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The new place Milestone Direct has just moved into a brand-new office in Smales Farm, Takapuna. The team now shares the top floor of the Business Hive building (B:Hive) with other major and minor business including divisions of financial heavyweights ANZ, ASB, and KPMG. While our old office served us well, and we made some great memories there, we couldn't be... Read more Read more

By its very nature, investing involves risk. When you invest any sized sum, whether it's into a property, KiwiSaver, or a managed fund, you accept the risks associated with that particular investment. The nature of all investments is that there are constant market fluctuations - peaks and troughs - when investment values rise and fall. However, with nearly all... Read more Read more

The "gig economy" is an emerging class of temporary and flexible jobs as businesses increasingly hire independent contractors and freelancers instead of full-time employees. If you jump online any day of the week you'll see job ads for Uber drivers, freelance writing, and contract design work. For some, the gig economy is an ‘in-between’ where they work a gig outside their... Read more Read more

Retirement calculators seem to be popping up everywhere, and people are betting their financial future on them every day. Unfortunately, the calculators are often giving fictitious outputs based on assumptions that have little to no chance of being accurate. Here are six reasons you can’t trust retirement calculators, and what you can do to ensure you’re getting the best predictions... Read more Read more

Ever wondered how the rich spend their money? Here at Milestone Direct, our advisers see such a wide range of people that we understand the spending habits of a wide range of New Zealanders – including the rich. To help you replicate the habits of the rich, here are seven ways the rich spend their money. For those of you wondering what’s so great about being rich after all, scroll down... Read more Read more

Avoiding investment scams is becoming even more important, as recent Australian data shows investment scams have now overtaken romance and dating scams as the most lucrative method of fraud. Historically, investment scams have been common both overseas and in New Zealand. In fact, it's nearly the 10-year anniversary of when the world’s largest investment scam was discovered. This... Read more Read more

Despite financial wellbeing in retirement being essential, you’ll still frequently see some concerning headlines about funding retirement or retirement planning. For those of you who’ll retire soon, or have just retired, read on for eight secrets to ensure your golden years are free from financial worry – and can become the best years of your life. Read more Read more

Knowing how to increase your wealth is a challenge in the present environment. The world is still returning to a ‘normal’ state after the global financial crisis of 2008. For example, while New Zealand is still experiencing historically low interest rates, much of the world has negative interest rates. Another example is housing affordability, which is an issue worldwide, not least of all... Read more Read more

A managed fund is a pool of investments that is managed professionally by an expert fund manager. In a managed fund, your money is pooled together with other investors' money to create a single fund that provides significant investor benefits, which include an instant increase in buying strength and tax efficiencies. An investment manager then buys and sells shares or other assets on... Read more Read more

You may have heard the old saying that ‘cash is king’. Once upon a time, this was a true statement. Since then, cash has been toppled from the throne. The word save is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as: 1. Keep safe or rescue (someone or something) from harm or danger. 2. Keep and store up (something, especially money) for future use. ... Read more Read more

Buying your first home can be tricky. It’s difficult to visit any New Zealand news site and not see an article about property unaffordability. While the increase in property values over recent years has slowed a little, purchasing your first home can still seem like a far-fetched pipedream. Despite this, home ownership is still achievable – with some forward planning and smart money... Read more Read more

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If you’ve insured your car, boat, or other vehicle, the chances are that you can get more from your insurance. Read on to learn how. Excess Your insurance excess is the amount you pay before your insurance kicks in. Choosing an excess that isn’t right for you can be a big mistake. Generally, car insurance companies will reduce your premiums (the annual or monthly payments you... Read more Read more

Thought of spending your kids' inheritance? This concept now even has a new term dubbed “SKI’ing” – spend your kids' inheritance. Below are five reasons why this is a great idea. 1. Life is way too short to delay having fun You’ve worked all your life despite the long hours, difficult bosses, obstacles to overcome, and endless deadlines. If you’ve built yourself a healthy nest... Read more Read more

Increasingly, you should be asked to supply evidence of your identity, where you live and how you obtained your wealth when wanting to conduct seemingly simple activities such as invest, open a bank account, or even take out a loan. This will become even more common across New Zealand this year as lawyers, accountants, and real estate agents progressively come under the Anti-Money Laundering... Read more Read more

Most New Zealanders do not use a mortgage adviser (often known as a mortgage broker) to arrange their home loans. This is because when looking to borrow money for property, most people don’t realise that a benefit of a professional’s help can result in them getting the best deal for their mortgage. In fact, using a mortgage adviser could save you tens, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars... Read more Read more

While it’s widely accepted that most New Zealanders are under-insured, recently our advisers here at Milestone Direct have been seeing people who are over-insured. Being over-insured basically means you are wasting money on insurance. After a mortgage, personal insurances such as life insurance are one of the most important personal financial decisions you can make in life.... Read more Read more

Term deposits are perhaps the most well-known type of investment. What’s little known are the risks and disadvantages of investing in term deposits - the seven points below explain how your term deposits could be your worst enemy. 1. Automatic renewals Investors should beware of any automatic rollover conditions before they enter any term deposit. Matured term deposits may... Read more Read more

New Zealand’s largest health insurer, Southern Cross, recently released a new add-on to their normal health insurance called Cancer Assist. This is an optional extra that current policy holders of Southern Cross health insurance can add to their existing cover to insure against the risk of developing a cancer that is best treated using drugs not yet funded by Pharmac. This area has... Read more Read more

On average, people buy a new car every few years. However, a poor car purchase could cost you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. The tips below will help you prepare for your next car purchase and ensure that you are a smart car buyer. 1. Avoid borrowing to pay for your car Interest rates on car loans can hike up the total amount you pay for your car significantly. Car... Read more Read more