Biggest personal finance story of 2023: High interest rates
– Mortgage rates too high? What you can do about it
– Term deposit rates high. Shop around.
– Effect on house prices
– How bank profits are affected.
– Conclusion: winners and losers swap places
Q&As:
– Do fund managers “do nothing but take fees”?
– A good alternative to KiwiSaver hardship withdrawals
– Switching to a cheaper rental property has its pluses
– Control inflation by raising KiwiSaver contributions?
Q&As:
– Get rid of the rental and get on with enjoying life!
– Reader gets it upside down on KiwiSaver fees
– When it’s good to be in more than one KiwiSaver fund
– Rental property not all that “safe(ish)”
– Shares are a great alternative to property
Q&As:
– The middle age mortgage trap?
– Inflation no excuse to spend
– Can businesses refuse cash?
– Invest in shares daily rather than weekly?
– 2 Q&As: on the link between KiwiSaver withdrawal and NZ Super age
Which investment? And why cash funds might be best
– Email asks: 4.5% in bank or use KiwiSaver?
– Where to put short-term, medium-term and long-term money
– What are cash funds?
– How they compare with bank term deposits
– How to find a cash fund
Q&As:
– KiwiSaver “sidecar” emergency account would work well
– Even Buffett likes index funds
– Longer-term deposits usually pay more, despite current rates
– One reader wants all short-term deposits…
– … While another wants all long-term ones
– Correction
Q&As:
– KiwiSaver gifts good, but make sure you treat the children equally
– I made a worrying assumption in last week’s calculations…
– … and what happens when inflation is included
– Trapped with low interest on your term deposits? Here’s a plan
– Another reader has trouble getting a credit card
– A warning about selling a home before you buy
– Reader could move to another environmental fund
– My key messages don’t change
Plus:
– Happy holidays!
Q&As:
– Small savings safe in KiwiSaver — as long as …
– How to withdraw retirement savings set up in three tiers
– An example for a fairly risk-averse retiree
– What to use instead of a cheque in the Christmas card
– No, I haven’t been ripped off!
Plus:
– Enter the giveaway of my books for Christmas
Q&As:
– A mortgage interest rate rise from 11 to 18 per cent. Yikes!
– Should reader keep contributing to KiwiSaver as her balance falls?…
– … And should another move to a KiwiSaver cash fund?
– Rentals have more people living in them, says landlord advocate
– One landlord tries to shoot the messenger…
– … While another speaks plainly to other landlords
– How one share club is run — and you can join it
Listeners’ letters about KiwiSaver and inflation:
– Should you stop KiwiSaver contributions when your balance falls?
– Should you switch KiwiSaver provider in a down market?
– With inflation at 7%, do you need to earn 10.3% before tax to stand still?