accept commissions?
Investment risks — Part 4: Ups and downs in investments, emotions and fees. In the last of a four-part series, Mary talks about the risks described in the newly updated “Upside, Downside — a guide to risk for savers and investors”. (Download it here). In this session: Being overconfident about your ability to trade investments or time markets; Taking on more volatility than you can cope with; Letting your emotions rule your investment decisions; Taking on more work or worry than expected; Counting on dividend income; Paying too much in fees and other expenses; Being tax-driven.
Q&As: Couple should try share investing, despite the ’87 crash; Current interest rates not too bad, because inflation is so low; Should family move once or twice?; A reader’s suggestions for last week’s couple not all that helpful.
Q&As: Judge interest rates against inflation; Retired couple seek higher returns; KiwiSaver provider drops fees on low balances; Young home buyers weigh up fixed and floating mortgages.
Q&As: Calculators that measure your life expectancy more accurately; Is it better to repay a mortgage or save?; Don’t overreact to worry that KiwiSaver retirement withdrawals could be limited; Don’t assume any interest rate trend will continue; What would happen to members’ savings if a KiwiSaver provider went bust.
Q&As: Term deposit interest not so bad for people in retirement; How much in savings to get income equal to NZ Super?; Reader challenges my comment about landlords’ tax.
Q&As: More can be in KiwiSaver than commonly thought; Banks no help when comparing deposit rates; Are New Zealanders out of step about the security of home ownership?; Don’t rush to move house when the kids leave home; Are KiwiSaver fees tax deductable?
Q&As: Which is riskier, moving to a posher suburb now or waiting?; Retired man’s preference for shares may be riskier than he realizes; You can’t cash in KiwiSaver to buy Mighty River Power shares.