Good news goes unheralded. One of the findings in a recent survey caught my eye. Only 12 per cent of New Zealanders surveyed said the value of their financial investments had grown in the previous six months, with 42 per cent saying the value was unchanged and 46 per cent saying it had fallen. The vast majority got it wrong.
Q&As: Is it better to sell a Mangere Bridge property or a Whangamata property?; Reader who switched to riskier fund, and saw immediate loss, wonders if she should switch back; Share markets have performed really well lately; Two letters about KiwiSaver and “total remuneration”, in which employees more or less pay their own employer contributions.
Q&As: Even a reader’s accountant seems confused about how gains on share sales are taxed. The law needs to be changed; Property fan who did badly in the share market broke one of the basic rules of share investing; Did I mislead readers about the advantages of dollar cost averaging?
Q&As: Wealth doesn’t have to equal filth — New Zealanders’ attitude to money may leave them more worried about financial issues; Take your pick between share fund managers who try to outperform the market and those who don’t; Members of work super schemes can do well by also being in KiwiSaver.
Q&As: Reader explains why he won’t invest in shares; Data suggest New Zealand doesn’t actually over-invest in property; New Zealanders’ lack of interest in shares hurts more than just individuals; Help is available for horseracing “addict”.
Q&As: 2 Q&As on whether New Zealanders over-invest in property; Is 50 too old to take out a mortgage?
Q&As: KiwiSaver still great for children, even though the fee subsidy is gone; Now might be an okay time to get into a rental property — for family in the right circumstances; Should young retiree switch some savings into a share fund?; Two Q&As offer advice — on school fees and insurance — to woman with dying husband.
How would you have done in financial knowledge survey? It’s question time. How would you have answered the following in a recent survey: “Which is generally considered to make you the most money over the next 15 to 20 years: a savings account, range of shares, range of fixed interest investments, or a cheque account?”
Q&As: Should fun be the deciding factor for 20-year-old’s savings?; 2 Q&As about topping up KiwiSaver accounts to get the maximum tax credit. Plus:Survey finds top KiwiSaver gripe is lack of information.
Q&As: Tips on how to ease back into investing in share funds; Have I been too upbeat about the outlook for shares?; If the Dow Jones index is so bad, how come so many in the news media highlight it?; Auckland couple on $60,000 could buy a home if they really want to.