In my opinion, the best personal finance pages produced in New Zealand are in the business section of the Sunday Star Times. It is pretty much the only thing I read in that newspaper, but it is worth purchasing just for these articles. In particular, Rob Stock produces some thought provoking and valuable articles. I…
Over the years the incentives for buying things on credit cards has increased (but the interest rates that apply if you don’t pay off your balance to nil each month don’t seem to have gone down!) There are now fly buys points, gifts, air points available for each dollar that you spend. Different credit cards…
Over recent days the New Zealand media has been awash with commentary on a column written by Jesse Colombo- a self proclaimed ‘expert’ on economic bubbles. The column was published as a contribution to the online edition of Forbes magazine. 12 Reasons Why New Zealand’s Economic Bubble Will End In Disaster. This article was published on…
1. Don’t ignore your mortgage and figure ‘she’ll be right’ Interest costs on mortgages are a large cost, and if you can manage your financial planning so that you pay less interest over the life of a mortgage, your financial situation will gain a big benefit. You should be aware of how your mortgage is…
Over the life of your mortgage, the amount of interest that you pay is likely to be more than you like to imagine. One of the ways that you can manage your interest liability is to be aware of the structure of your mortgage. Are you getting the best value with your mortgage? Traditionally the…
Moneyworks NZ now have a fully accredited Mortgage Broker. Carey Church is licensed to assist you and your family and friends with managing and arranging and structuring your mortgages. Carey is supported by Paul Swarbrick, Client Relationship Manager – who has in excess of 20 years experience in providing people with assistance in organising and…
The new tax treatment of Foreign Superannuation has now passed through Parliament. This was announced on 21st February 2014 Foreign super bill passes However, a late amendment means that if you have STARTED (in good faith) the transfer of your foreign super to New Zealand, you should be able to take advantage of the…
This article from a recent Partners Life publication raised my interest. I thought it would be useful for you to read. Ever wondered how we arrive at that premium you pay for your insurance? Here’s an overview of what’s involved. The premiums you pay cover the costs of your insurance, from setting up…
Fro most people, having insurance cover in place is a ‘grudge’ purchase. You know that you need it, and you have the cover ‘just in case’. This can easily lead to a decision to settle for ‘the cheapest’ insurance cover. After all – something is better than nothing right?? Wrong. While having some insurance cover…
The recently published Morningstar KiwiSaver Survey December Quarter 2013 (access here KiwiSaverSurvey31-12-2013) raises interesting questions about what makes up a ‘Balanced’ Fund. Risk Profilers For many years, financial advisers and investors have used ‘risk profilers’ to work out what kind of risk and volatility investors can bear in their investments. Establishing the suitable risk profile…
This article on www.interest.co.nz is an interesting review of a research paper. We don’t necessarily agree with all the findings, but will be of interest to those technocrats who are following KiwiSaver trends. Research shows KiwiSaver investors are irrational in chasing non-recurring past returns and accepting higher fees If you have any thoughts or opinions…
A key expense in most family’s financial planning is that relating to childrens education. And this is not just when the children are getting ‘private’ education. A number of our clients are interested in assisting their children by providing private education, or assisting with some funding at Tertiary level. But recent research shows that even…