Q&As: Gear both or neither when comparing shares and property; Tip for bankrupt couple: low-paid retail work has its rewards; New KiwiSaver tool helps you work out your risk level; Retirement date not the key factor in choice of KiwiSaver fund.
Q&As: A bit of risk is good, even if it means having to cut your losses on a rental property; Sending money to Australia and back, in the hopes of gaining on foreign exchange, is likely to leave reader worse off; New money laundering rules slow down international transfers of money; Take note of different interest rates in different countries; If capital gains are taxed under Labour, will we get a tax break on capital losses?; What if somebody who adds to their mortgage ends up unable to pay a capital gains tax?
Risk is not a dirty word. A man on the radio the other day was talking about risk, and how we’ve become so scared about our children’s safety that we don’t let them climb trees. The kids lose out. It’s similar with investments. Many New Zealanders seem to be too scared of riskier investments, and they too lose from that fear.
Excerpt from Upside, Downside. This week and next week, this column will publish excerpts from a small book Mary Holm has written for the Reserve Bank called “Upside, downside: A guide to risk for savers and investors”. It will be given away free to the public in September. This column will tell you how to get a copy then. Today’s excerpts include an overview and an example of one type of risky investor behaviour. Next week we will publish further examples.
Harsh words worth listening to. I’ve been hesitant to write about a recent speech by Paul Mersi in which he told off New Zealanders for their attitudes to money.
Q&As: Executives of failed finance companies can’t get away with wearing the dunce’s hat; Beware “investment houses” offering 20-per-cent-plus returns; Why did long-term investment go backwards?
Q&As: Other ways in which gold is risky; The difference between term deposits and bonds; Why is ING’s default KiwiSaver scheme cheaper than the very similar ANZ and National Bank schemes?; Readers offer some udder ideas on what to call Mum and Dad investors.
Q&As: One reader loathes KiwiSaver, while the next one loves it. But both don’t fully understand it; A former hippie gets a bit carried away.
Q&As: PIES have many more pros than cons, with tax breaks and, in some cases, a government guarantee; Single parent with three rentals might want to sell one — but not for the reason she suggests. Plus: readers’ views on KiwiSaver.
Q&As: Why 20 shares are much better than two; Reader claims diversification is not a great idea. I disagree; Is land a lower risk investment than a share fund?