Search our articles

Since Bonus Bonds started in 1970, hundreds of thousands of Kiwis have bought them, or purchased them as gifts for relatives or friends. You might have been given some at some point, possibly only to lose track of them over the years. Though Bonus Bonds were started by the New Zealand government, the management of them was later sold in 1990 to ANZ Bank. What are Bonus Bonds? ... Read more Read more

Earlier this month, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand lowered the official cash rate to the lowest it’s been in New Zealand’s history. This is a significant financial event, with practical implications for most Kiwis. So what does it mean for you? First, let’s summarise what the Reserve Bank is. Read more Read more

Early retirement is the major lifestyle goal of many people. However, early retirement isn’t always all it’s made out to be, so it pays to be aware of potential issues and how to avoid them. Here are the top four pitfalls of an early retirement: 1. Spending too much during the early years of retirement The primary challenge when choosing to retire early is making sure... Read more Read more

Imagine if what we know now about finances, we knew back in our teen years – how much better off would we all be? When most of us were in high school, we didn’t learn anything about money, budgeting, or investing. However, nowadays, by the time you leave your teenage years, you’re hopefully no longer financially clueless. Here are six of the best financial lessons you wish you knew as... Read more Read more

Did you know that more than 2.4 million of us are invested in a KiwiSaver Scheme? Did you also know that over 1.5 million members of KiwiSaver don’t make any contributions, despite there being some great advantages of contributing to KiwiSaver? Below are some of the changes to KiwiSaver expected for the rest of 2019, noting that further change to KiwiSaver is coming in 2020... Read more Read more

For many, it can seem like becoming wealthy is an impossible task. This feeling can be made worse by present-day realities such as expensive housing and low interest rates for any money we save in the bank. Thankfully, according to research which canvassed a wide range of millionaires, becoming wealthier requires only two qualities that anyone can develop: perseverance and resilience. That... Read more Read more

Property investment has been a great method of wealth creation for many New Zealanders, especially for generations such as the ‘baby boomers’. But recently, a lot of things have changed, or are about to, including: Especially in larger cities, yields are too low to make a cashflow profit, It is becoming harder to offset any rental property cashflow losses against other... Read more Read more

No matter what you earn, building a comfortable savings and investment nest egg will be difficult if you’re constantly spending on a multitude of things – even if you can afford them. While nice things and experiences can be tempting, here are four ways to ensure you say no to purchases – even when you think you can afford it. 1. Perform some quick maths to check your reality... Read more Read more

Recently proposed changes to the amount of financial backing New Zealand banks need to operate could have a significant impact on all New Zealanders with a mortgage – or about to get one. Such changes could also impact those saving money in the bank. Read more Read more

Hot on the heels of introducing restrictions to property ownership by non-residents and the extending of the “bright line test” for taxable property sales from 2 years to 5 years, the Labour-led coalition government is now following through with another of its property-related proposals aimed at levelling the playing field for taxpayers. Whilst most people were busy buying Christmas... Read more Read more

Most financial experts say that you should have at least three to six months of living expenses kept as a readily accessible emergency fund. In spite of this, a recent study completed by BNZ showed that 41% of New Zealanders live from pay day to pay day, that is, basically spending their entire income before they’re paid again. People in this situation usually have limited or no... Read more Read more

“Getting more exercise” is routinely the most common New Year’s resolution. However, while joining a gym may seem admirable, it is generally one of the worst investments you can make. The reasons for this are deeply embedded in the way we make and keep commitments to ourselves, the business model of the fitness industry, and even behavioural economics. But before we get into all that,... Read more Read more

In a perfect world, we would all have a financial adviser who you could check in with regularly, including calling before making any investment decision or big purchase. But while nearly everyone benefits from working with a financial adviser, the cost often prevents it being worthwhile. Clearly, advisers must charge a certain amount to make a living (and don’t even get us started on the... Read more Read more

Multimillionaire author and speaker Jim Rohn famously said that we’re the average of the five people we spend the most time with. The principle is that the more quality time we spend with good people, the more pearls of wisdom we begin to hear from them, then the more wisdom we implement in our own lives. Here’s some of the best financial advice you’ll ever hear, collated from experts... Read more Read more

We all know that sinking feeling of knowing you’ve been ripped off. Unfortunately, in the financial world there are quite a few offerings, products, services, and outright rip offs that you should be aware of. Awareness can help you avoid that sinking feeling. While many of these financial offerings are appropriate under the right circumstances, it can sometimes still be difficult to... Read more Read more

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 businesses 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 more... 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