One of the features of living in New Zealand is the relative LACK of corruption compared to the rest of the world. Poorly equipped schools, counterfeit medicine and elections decided by bribes are just some of the consequences of public sector corruption. According to Transparency International, nowhere on earth is deemed totally free of corruption.…
It can be difficult being an investor. The markets take off in an upward burst and it is exciting and you think it is a good idea to add money to your investment portfolio. Then all of a sudden there is bad news and markets go backwards for a period of time and you…
We find that our clients definition of retirement is rapidly changing. Many of our clients choose to continue working and gradually ‘ease out’ of the workforce at the end of their careers. Or, they choose to change occupations and take up some less stressful work that still provides an income stream. With the universal NZ…
KiwiSaver is such a part of the fabric of New Zealand society and financial planning now, it seems strange to think that it was only launched 8 years ago. Launched on 1st July 2007, because there is a three month holding period for funds before they reach the KiwiSaver manager, the second important date for…
In New Zealand, the magical age for ‘retirement’ is 65. At this age, you are entitled to receive the NZ Superannuation income. If you are eligible to receive NZ Super, you will receive the same amount regardless of whether you are male or female, regardless how much you earn, or how many assets you have,…
We work hard to accumulate our nest eggs and for many people retirement is the opportunity to enjoy financial freedom and choice. Having a nest egg (whether small or large) can provide us with the ability to have that freedom, to make decisions, to have a coffee or lunch out, or to travel. Holding onto…
Over the last 6 months it has been pretty much impossible to escape the media commentary on housing in the Auckland region. Most commentaries acknowledge that the source of the problem is a lack of supply of properties, and there are now calls to turn the council owned golf courses into housing estates. While this…
The last four weeks have seen volatility in international and New Zealand investment markets. Markets have been increasing and decreasing in value from one day to the next. The triggers for these recent market changes have included 1. The Chinese share-market fall, slow down in economic growth and changes to its currency settings 2. The anticipation…
I am sure that you have heard the saying ‘there are lies, damn lies and statistics’. As Wikipedia eloquently says: Lies, damned lies, and statistics” is a phrase describing the persuasive power of numbers, particularly the use of statistics to bolster weak arguments. One of the things that annoys me most about investment advertising is when…
With the universality of computers, smartphones and tablets, there is not a lot of call for handwriting these days. But, when you do get a sample of someones handwriting, apparently it can tell us a lot about the writer. Check out this infographic from The National Pen Company for more information. If you have any…
The Financial Advisers Act 2008 came into force in 2011 in New Zealand. It established a range of ‘designations’ and regulatory rules for financial advisers. The three core designations are: Authorised Financial Adviser (AFA) Carey and Peter Church are AFA’s, Paul Swarbrick is studying to become an AFA (he is currently an RFA.) There are…