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.
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.