NZ Herald 2 April 2011
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: 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?
Q&As: The warning signs in investment ads; Should we adjust investment returns to allow for inflation?; How best to assess long-term returns on shares and property; How to tell if an Australian company qualifies for the tax exemption.
Q&As: Should retired couple invest in a commercial property? Why take on that risk?; Can we predict NZ dollar movements?; When is it best to change money from US to NZ currency; A US website that evaluates international charities; Yet another charity offers a Christmas gift programme. Plus: Win a ticket to a seminar.
Q&As: Should we get bigger tax deductions for donations to charity? Also — give Christmas gifts to those who really need them; Readers disagree over the price of a 1950s pie; Buying shares company by company, over the years, not the best strategy; Is the new proposed tax on international shares fair?
Stop loss orders a dead loss. A reader writes that he is concerned about my advice in my last column. “Your two rules of share investing are to a) diversify (i.e. neutralize returns), and b) not sell when the market bombs,” he writes. “One would have hoped you would have added a third — enter a stop loss to avoid catastrophic loss if/when the market does bomb.” Not in my rulebook.
Q&As: Typical but rich women ask how to find an adviser; Does local government keep house prices up? And will they ever fall?; Let’s not have the government meddling in the housing market; Doing your homework doesn’t necessarily help share investment.