Psychology of money

RNZ Radio 28 January 2021

Watch Your Spending
New Zealanders’ household spending is way up, compared with late 2019.
Spending is OK if not getting into debt
Why spend on non-essentials?:
– Happiness. But often short-term.
– Appearances.
– Pressure to spend on special shopping days.
What to do:
– Use credit cards?: pluses and minuses
– Estimate spending in different categories, then keep track for 2 months
– Change a habit for just a month. Letter to futureme.org.
– 2 birds with one stone: Cut spending on unhealthy things
– Help w budgeting: MoneyTalks. Free, confidential and non-judgmental, around NZ.

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RNZ Radio 19 November 2020

Money and relationships
– Follow-up on last time’s financial knowledge quiz — angry comments about women
– Survey on money and relationship problems
– Worse for the young, and worse for low and high income than for middle incomes
– Conflict more likely if … overspending etc.
– What to do about it

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RNZ Radio 30 July 2020

Economic wellness. Also National’s KiwiSaver idea.
– What ‘economic wellness’ means
– How can we achieve it
– Will our health improve if we achieve economic stability?
– Is it easier to be well if you have money?
Plus: Is National’s plan to let people withdraw $20,000 from KiwiSaver to start a business a good idea?

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NZ Herald 9 May 2020

Q&As:
– Who’s right about fund choice — husband or wife or neither?
– Which bank products are subject to haircut if bank fails?
– What about government bonds, Bonus Bonds and safe deposit boxes?
– Halt to dividend payments should strengthen banks
– ETF tax problem no big deal
– It’s great to continue contributions to KiwiSaver and other funds in down markets
– Don’t assume gloom will continue — and a look at past recoveries
– Drip feeding not quite so good with lump sums

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RNZ Radio 7 May 2020

I won’t say “I told you so”. But I sort of did!
– Listener points out that I warned of share plunge a week before
– At least people have learnt from what’s happened
– Renewed interest in share investing
– Don’t believe market forecasters

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RNZ Radio 26 March 2020

GETTING A KIWISAVER WOF — for people of all ages in KiwiSaver. Whether you’re worried about the market downturn or just want to use some spare time productively, now is a good time to check you’re doing as well as you can (you’re probably not!) in KiwiSaver.

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NZ Herald 14 March 2020

Q&As:
– How to replace a condescending financial adviser
– Okay, reader can time the market a little …
– … and what Baron Rothschild said about that
– Moving KiwiSaver money should have nothing to do with the economy
– Why drip feeding is best — it’s partly psychological

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RNZ Radio 12 March 2020

What to do in KiwiSaver as share markets wobble:
– Best to do nothing — but learn about yourself and your investing
– What if you need your money soon?
– Listener letter: which shares to buy in this environment? And which to sell?
– Listener letter: Are KiwiSavers treated badly when it comes to moving funds?

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NZ Herald 25 January 2020

Q&As:
– Reader can’t bring herself to enjoy her wealth …
– … While another reader has splashed out on an Italian holiday home
– 65+ reader is loving being in KiwiSaver
– How come passive funds are trading shares daily?
– ‘Passive’ KiwiSaver funds are not
– Is it better to invest in US index funds, with their lower fees?

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