Mortgages – Mary Holm https://maryholm.com NZ's most trusted personal finance journalist Fri, 19 Jun 2026 12:33:13 +0000 en-NZ hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.21 NZ Herald 20 June 2026 https://maryholm.com/nz-herald-20-june-2026/ Fri, 19 Jun 2026 12:00:49 +0000 https://maryholm.com/?p=12815 Are houses as affordable as ever? Index funds beating active, but will it last? How to tell when to sell shares How to cut health insurance costs QThe statement in your last column, “Kiwis are living at least ten years longer than they did in say the 1960s to 1980s,” is disingenuous. The New Zealand Period Life Tables 2022–2024 from Stats NZ show that in 1980 life expectancy for...

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NZ Herald 9 May 2026 https://maryholm.com/nz-herald-9-may-2026/ Fri, 08 May 2026 12:00:42 +0000 https://maryholm.com/?p=12788 Avoid having both investments and debt… … and therefore skip the mortgage One way to solve NZ Super problem? “Vehement disagreement” over means testing NZ Super NZ on world stage over Super Overseas pensions confiscated? QMy husband and I have both come from financially illiterate and working class families, but have spent the last seven years learning more each year about managing...

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NZ Herald 25 April 2026 https://maryholm.com/nz-herald-25-april-2026/ Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:00:31 +0000 https://maryholm.com/?p=12781 NZ Super only for those who paid tax through their lives? A laugh and a controversy over 122-year-old in last column Help for non-homeowning couple, 57, who feel trapped and confused Easy mortgage calculations — monthly vs weekly payments QI acknowledge that it is not your job to make moral judgements on the wealthy, or how some taxpayers avoid paying their fair share of taxes. But in your spare...

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RNZ Radio 16 April 2026 https://maryholm.com/rnz-radio-16-april-2026/ Thu, 16 Apr 2026 03:14:04 +0000 https://maryholm.com/?p=12778 Advantages: Often better interest rate. Frequent access. You won’t get it wrong with all your money! How to set up laddering. Ladder your mortgage. Also — bargain with your bank. Listen to the segment below, or click here to read Radio NZ’s summary. You can listen to these sessions as podcasts. Subscribe free to Mary’s RNZ podcast here. No paywalls or ads — just generous people...

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RNZ Radio 18 December 2025 https://maryholm.com/rnz-radio-18-december-2025/ Thu, 18 Dec 2025 02:15:46 +0000 https://maryholm.com/?p=12731 Questions from listeners on this Also a question on whether you can make faster repayments on a fixed term mortgage Listen to the segment below, or click here to read Radio NZ’s summary. You can listen to these sessions as podcasts. Subscribe free to Mary’s RNZ podcast here. No paywalls or ads — just generous people like you. All Kiwis deserve accurate, unbiased financial guidance.

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RNZ Radio 4 December 2025 https://maryholm.com/rnz-radio-4-december-2025/ Thu, 04 Dec 2025 02:15:56 +0000 https://maryholm.com/?p=12718 Official cash rate dropped again — and floating mortgage rate. Fewer people behind on mortgage payments Many people not reducing their payments, but using extra to pay down the loan. Makes a huge difference to total interest and how long the loan runs. Listen to the segment below, or click here to read Radio NZ’s summary. You can listen to these sessions as podcasts. Subscribe free to Mary&#

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NZ Herald 29 November 2025 https://maryholm.com/nz-herald-29-november-2025/ Fri, 28 Nov 2025 11:00:48 +0000 https://maryholm.com/?p=12714 Good and bad debt — and when good debt goes bad Cryptocurrency hugely volatile, not for the short term Aliens’ view of gold investments KiwiSaver first home withdrawal when buying bare land Meaningful Christmas presents QIn your last column you repeated the usual mainstream advice of paying down debt before investing. Have you read any of the Value of Debt series by Thomas Anderson?

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NZ Herald 22 November 2025 https://maryholm.com/nz-herald-22-november-2025/ Fri, 21 Nov 2025 11:00:16 +0000 https://maryholm.com/?p=12706 House-sitting their way to home ownership — and keeping debt down Gold v share funds v rental property Is burying your gold a good idea? Unusual Simplicity fund investments Correction on share fund tax QI’m a 33-year-old woman and house-sit full-time with my partner to save paying rent. We are currently waiting to finalise the purchase of 825 square metres of land, which we expect to settle...

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RNZ Radio 20 November 2025 https://maryholm.com/rnz-radio-20-november-2025/ Thu, 20 Nov 2025 02:15:37 +0000 https://maryholm.com/?p=12700 Email from woman with mortgage-free house challenging my statement about renting being cheaper than home ownership Text from man challenging what I say about active fund management Listen to the segment below, or click here to read Radio NZ’s summary. You can listen to these sessions as podcasts. Subscribe free to Mary’s RNZ podcast here. No paywalls or ads — just generous people like...

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NZ Herald 23 August 2025 https://maryholm.com/nz-herald-23-august-2025/ Fri, 22 Aug 2025 12:00:01 +0000 https://maryholm.com/?p=12625 Scam warning Good way to help family members with a mortgage Don’t try to predict share crashes — it doesn’t work 2 Q&As on why you may not need health insurance A Facebook page and an entry in Instagram have recently appeared claiming to be mine, and suggesting people join me in some investments. I have nothing to do with this, and I’m trying to get it taken down.

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