Q&As: Should couple with iffy job prospects sell their shares to slash their mortgage?; Young KiwiSaver with an eye on first home help should move to a lower-risk fund; One KiwiSaver doesn’t appreciate how good his deal is…; And another is sick of whingers over the scheme; Did my comment about people’s inability to pick investments cover advisers?
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.
Q&As: Should it take a bank three weeks to cut its mortgage rates?; Just how great was one family’s “Great Mistake of 2009”?; Reader tells Mary off for forgetting about the expenses of selling a house; How couple should invest as they approach retirement.
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.
Q&As: Why 55-year-old Mum shouldn’t give up on home ownership; Important to save a little, even if you have a mortgage, to gain market knowledge over the years; Banks “are just like car dealers”; Will below-market share buyer lose it all in tax?
Q&As: Bank securities not quite what a reader was hoping for; The closing of a KiwiSaver scheme hasn’t gone as smoothly as hoped, but it’s no big deal; First home buyers should invest conservatively in KiwiSaver — plus: a painless time to join KiwiSaver.
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: Reader who has previously owned a home but may still be able to receive KiwiSaver first home assistance; Couple in similar situation may also get the assistance, even if they have too much in savings; More options for investing in emerging markets; Last week’s reader is making progress in getting KiwiSaver contributions that her employer didn’t send to Inland Revenue.
Generous KiwiSaver first home help applies to many. The first of the KiwiSaver first home withdrawals and subsidies will be paid out shortly. But many people still don’t realise just how good — and how widely available — the KiwiSaver first home help is. It is clearly the best place for any New Zealander to save for a first home.
Q&As: Reader better off holding on to Auckland house while moving elsewhere to care for mother; How to maximise the KiwiSaver tax credit — before June 30; Should non-employee KiwiSaver contribute more than $1043 a year, or put further savings elsewhere?; Four readers offer alternatives to “Mum and Dad investors”, but none of their ideas is great; This column pleads “Not guilty” of sexism.