Q&As: Students get a good deal by world standards, and shouldn’t dodge student loan repayments; How come the bonds in a balanced KiwiSaver fund report losses?; Winning the tax game if you have a home and a rental property; Where to get free budget advice.
Q&As: A reader’s 10 rules on property investment make good sense; 3 Q&As on the fairness of wealthier people using student loans; Was the word “renter” misused in last week’s column?; Research centre is looking into issues about overseas pensions and NZ Super.
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: You need to compare rental properties and share investments on the same basis; How does KiwiSaver work for kids, and will the parents “trap” them into something they won’t want as adults?; Should we look at house prices versus household income, rather than individual income, when looking at affordability over time?
Q&As: A reader clearly doesn’t like the idea of renting instead of home ownership; How risky are mortgages, and who owns a home with a mortgage — you or the bank?; Share portfolio in some ways better than rental property in retirement.
Getting into gear not always wise. The four most hateful words are said to be, “I told you so.” So I’ll put this another way: One of my key messages in seminars, books and columns over the years — that borrowing to invest is more dangerous than many people realise — is easier to “sell” these days than a couple of years ago.
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.
Q&As: Retiree stuck with a property investment that’s gone wrong should sell her house and the rental; 71-year-old wants to be in KiwiSaver, while younger New Zealander stays out for the sake of the country; Fees are not the only consideration when choosing a KiwiSaver fund.
Q&As: KiwiSaver fees — and how an article may have misled people; The range of KiwiSaver fees; Is bank cheating a customer on tax withholding rates?; Depreciation usually clawed back when a landlord sells — or is it?; More comments from and about landlords.
Q&As: Accountant spills the beans on landlords’ taxes; Reader may leave New Zealand because of rental property tax changes; Small businesses have a harder run than landlords; Last week’s correspondent still angry; Two quick — and contradictory — letters.