Does Christmas have to be like this?: First — an early thought about a new year’s resolution; Survey findings on Christmas spending; Survey findings on Christmas financial stress; Things to think about this Christmas; Other ways to do it.
How to best deal with a student loan: Possible psychological effects of having a loan; The best strategy financially; What happens if you go overseas?; Does having a student loan make it harder to get a mortgage?; Is the student loan system a good idea?
Q&As: 47-year-old in strong position on house market sidelines; Tips from an expert on getting the best type of mortgage; Questions about KiwiSaver not dumb; Money Week coming up.
Investment risks — Part 4: Ups and downs in investments, emotions and fees. In the last of a four-part series, Mary talks about the risks described in the newly updated “Upside, Downside — a guide to risk for savers and investors”. (Download it here). In this session: Being overconfident about your ability to trade investments or time markets; Taking on more volatility than you can cope with; Letting your emotions rule your investment decisions; Taking on more work or worry than expected; Counting on dividend income; Paying too much in fees and other expenses; Being tax-driven.
Gender and Investing: How gender affects goal setting; Are men or women more likely to take risks?; Are women or men more likely to trade frequently?; Which gender is scammed more?; As a result…; Messages for each gender.
One person’s take on the Fraud Film Festival; New Zealanders’ susceptibility to fraud; Tips on staying out of trouble online; How the experts try to tell if people are lying; Does upbringing lead to fraud?; How much integrity have we all got?
How emotional thinking can get in the way of good investing. Understanding common reactions can help you guard against bad decisions. Reactions include: Responding to how things are presented; Sticking with the status quo; Responding to how things are named; Following the crowd; Emotional attachment; Being overwhelmed with information; Fear of regret; Not considering the whole portfolio.
Q&As: Who should add a windfall to KiwiSaver, and who shouldn’t; Reader gets fun out of direct share investment; Was Rabobank included in recent stress tests?; Is there any point in reader continuing pension contributions?; Which KiwiSaver funds are ‘ethical’.
Q&As: Don’t count on house price rises — and it may be better to keep renting; Couple need to make up their mind about buying vs renting; KiwiSaver providers occasionally slip up on claiming tax credits.
Spending too little, spending too much: Shopping is a favourite pastime; People who are too mean on themselves; People who spend too much — why do they do it? — 1. Keeping up with the Joneses, 2. Psychological, 3. Credit card company behaviour; Help for big spenders; Most important of all — Change your habits. PS: Final reminder about KiwiSaver tax credit.