Homes as investments

NZ Herald 4 May 2019

Q&As: Comparing KiwiSaver funds with indexes a great idea — but can it be done well?; Compound interest starts small, but after a few years …; Pay down mortgage or invest elsewhere for children?; Don’t forget accommodation when weighing up investment in your home; Reader very happy with ASB service

Read More

NZ Herald 20 April 2019

Q&As: Don’t try to time your move into a higher-risk fund; ‘Own pocket money’ a secret for matrimonial harmony; Non-earners should raise KiwiSaver contributions if they want a first home grant; A grandma worries about the children’s KiwiSaver accounts …; … But a mother reports her kids are doing fine; Video comparing home buyer and renter is misleading. RIP capital gains tax.

Read More

NZ Herald 30 March 2019

Q&As: Dad misunderstands how best to contribute to children’s KiwiSaver accounts; KiwiSaver, 24, wonders whether to aim at first home or retirement money; How we blew our chance to adjust taxes for inflation; Further thoughts on inflation and the capital gains tax; Suggestion to ‘Caravan woman’ that she sells at least one rental property.

Read More

NZ Herald 23 March 2019

Q&As: 54-year-old’s plan to take off in caravan gets a big tick; People using homes partly for business caught by tax proposals; How do the wealthy hide income?; How CGT would affect 40 and 60-year-olds in KiwiSaver…; … And those in retirement.

Read More

RNZ Radio 13 December 2018

Winning questions. The best 5 listeners’ questions are answered on air, and the questioners receive a copy of Mary’s new book. Their questions cover: Is house out of reach for couple in their 30s?; Ways to get value from your house in retirement; Which debt should you pay off first?; Couple worry about investing in Auckland apartment; How a beneficiary should handle an inheritance.

Read More

NZ Herald 28 July 2018

Q&As: Should solo mum take on a bigger mortgage?; Is it wise to use KiwiSaver money to buy a first home?; Should you be allowed to use KiwiSaver money to pay down a mortgage?; Over how long should you drip-feed $200,000 into an index fund?

Read More

RNZ Radio 12 July 2018

What people still don’t get about KiwiSaver! Plus discussion with a listener on employer contributions: Follow-up to last time about KiwiSaver and employer contributions; Survey on which investments give best returns; Why KiwiSaver should score better; Other concerns with the findings.

Read More

RNZ Radio 22 March 2018

Is home ownership the only way to go?: Decision to rent for life — or at least in the meantime; Weighing up the finances; Need to save big retirement sum; Short-term pluses of renting; Short-term minuses of renting; Longer-term issues; Psychological issues.

Read More

NZ Herald 17 March 2018

Q&As: How did reader get her own home on $38,000? Extraordinary saving; Home ownership costs much more than just mortgage; Selling your home — more than one agent, commission levels, auctions; What’s a profession?

Read More

NZ Herald 3 February 2018

Q&As: Is a tiny house on wheels financially wise?; Young couple should go ahead and buy a home, despite the market; Last week’s binary options victim “deserves to be fleeced”; 2 Q&As about Israel’s connections to binary options; Do more bathrooms mean more use of water?

Read More