Q&As:
– Are you getting as much NZ Super as you should be?
– KiwiSaver withdrawals are tax-free
– Reader “finds” $45,000
– ASB and ANZ still not offering offset mortgages
– Bonus Bonds payout for people overseas
– FMA is watching ANZ on Bonus Bonds
– Unlikely someone else will start Bonus Bonds lookalike
What to do about low interest rates at banks (and the demise of Bonus Bonds)
– Not as bad as people think
– But still many unhappy
– Suitable alternatives — safe, low volatility — offset mortgages, cash funds, low-risk KiwiSaver funds
– Be braver? — if long-term money — middle-risk KiwiSaver funds. Probably not higher-risk funds or shares or rentals
The next downturn — in shares, KiwiSaver and other managed funds — might be longer.
But first — comments on what to do about the demise of Bonus Bonds.
– FMA survey on investor confidence.
– Race between NZ and world share markets to recover from Covid downturn.
– Recovery not just shares rebounding, but also bonds.
– Next time we could easily have shares down for longer, and bonds also falling.
Q&As:
– When family trusts cut new partners out of assets, please talk about it
– Self-employed person should keep contributing to KiwiSaver
– Should reader send money back home to NZ from Canada?
– 3 choices for man with extraordinarily bad luck with money
Q&As:
– Couple muddling trusts and wills — and courting trouble by not discussing uneven inheritances with family
– Young hopeful homebuyer in a position to take risks
– KiwiSaver retirement estimates too high? — what to do about it
– Travel early in retirement, 85-year-old urges
Why drip feeding (or dollar cost averaging) is often best
Example: Non-employees depositing $87 a month into KiwiSaver
– You don’t forget it!
– Easier to budget
– Probable better return in KiwiSaver than in bank
– Most importantly — spread your contributions out.
– Dollar cost averaging in other situations: employees in KiwiSaver, other savings, moving from one risk level to another, moving money between countries
– What about when you have a lump sum to deposit?
Q&As:
– Parents can give money to adult son without tax complications
– Another parent can do likewise, but watch out for care subsidy rules
– Conservative KiwiSaver fund’s high returns are genuine — but won’t always be there
– Change will give people NZ Super despite their partner’s overseas pension
– NZ Super application timing was wrong on some websites
Invest in NZ assets rather than overseas ones? Is that wise?
– Which is better for you — NZ or international investing?
– Which is better for New Zealand as a whole?
– How to invest internationally
– How to tell if your KiwiSaver fund is mostly NZ assets — not easy
Q&As:
– Government KiwiSaver contributions to over 65s wouldn’t work, or be fair
– How reader with cancer could set up her savings
– Over how long should you drip-feed a lump sum into an investment?
– Is weekly drip-feeding better than monthly?
– I suggest reader takes rental property off the market …
– … but she’s sold it! Don’t put proceeds into another rental
Q&As:
– A “bit of bitcoin” is OK, but don’t get carried away
– Realistic recommendation on fixed versus floating mortgage rates
– KiwiSaver could be more welcoming to newcomer with mortgage
– KiwiSaver timeframes all over the place