Help needed for retirees to live it up a bit. I’m disappointed. Retired people have been gaining access to their KiwiSaver money for several months now, but there’s no emergence of good new products to help them manage their savings.
Q&As: Should we blame the banks for soaring house prices?; 2 Q&As on the new fair dividend rate tax on non-Australasian shares — the threshold, and trying to get around the rules; 2 Q&As on home equity release — lifetime interest rates and break fees if you change your mind.
Q&As: Many elderly, and others, could benefit from rates postponement schemes; Why floating interest rates might be better — for home equity release schemes and ordinary mortgages; A not-so-dumb question about the $50,000 exemption for international tax changes, and a new source of info on the changes.
Q&As: Are home equity release (HER) schemes — which lend to retired people with homes but little income — a rip-off?; Sentinel defends its HER schemes, but they are still expensive compared with possible alternatives. Also: Seeking your questions about KiwiSaver.
Q&As: Unclaimed money may be yours!; Options for couple retiring with $200,000 and no house; More on the index/active share fund debate — the theory and how it works in NZ.
Q&As: Options for a newly retired couple with $200,000 and no home include part-time work, buying a home with a flat attached, an interest-only mortgage and equity release; Two Q&As on which investments are affected by the new tax law on international shares, and how it will work for investors.
Moving the goalposts: Working part-time in retirement makes a huge difference to how much you need to save. Also in this issue: From the Mailbox — Is home ownership so great?