Q&As: The average New Zealander can’t afford to buy a house, or can they? The poor don’t stay poor; How one man keeps his costs down; Flaws with a tax parable? And a man living on $1,000 a year?; An investment adviser gives us inside info on commissions.
Q&As: A few fewer luxuries and many New Zealanders could afford to buy homes; 2 Q&As on whether the Reserve Bank got it right with the new coins; A financial planner objects to what I said last week about how to choose an adviser.
Q&As: Should we have a new 25c coin instead of a new 20c coin, and also a $5 coin?; Is tithing the way to go? One reader says yes, another no.
Stuff and happiness: Buying things you don’t really need. Also in this issue: From the Mailbox — Should a young man buy himself a house?
Q&As: Can he retire?, 40-year-old asks; Couple about to retire wonder if their expenses will drop as they get older; Student loan interest ends. What happens if you go overseas?
Q&As: Couple should spend less?; Wealth isn’t always money; How last week’s correspondent made his millions; Making extra payments on fixed mortgages without penalties.
Can you get rich quick?: Only by taking big risks. Also in this issue: From the Mailbox — Spending in retirement.
Can’t see the forest for the houses?Also: Christmas shopping. Quick question: Which of the following grew fastest in the last year: New Zealand house prices, New Zealand shares, hedged overseas shares (hedging removes the effects of foreign exchange movements), or unhedged overseas shares? Surprise, surprise, it wasn’t house prices. Bigger surprise still: house prices came last.
Wellington and Christchurch dwellers big spenders and risk takers. So much for Aucklanders’ image as the big spenders, risk takers and owers of debt! Wellington and Christchurch dwellers are more inclined to put some of their savings into high-risk, high-return investments than Aucklanders, a recent survey shows.
Q&As: When to declare share trading profits; What to do if travel agent charges more for using a credit card; Different Visa rules in Australia, and how Visa operates.