How to join the new debt cutting trend. We’re all living through three “great transitions”, said the keynote speaker at a recent conference. One transition is from West to East — with the growing emphasis on China and India, another is from analog to digital, and the third is from debt to saving. Let’s look more at that third transition.
Q&As: How much financial support a reader gives their student son; Two banks offer mortgages that get around problems with revolving credit loans; An accountant’s offer boosts reputation of the profession; Two Q&As about means testing of NZ Super in some circumstances, and how KiwiSaver fits in; Yes, there are plenty of companies that don’t pay dividends.
Q&As: A disadvantage of revolving credit mortgages — it can be hard to keep track of your money; Should John Banks and co. have shared the profits on the sale of their KiwiSaver scheme with members?; The one situation in which NZ Super is affected by your KiwiSaver account; A call for info about student spending.
Columnist is wrong — mortgage repayment is well worth it. Contrarian investing — when you put your money into investments that most people are getting out of — sometimes works well. Such investments are usually cheap. But should we extend that to borrowing when most others are repaying debt?
Q&As: Should couple with iffy job prospects sell their shares to slash their mortgage?; Young KiwiSaver with an eye on first home help should move to a lower-risk fund; One KiwiSaver doesn’t appreciate how good his deal is…; And another is sick of whingers over the scheme; Did my comment about people’s inability to pick investments cover advisers?
Think before switching your whole mortgage to a floating rate. In a dramatic change over the last couple of years, everyone’s moving to floating-rate mortgages. Is this a good idea?
Q&As: Bad experience with fund shouldn’t put you off KiwiSaver…; …Nor should low income; Way of getting around high-interest fixed mortgage not without risk.
Q&As: Where does the money go when a finance company fails?; How bank mortgage interest rates are set, and how to compare them; Should a reader switch from a fixed to a floating mortgage?
Q&As: Should it take a bank three weeks to cut its mortgage rates?; Just how great was one family’s “Great Mistake of 2009”?; Reader tells Mary off for forgetting about the expenses of selling a house; How couple should invest as they approach retirement.
Q&As: A reader clearly doesn’t like the idea of renting instead of home ownership; How risky are mortgages, and who owns a home with a mortgage — you or the bank?; Share portfolio in some ways better than rental property in retirement.