Government assistance

NZ Herald 18 December 2021

Q&As:
– With mortgage gone, should couple take on a rental property?
– Reader’s plan to get tax deduction might work — but might not
– NZ Super “beneficiaries” not penalised by earning high incomes
– Working for Families could help in last week’s example
– Reader wants her cat charity on the list
Plus:
– Happy holidays!

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NZ Herald 11 December 2021

Q&As:
– Ignore KiwiSaver fund performance over a few months
– Why you should focus on a fund’s fees, not its returns
– Your KiwiSaver fund has done well in recent years? So what!
– How hard it is for beneficiary parents to get back into work
– A reader’s quote is out of context — and he should stop being mean!
Plus:
– Meaningful Christmas gifts

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NZ Herald 4 December 2021

Q&As:
– Should young woman invest or concentrate on repaying student loan?…
– … And is her situation like last week’s beneficiary who inherited $1.5 million?
– 2 more readers angry with beneficiary
– In defence of a criticised headline
– How another beneficiary handled her inheritance
– Borrowing to invest in companies that, themselves, borrow
– 2 readers comment on last week’s Q&A about high KiwiSaver fees …
– … And another one jumps the gun on new low KiwiSaver fees

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NZ Herald 27 November 2021

Q&As:
– Reader’s KiwiSaver fees are highway robbery!
– Are banks better KiwiSaver providers?
– Beneficiary must declare big inheritance
– Got a mortgage and investments? You are effectively gearing
Plus:
– New KiwiSaver default funds are a great new option for many

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NZ Herald 25 September 2021

Q&As:
– Woman in her fifties should make the break!
– Great outcomes for children in state schools
– A state boarding school might work well for last week’s Mum…
– … and a scholarship might help, but watch out for bullying
– Consider tutors, and take note of the principal
– How gifting can affect government help for the elderly

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NZ Herald 11 September 2021

Q&As:
– Where to park money for a year or two
– Why it’s hard for couple to become “wholesale investors”
– Ideas for last week’s beneficiary…
– … and a story that might encourage her
– Landlords can’t ban pictures on the wall
– Suggestion for Timaru-bound couple: Keep Auckland house and rent it out

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NZ Herald 4 September 2021

Q&As:
– Suggestions on how a reader can “make her life better”
– When a term deposit paid 25 per cent!
– 2 Q&As on how to find a possible lost overseas bank account
– Could last week’s house seller’s gains be taxed in New Zealand?..
– … and overseas?

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NZ Herald 12 June 2021

Q&As:
– What should siblings under 23 do with inheritance?
– Does this reader still need trauma or life insurance?
– Skip strategies to “get rich” in share market …
– … and maths won’t help you
– Share markets don’t necessarily move with economies
– KiwiSaver when you turn 18 or 65
– Covid government subsidies are taxable

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RNZ Radio 3 June 2021

Reverse mortgages revisited, and 10 ways to make retirement easier financially
– Further thoughts about reverse mortgages — when younger retirees might use them
– Retire later — job satisfaction, social contact, financial
– Move house, and maybe town
– Boarders or flatmates or Airbnb
– Subdivide
– Rates rebates if on low income
– Rates postponement on any income in some places
– Accommodation supplements (government help with rent, board or home ownership costs)
– Sell your house and be a tenant
– Sell assets on Trade Me etc. including valuables
– At 90, you become the charity!

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RNZ Radio 6 May 2021

Changes to consumer lending – harder to borrow but less spiralling debt
Notes from Financial Services Complaints Ltd conference on May 4
– Changes in effect last year: Caps on interest and fees.
– Changes in October 2021: Lenders must assess whether borrower can afford loan.
– Consumer Data Right: Government considering this. Consumers can choose to give their financial data to providers, budgeting platforms or comparison websites, etc.
– Another topic: “A complaint is a gift”.

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