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“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 all humans make and keep commitments to ourselves, the business model of the fitness industry, and even behavioural economics. But before we get into... 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, shares, 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... 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 wealthy spend their money. For those of you wondering what’s so great about being rich after all, scroll... 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

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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. Here's the top four ways how: 1. 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... 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

When looking to borrow money for a property, many people don’t realise the benefits that working with a professional and experienced adviser can offer – including helping them get the best overall mortgage deal. Using a mortgage adviser could save you tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars over the lifetime of your mortgage. Here are the top six advantages of using a mortgage... 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. A term deposit is essentially an agreement with a bank to deposit a lump-sum for a fixed period, for the benefit of receiving a specified rate of interest. 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... Read more Read more