Property

NZ Herald 7 May 2011

Q&As: A house looks ridiculously cheap in 1958, but let’s put that into perspective; Retiree hit by inflation acknowledges that it could have been worse; Too hard to get by in New Zealand? Fix it or leave, but don’t whinge; A family wants out of its family trust, which is complex, expensive and not benefitting anyone.

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NZ Herald 23 April 2011

Q&As: Why it takes both partners working to afford a house these days; Buying a house with a co-owner might prove tricky; Did I muddle pounds and dollars?; Big lottery winner would have some negotiating power with a bank — but only so much; Difficulties of borrowing to invest in shares; Winners of seminar tickets.

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NZ Herald 16 April 2011

Q&As: You need to compare rental properties and share investments on the same basis; How does KiwiSaver work for kids, and will the parents “trap” them into something they won’t want as adults?; Should we look at house prices versus household income, rather than individual income, when looking at affordability over time?

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NZ Herald 5 March 2011

Q&As: Should couple sell their house, and buy again later?; The high price of not organising your automatic payments well; When you should and shouldn’t repay your student loan quickly — and future prospects; 2 Q&As on what happens to KiwiSavers when they retire.

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NZ Herald 14 August 2010

Q&As: What happens when your employer doesn’t forward your KiwiSaver deductions to Inland Revenue; Do I still recommend share investments after the Feltex case?; I shouldn’t have said “nobody foresaw the downturn” in the last column; Queensland might be good to retire to, but is it a good place to invest?; A brickbat about BRIC funds.

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NZ Herald 7 August 2010

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.

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The Investor 17 July 2010

Getting into gear not always wise. The four most hateful words are said to be, “I told you so.” So I’ll put this another way: One of my key messages in seminars, books and columns over the years — that borrowing to invest is more dangerous than many people realise — is easier to “sell” these days than a couple of years ago.

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NZ Herald 12 June 2010

Q&As: A way for couples on higher incomes to get KiwiSaver first home help; Man with terminal illness can probably withdraw all KiwiSaver money; KiwiSaver contributions holidays more flexible than reader realises; More thoughts on why house prices have outgrown rents; 2 readers challenge the use of the term “Mum and Dad investors” — and we seek an alternative.

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NZ Herald 5 June 2010

Q&As: 3 Q&As on the KiwiSaver help for first home buyers — why it’s so good, but also why some people aren’t eligible; A possible explanation for house prices outgrowing incomes.

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NZ Herald 29 May 2010

Q&As: People in their early sixties are mad if they are not in KiwiSaver; One reader says it’s too hard to buy a first home in Auckland, but two others have suggestions on how to do it; The cost of building hasn’t risen since the 1970s, but shortage of land has pushed up prices, says a reader. Plus: Follow-up on last week’s comment about a job vacancy in Wanganui.

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