Q&As: Here’s an incentive to save for retirement; Would increasing GST have to hurt those on lower incomes?; Time to count a few blessings; Lengthening the term of a mortgage can ease payments — but at a price; Don’t let tax drive your investment decisions.
Q&As: Earthquake victim faces an old question: whether to invest spare money or repay a loan; Reader escapes “an endless loop” of credit card payments after using an internet Q&A service; A “me too” letter raises questions about a bank’s policy on fees.
Q&As: What happens to your money when it seems to disappear for a few days in the bank?; Flexibility an issue when deciding how to go about repaying a mortgage quickly; Would gains on the sale of gold or silver be taxable?; The pros and cons of holding on to gold coin gifts.
Q&As: With extra to pay off a mortgage, should you add to principal repayments or shorten the term of the loan?; Graph of gold price history tells some interesting stories; Transferring money from UK to New Zealand to take advantage of higher interest rates here could be risky; Under what circumstances can Inland Revenue take money out of your KiwiSaver account?
Q&As: KiwiSaver is not guaranteed by the government — but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t join; Is it wise to have your KiwiSaver account with your bank?; Banks said to be “stealing” KiwiSaver members from other providers; Does a reader who is speedily repaying her mortgage need a savings account?
Q&As: Does it make sense to try to pick where Baby Boomers will retire and buy property there?; How KiwiSaver works if you move from employment to self-employment; Should couple use lump sum to repay a commercial mortgage or for other investment — and how KiwiSaver affects this?; Some alternatives for investing in emerging markets.
Q&As: Why do people pick on landlords?; What tax breaks do rental property owners get that others don’t get?; Why some accountants’ advice to repay mortgage before joining KiwiSaver is wrong.
Q&As: Should couple repay mortgage with redundancy money, or invest it in KiwiSaver or elsewhere?; Big KiwiSaver provider should know better about first-year tax credits; More information available about investment advisers — and are hourly or percentage fees better?; Less room for trouble if people make their own investments after seeking adviser’s recommendations.
Q&As: 2 Q&As on whether New Zealanders over-invest in property; Is 50 too old to take out a mortgage?
Q&As: Mother seeks advice on financial steps to take after husband is diagnosed with terminal illness; Investor in KiwiSaver cash fund hasn’t done as badly as he thinks; Happy landlord reaps rewards from treating tenants well; Advice from this column about loans within families has saved time for a reader time — and money for her parents.