Q&As: A couple of concerns about buying shares in the company you work for; Bank’s mortgage changes don’t look like profiteering; New graduate shouldn’t bypass KiwiSaver; 3 Q&As about gloomy predictions and investing in gold.
Q&As: The hazards of comparing share and property investments; 4 Q&As on whether we’re headed for financial catastrophe; Who can get the Carer’s Benefit, and how much is it?
Q&As: 3 readers are upset about morality and student loan repayment strategies; Is it better to take advantage of the student loan repayment bonus, while it lasts?; Low retirement spending figures challenged.
Q&As: New research helps to answer whether couple in early 50s should worry about how much they are saving; KiwiSaver funds won’t be the next finance companies; Should young man overseas repay his student loan?
Excerpt from Upside, Downside. This week and next week, this column will publish excerpts from a small book Mary Holm has written for the Reserve Bank called “Upside, downside: A guide to risk for savers and investors”. It will be given away free to the public in September. This column will tell you how to get a copy then. Today’s excerpts include an overview and an example of one type of risky investor behaviour. Next week we will publish further examples.
Q&As: Reader dislikes “user pays” attitude and has a message for last week’s self-proclaimed bigot; Volunteers sought for overseas work and adventure; Why young person who has moved to Australia might want to keep contributing to KiwiSaver; Rules flexible for overseas KiwiSavers wanting to return to NZ to buy a first home; A bank seems to be listening.
Q&As: Reader could do with a re-think; Economist calls for in-depth look at NZ Super; Easy way to make KiwiSaver contributions; Should we use KiwiSaver money to repay student loans?; How about starting to charge interest on student loans?; 3 readers remember what tertiary tuition fees were like in their day.
How the lolly choice has changed. The economists have given up on the idea, and it’s time the rest of us did too. I’m talking about making financial decisions based only on the cold hard facts and numbers, and not taking into account emotional and psychological factors.
Q&As: No clear-cut answer on whether’s it’s better to slash debt or save for Christmas; The best way to make use of the student loan repayment bonus; Student loan holder living overseas is foolish to ignore his loan; What’s the point?
Men don’t have a monopoly on financial ability. New Zealand women are less confident about their finances than men, a recent survey suggests. Should they be?