NZ Herald 21 April 2007
Q&As: Rent control would do more harm than good; The cost of staying out of the housing market; Reader insists it’s worthwhile to try to time foreign exchange movements. It’s all his!
Q&As: Rent control would do more harm than good; The cost of staying out of the housing market; Reader insists it’s worthwhile to try to time foreign exchange movements. It’s all his!
Obsessed with property? Not us. New Zealanders are not as property mad — or as mortgage mad — as we’ve been led to believe, recent research shows.
Q&As: A tax on house sales, to subsidise first home owners, is a lovely idea that wouldn’t work; Renting and saving elsewhere can leave you better off than home ownership; Semi-retired couple who sold their home and rent are probably doing fine.
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: Woman in mid 50s, who is renting, explores options for buying a home; 2 Q&As about the $50,000 threshold in the new regime on taxation of international shares. Also: Seeking your questions about KiwiSaver.
Q&As: Are index funds, which I recommend, inferior share fund investments, as Herald columnist Brian Gaynor claims?; A small New Zealand town has it all, a resident claims!
The other B word: While some people find it easy to follow a budget, others struggle. Here are some tips for the latter group. Also in this issue: From the Mailbox — Couple who sold their house save heaps by renting. But should they wait for a price fall before buying again?
Q&As: Is it a good idea to go back to 100 per cent mortgage on rental and invest the money in a term deposit?; A reader supports gradually building up a share portfolio; Another charity offers Christmas gifts for the needy on behalf of your friends and relatives; Reader wants more info on charities before making gifts; A Sydney minister’s quick-witted response; Prices then and now — and how houses fit into the picture; Cathedral carvings show inflation is nothing new; A reader’s pie and doughnut confession.
Mortgage moves: How you can make the big loans work better for you. Also in this issue: From the mailbox — Is it a good idea to increase your mortgage and invest the money elsewhere?
Q&As: Some options for a whinging woman who can’t afford a home; Is wealthy couple wise to do it themselves when it comes to their investments?; Reader who dislikes “that word” boycotts Toyota; Getting mean over medians and averages.