Q&As: How to help reluctant grandfather with his finances; Is insurance a rip-off, and therefore you should self-insure?; Now is the wrong time to buy or build — or is it?; Last week’s correspondent opens money conversation with his wife. Money Week theme: Talking about money.
Q&As: Newly divorced woman should buy house — because she wants to!; 2 Q&As on the best time to switch funds, which is when it suits you; AMP’s “woeful” long-term KiwiSaver returns, and what investors should do; You can’t “pay ahead” to get KiwiSaver government contributions.
Q&As: Reader timing market — but the better way. And making huge KiwiSaver contributions; 1% KiwiSaver contribution rate would help those on low incomes; MSD oppressive, says reader, but her points don’t all hold up; Reader thanks his Mum, MSD and me for getting good Super.
What most affects your KiwiSaver growth?: Research looks at type of fund, contribution rate, returns, luck, stickability and fees; What you can do about each of these; Main messages.
2 “expert” suggestions in a rising share market — one good, one bad. The good one — Rebalancing: What is it?; Why it can be hard psychologically; How to rebalance. The bad one — Get out of passive (or index) funds: Who does the research?; NZ in last year’s small downturn; US in two market crashes; Conclusion — stick with passive.
Q&As: Italy is bad for bureaucracy, but how about Kiwi girl getting 4¢ tax refund?; Do retirement investment “rules” change if you have big savings?; No we don’t want to reduce picture with column!; Company that performed badly last century doing well now.
Q&As: Should couple in their 40s splash out on an Italian holiday home?; How to invest savings 5 years before retirement; 3 rules of thumb on how much to spend in retirement …; … And how they apply to one couple.
Should KiwiSavers and share investors bail out before the inevitable crash?: NZ share market is booming — affects mid-risk and higher-risk KiwiSaver investors; Should you move your money out before the inevitable crash?; What happens after the share market drops?; Why recoveries tend to be fast; How to cope with an up and down investment.
Q&As: How 71-year-old renter could use her savings to supplement NZ Super; Reader dislikes ‘free government money’ and KiwiSaver hardship withdrawals; Nobody can predict the share market, so don’t try to time it; Info on KiwiSaver returns is available, but not a lot of use.
Q&As: Stick with mostly global shares, despite NZ’s recent great performance; Time to top up for KiwiSaver government contribution — and how to work out your contributions; Money gift from father won’t affect using KiwiSaver to buy first home; KiwiSaver investment choices much wider than reader thinks.