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Earning power is crucial to financial wellbeing, and recent events in NZ and worldwide have highlighted the need for people to carefully select their chosen line of work. Even before “the great lockdown” the automation of many roles was already occurring (in other words, robots taking jobs from humans). Covid-19 has only accelerated this trend – and many others. As NZ and the world’s economies... Read more Read more

NZ’s main banks saw a decline in mortgage lending demand over the first half of 2020 and expect a further fall in mortgage demand for the rest of the year, according to a new Credit Conditions Survey released by the Reserve Bank (NZ’s regulator of banks and insurers). The survey started prior to the announcement of lockdown and was completed in the last two weeks of June 2020. It asked... Read more Read more

An unlikely form of financial and investing inspiration was provided by the first groups to reach the South Pole. During December 1911 and January 1912, separate British and Norwegian expeditions were the first to reach the South Pole. They arrived within a few weeks of each other. As you would hope, both teams were led by well-regarded people: Roald Amundsen led the Norwegians. He... Read more Read more

These days, it seems we face daily advances in technology. Our personal lives have become highly dependent on the technology that other people and companies have developed. Technology has changed the way we purchase products, the way we live, the way we communicate, the way we travel, and the way we learn. As people’s demands and lifestyles change, the demand for advancing the type of... Read more Read more

Graduating from university, getting an apprenticeship, or taking an OE (overseas experience) used to be a right of passage, not just for young adults but also for their parents. It marked a glorious time when the young “left the nest”, and the parent’s job was done. The child had been raised to become an adult, and now they were embarking on their own journey in life. How times have... Read more Read more

The value of an owner-occupied home is a source of pride to many NZ families. This has meant the last few decades of NZ house price increases haven’t always been seen as an issue, as those that already own properties feel wealthier as a result of their home increasing in value. However, this has led to a major difference in housing affordability between NZ and most of the rest of the developed... Read more Read more

Lifestyle creep is one of the deadliest financial traps in modern life – worst of all, it can sneak up without you even noticing. Before we look at a quick list of six ways you can avoid it, let’s explain what lifestyle creep is and give a few examples. What is lifestyle creep? Lifestyle creep occurs when your standard of living improves to become more expensive as your income... Read more Read more

Buying your first home can be tricky. Over recent years it’s been difficult to visit any New Zealand news site and not see an article about housing unaffordability. The increase in property values over recent years has pulled back a little (even before Covid-19 struck), but for many, purchasing your first home can still seem like a far-fetched pipedream. Despite this, home... Read more Read more

One of NZ’s biggest insurers just ceased offering an insurance product that we’ve long said was nearly always a waste of money: funeral insurance. In fact, this type of insurance policy was placed sixth on our list of biggest financial rip-offs. What is funeral insurance? Not to be confused with life insurance, funeral insurance is a type of insurance policy that can help your... Read more Read more

None of us are perfect – that’s what makes us all human! We all make mistakes (big or small) every day. Sometimes our mistakes are minor with few consequences, and other times our mistakes are major, perhaps we make a mistake which impacts our health, those close to us, or somehow costs us money? We improve our chances of avoiding such mistakes if we’re aware of the common mistakes... Read more Read more

Whenever the economy gets turbulent, the fans of investing in gold emerge. They’re sometimes called “goldbugs” and will shout from the rooftops that the world is doomed, and that the only logical investment is gold. They usually make at least a few good points, and their arguments can sound quite convincing. But, is gold all it’s made out to be, and if so, what’s the best way to invest... Read more Read more

A share market crash is a rapid and usually unanticipated drop in prices. The most recent one was recorded on 12 March 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Such drops often lead investors to wonder: are such drops normal for share markets, or is this different? You might have heard experts and the media call this a “black swan event”. Defining a ‘black swan’... Read more Read more

Are you ready to expand as the world contracts? Even in the current dire economic situation, plenty of people will still emerge as winners. Winners know that recessions are not something to fear but are rather opportunities for those who are properly prepared. Here are the top seven characteristics of winners in times of a recession: 1. The win-win mindset Winners know... Read more Read more

The banks have once again waged war on each other and slashed mortgage rates well below record lows. The most recent drop occurred in rapid-fire succession, with each bank following another down. One-year special fixed rate terms are now comfortably below 3% for those with more than 20% equity (or a 20% deposit for first home buyers). This is a figure scarcely imaginable even a year or... Read more Read more

Sooner or later, you’ll probably deal with some financial stress. Many Kiwi’s are already in this position, which might be caused by rising debt, a job loss, insufficient earnings, high living costs, or even money troubles in your relationship. Whatever the circumstances, being worried about money takes a mental and physical toll, plus it can strain relations with your significant... Read more Read more

No one likes paying more tax – so what’s the likelihood we could be facing a tax hike in the near future? The NZ government (i.e. all taxpayers in NZ) have just borrowed a lot to get through the economic impacts of Covid-19 and the associated lockdown. Cash has been splashed around to try and prevent a worse economic situation than is already developing. Please let us be very clear: we... Read more Read more

A major drawback of KiwiSaver is the fiddling and tinkering to it which has occurred since it began. This is often politically motivated, though fortunately, most of this years’ changes seem to be minor improvements. Read on to learn more. Read more Read more

Before the epidemic struck, in most parts of NZ, home prices had been booming for some time. Reasons for this included record low mortgage rates, building and land restrictions, high immigration, and high levels of employment. The property market is about to undergo a rapid change due to the flow on effect from the virus-related economic slowdown. It is a near certainty there will be a... Read more Read more

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ), who regulate NZ mortgage lending, has decided to remove the loan-to-value ratio (LVR) restrictions until 1 May 2021 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. This change marks the end of nearly seven years of LVR limits. What were the LVR restrictions? LVR restrictions were limits placed on banks by their NZ regulator to reduce the amount of... Read more Read more

Like a pack of sharks who smell blood, the scammers are already circling. A decade or so ago during the Global Financial Crisis, investment fraud and other consumer scams were rampant. As any crisis spurs a degree of fear among at least some of the population, it’s no surprise the scammers are back in force to prey on people’s uncertainties, fears, and lack of knowledge in some areas... Read more Read more