Inflation – Mary Holm

NZ Herald 14 March 2026

mary — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 11:00:04 +0000

Should 78-year-old sell her home to neighbours and rent from them? Life insurance no longer needed Does CPI inflation include surcharges? Modern caravans not like the old days Many ideas for spending inheritance 2 Q&As on ethics around student loans QMy mum (78) lives alone in a house in Sandringham worth about $1.5 million. She’s currently still working full time but probably not for...

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NZ Herald 28 February 2026

mary — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 11:00:13 +0000

Woman, 63, plans to live in caravan… … Couple who do that wonder about selling the house they rent out Do inflation numbers take shrinkflation into account? How to find a financial adviser I goofed up on a student loan moral issue QI’m 63, single, with $150,000 in KiwiSaver, a home worth about $840,000, mortgage $87,000, and short-term debt $30,000. I own a caravan with annexe 20 minutes...

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NZ Herald 25 October 2025

mary — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 11:00:33 +0000

Reader gets no gain from being in KiwiSaver 2 Q&As about last week’s retired couple planning to sell their home and rent Who offers “build-to-rent” properties? Reader challenges 4.6% on a term deposit QI have recently started working for an employer who treats KiwiSaver employer contributions as part of total remuneration, or salary sacrifice. And I am fortunate or...

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NZ Herald 16 August 2025

mary — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 12:00:20 +0000

A way to build family wealth When a couple of percentage points matters Don’t drop health insurance … … how much in savings do you need if you do? When you should and shouldn’t switch risk level Timing markets not as easy as it sounds QMy son and I have been talking about long-term family financial security. He wrote the following and asked for my thoughts.

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NZ Herald 9 August 2025

mary — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 12:00:12 +0000

Why rental property is not a great retirement investment What about commercial property? How to handle money when husband going into care Help available for the retired Rule of 72 — when debt doubles QFrom Peter Lewis, vice president of New Zealand Property Investors Federation: Owning residential property in retirement remains a smart and resilient strategy, especially in the face of inflation...

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NZ Herald 5 July 2025

mary — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 12:00:16 +0000

How rental market works in one apartment block … and in the whole economy Am I biased? And socialist? QI write regarding last week’s letter about landlords being charitable for too long and needing to raise rents. Landlords need to remember that their market is individuals with limits on what they can pay in rent. These individuals are also not a charity to support indigent landlords.

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RNZ Radio 5 June 2025

mary — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 03:15:34 +0000

7 questions to test your financial knowledge How to do test at your own pace, and get explanations of the answers Listen to the segment below, or click here to read Radio NZ’s summary. You can listen to these sessions as podcasts. Subscribe free to Mary’s RNZ podcast here. No paywalls or ads — just generous people like you. All Kiwis deserve accurate, unbiased financial guidance.

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NZ Herald 3 May 2025

mary — Fri, 02 May 2025 12:00:41 +0000

Don’t get too confident about your investment skills A way to compare paying down mortgage vs shares Home loans get easier over time Putting “princely sums” in context KiwiSaver returns over a decade How banks lend to retired people Move to new provider, at same risk, any time QI am determined to pass away with all, or as much as possible, of my savings intact, having lived on the interest.

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NZ Herald 26 April 2025

mary — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 12:00:53 +0000

Home ownership v shares KiwiSaver funds beat inflation Deposit compensation list released Should woman borrow more than she needs? Where to get into on reverse mortgages and home reversion Boost KiwiSaver contributions any time Shorter questions please Q“There really are two kinds of people in this country; those who would rather own their home outright, even though the math shows that you’d...

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NZ Herald 12 April 2025

mary — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 12:00:16 +0000

He quit KiwiSaver before the downturn, but what now? Conservative fund versus term deposits Finance company interest rates after Depositor Compensation starts Wisdom from her Scottish forebears An alternative to reverse mortgages…. … and the 2 options compared WIN A BOOK! QPhew, good thing I divested from KiwiSaver a little while ago, and went into bank term deposits. AOkay, I’ll admit your timing...

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