Excerpt from Upside, Downside. This week we are publishing the second excerpt from a small book Mary Holm has written for the Reserve Bank called “Upside, downside: A guide to risk for savers and investors”. It will be given away free to the public in September. This column will tell you how to get a copy then. Today we look at examples of risky investor behaviour. The normal Q&A column will resume next week.
It pays to know how numbers grow. The recent fuss over food price rises shows how little feel many New Zealanders have for the power of compounding numbers. And that lack of knowledge could harm them when borrowing and investing.
Q&As: Several signs that company offering racing tips is not the path to riches; Managers of Westpac’s poorly performing KiwiSaver cash fund ask investors to be patient; Happy investor says “KiwiSaver rocks” — even though he’s too pessimistic over the future of NZ Super.
Q&As: Mother seeks advice on financial steps to take after husband is diagnosed with terminal illness; Investor in KiwiSaver cash fund hasn’t done as badly as he thinks; Happy landlord reaps rewards from treating tenants well; Advice from this column about loans within families has saved time for a reader time — and money for her parents.
How would you have done in financial knowledge survey? It’s question time. How would you have answered the following in a recent survey: “Which is generally considered to make you the most money over the next 15 to 20 years: a savings account, range of shares, range of fixed interest investments, or a cheque account?”
Q&As: Tips for retired couple whose interest income has halved; Savings accounts may pay more interest than term deposits — but take care; Tax on foreign shares seems tough in current environment.
Q&As: PIES have many more pros than cons, with tax breaks and, in some cases, a government guarantee; Single parent with three rentals might want to sell one — but not for the reason she suggests. Plus: readers’ views on KiwiSaver.