NZ Herald 3 November 2007
Q&As: Why does the price of our milk rise when overseas demand goes up?; How and when to take a KiwiSaver contributions holiday — for children and adults; Two Q&As on KiwiSaver tax credits and timing.
The Investor 30 October 2007
Can’t afford KiwiSaver or saving elsewhere?: You should still join. Close to half of New Zealanders 18 and over who haven’t yet retired say they are unlikely or very unlikely to join KiwiSaver, a recent AMP survey shows. But a glance at their reasons for not joining suggests they don’t yet understand the scheme’s flexibility. They are missing out needlessly.
NZ Herald 27 October 2007
Q&As: Twenty-eight-year-old with two rental houses wonders if this is a good time to buy a rental apartment; Difficulties finding a KiwiSaver provider to accept tiny contributions from low-paid worker; Saving kiwis.
The Investor 16 October 2007
KiwiSaver survives readers’ challenges. It must be the noisier people who criticize KiwiSaver on the grounds that they don’t trust the government. Such mistrust has been a common theme in readers’ letters. And yet a recent AMP survey of non-retired people 18 and over shows just 3 per cent of those unlikely to join KiwiSaver say it’s because they don’t trust the current or future government. I was surprised, too, that only two readers responded to the challenge in my last column “to come up with a government change — that’s at all likely to happen in a democracy — that would make KiwiSaver members regret having signed up now.”
The Investor 2 October 2007
Big bad government unlikely to spoil KiwiSaver. Every now and then, someone says to me, “The government must be paying you for all that favourable publicity about KiwiSaver”. It’s not, of course. And in any case, my coverage has been far from totally positive. As I’ve often said, KiwiSaver distorts savings decisions, because you can save only in certain types of vehicles. Also, the government — in other words the taxpayers — is paying many KiwiSaver members thousands of dollars to do saving they would do anyway. True, other members will save more because of KiwiSaver, but whether the whole thing is cost effective remains to be seen. The scheme is far from perfect, then. However, I can’t go along with some of the cynicism I’m hearing about how current or future governments might treat people who have signed up for KiwiSaver — with the speaker concluding that it’s not a good idea to join.
NZ Herald 22 September 2007
Q&As: KiwiSaver totals over the years should be adjusted for inflation — but let’s not get carried away; People receiving ACC payments or Paid Parental Leave have a choice in KiwiSaver; Early retirement plans won’t be harmed by membership in KiwiSaver.
The Investor 18 September 2007
Combining kids and KiwiSaver. Every New Zealander under 65 will benefit from joining KiwiSaver, including newborns. But the rules — and how to make the most of them — are different for children, and many readers have questions about that. Here are a couple…
NZ Herald 15 September 2007
Q&As: Should a couple with 3 children move to a bigger house in town or take a bet on a coastal property?; Are KiwiSaver bond funds as conservative as they seem?
NZ Herald 8 September 2007
Q&As: Join KiwiSaver even if you are already in another super scheme — but no double dipping!; Can an employee get around the 4 per cent minimum contribution to KiwiSaver?; Is KiwiSaver for government employees too good to be true?; Choosing between KiwiSaver and another work scheme.
The Investor 4 September 2007
Ins and Outs of KiwiSaver tax credit. Judging by readers’ questions, confusion reigns about the government’s KiwiSaver tax credits, which match members’ contributions up to $20 a week or $1042.86 a year. The tax credits are paid to every contributing KiwiSaver member 18 and over until they reach NZ Super age (currently 65) or five years after joining, whichever is later. For example, if you join at age 63, you will continue to get the credits until five years later, when you are 68.