KiwiSaver: Be in to win. Ever since the government announced its added incentives to KiwiSaver last month, everyone is talking about the retirement savings scheme. And well they might. While I still have reservations about the distortion of savings decisions, and while many employers are angry at being forced to contribute, practically all individuals will be better in than out.
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: Is the Kiwi dollar to blame for poor overseas investment performance?; How foreign dividends will be dealt with under the new tax rules; Where to go for historical foreign exchange data — for tax purposes; A lionish company bites back.
Q&As: The warning signs in investment ads; Should we adjust investment returns to allow for inflation?; How best to assess long-term returns on shares and property; How to tell if an Australian company qualifies for the tax exemption.
Q&As: Unlucky reader challenges the value of index funds; Questions galore on the $50,000 threshold in the new international share tax regime; How to get historical foreign exchange data for calculating that threshold.
It’s the same old song. New data confirm the same old messages about share investing: hang in there, and diversify.
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!
Q&As: A handy rule for quick money calculations; When an ice cream at the movies was a luxury; Insights into the life of a share investor hobbyist; It’s hard to know what goes on behind charity closed doors.
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?