NZ Herald 3 December 2011
Q&As: Is share buying just for the elite?; KiwiSaver first home buyer strikes a hitch — but all is well; 60-ish couple could get into rental property; Did our couple blow too much on holidays?
Q&As: Is share buying just for the elite?; KiwiSaver first home buyer strikes a hitch — but all is well; 60-ish couple could get into rental property; Did our couple blow too much on holidays?
Who needs money when you’ve got what New Zealand’s got? New Zealanders, it seems, are better off than people in any other OECD country when we look at non-financial measurements. The saying “money isn’t everything” rings true in this country.
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.
Turning interest into your friend. New Zealanders are, apparently, a fairly satisfied bunch — except when it comes to our financial situation. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing.
Do we really need more stuff than Americans? Something to ponder as Christmas gift giving approaches: New Zealanders apparently think they need more stuff than the people we often regard as most materialistic — Americans. What’s more, older and male New Zealanders seem to be more into “things” than young people and females.
Q&As: Looking after the pennies is more rewarding than we realised; Three Q&As on readers’ suggestions on how a couple can better manage their money — including ideas on mortgages and software; Is it worthwhile trying to time a home purchase to make the most of market movements? — plus KiwiSaver first home assistance details.
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.
Confession time about retirement plans and goals. I’m going to commit sacrilege here. But it’s not as if I haven’t thought long and hard about it. So okay, deep breath, here we go: Contrary to what many will tell you, it’s quite possible to be financially together and not have a detailed written plan on how to fund your retirement — or even a retirement savings goal.
Q&As: Why house prices must — at some point — come down further; Newly retired person loses out, for a year, on PIE tax; How a rising NZ Super age might affect KiwiSaver; Temporary workers in KiwiSaver at a disadvantage.