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At the FPA conference in 2017, US-based financial advisers rated running into health problems as their baby boomer clients’ biggest concern – with dementia being top of the list. This has been reinforced by Dr William Reichmann - a global leader in research on aging. He talks about how Alzheimer’s is becoming the number one concern for baby boomers in their 50s and 60s and ... Read more Read more

Bob (not his real name) is a consultant who lives in Christchurch. He’s invested in shares for many years, owns his own home, and is in KiwiSaver. Recently, Bob lost $67,000 through a ‘boiler room’ share scam after an overseas company called him, offering him the chance to invest in a pharmaceutical firm. He said no, but out of interest, researched the company online... Read more Read more

We are living in a world of instant gratification. Want a new product? You can receive it with same-day delivery. Want to watch a movie? Click the movie link and it will stream in seconds. Want a meal? Order it online and get a 30-minute delivery or your money back. According to KISSmetrics, consumers want information so... Read more Read more

Many New Zealanders have all their assets in a family trust. Additionally, New Zealand, like many other countries, has an aging population and we are seeing an increasing number of elderly people losing their mental capacity. When a trustee of a trust loses their mental capacity, it can lead to complications with proper administration of the trust, and in some cases, administration of... Read more Read more

We have seen a substantial rise in investment portfolios over the past 12 months. However, a new government is now in place and it intends to make a number of sweeping changes to the social structure of New Zealand. We know from past experience that there is a long-term trend line with investment values for different assets and if markets rise or fall too dramatically, then they will... Read more Read more

After 15 years in uniform, Joseph Darby was seeking a new challenge. He found it as the Chief Executive of Milestone Direct Limited, the preferred financial advice provider to an increasing number of organisations, including the New Zealand Defence Force. While rising to the rank of Major in the Army, Joseph performed operational tours in Iraq, East Timor, the Sinai, and twice in... Read more Read more

Don’t fret the small stuff when it comes to how your investments will fare as a result of the 23 September 2017 election. We live in a MMP political environment and a degree of uncertainty is created after each election about what the new government will do. We all know that financial markets like certainty, and when it is absent, market sentiment goes negative and values fall. ... Read more Read more

We have now officially said goodbye to winter and are enjoying the first days of spring. Now is the time to take a fresh look at your finances to ensure you are on track to achieve your financial goals. Talk with us about your financial plan but, before doing so, consider the following: Are you getting the best from your mortgage? Interest rates are likely to start rising, so... Read more Read more

KiwiSaver is now well entrenched in New Zealand savings culture. However, there are a multitude of New Zealanders who, for a variety of reasons, still do not fully understand how it works. We have looked back over the past five years at the questions we get regularly asked and have compiled answers to these common misconceptions. Can I continue to contribute after age 65? ... Read more Read more

Trusts are an important part of New Zealand society and the economy. It is estimated there are between 300,000 to 500,000 trusts in New Zealand. The Government is moving to update and improve the general law governing trusts for the first time in 60 years. Generally, the proposed reforms seek to clarify core trust concepts such as what constitutes a trust and what duties a trustee has... Read more Read more

Part 4 of a series of 8 videos where Associate Professor David Tripe of Massey University discusses mortgages with Milestone Direct Limited. This video discusses splitting a home loan over multiple terms. Read more Read more

As the father of three Millennials (identical twin girls aged 23 and a son aged 26), I pay a great deal of attention to articles and studies on this largest generation – especially since our kids keep coming home and thinking that what is in our fridge should rightfully be theirs. Given the sheer size of this generation, and its vast effect on the economy for decades to come, we should all be... Read more Read more

Part 3 of a series of 8 videos where Associate Professor David Tripe of Massey University discusses whether to split your mortgage over multiple terms. Read more Read more

Part 2 of a series of 8 videos where Associate Professor David Tripe of Massey University discusses mortgages with Milestone Direct Limited. In this episode, Associate Professor Tripe compares fixed to floating and answers which is better for your mortgage. Read more Read more

Part 1 of a series of 8 videos where Associate Professor David Tripe of Massey University discusses mortgages. In this episode, Associate Professor Tripe describes how fixed terms work and how to get the best one. Read more Read more

Insurance can often turn a terrible situation into something more tolerable. However, when an insurer declines a claim, then it tends to magnify the unpleasantness and compound an already stressful situation. This is when a good insurance adviser is worth their weight in gold. Recently, two of our insurance advisers went to bat for their clients and won them sizeable payouts. Neither... Read more Read more

From time-to-time, many people ask this question about themselves. Often, the people who ask it are hard-working, well-educated, high-income individuals and couples. These days there seems to be too many such professionals who are facing a bleak retirement. Sometimes they realise this too late in life. So, why is it that so many people in this situation aren’t wealthy? The answer to... Read more Read more

In its May Financial Stability Report, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand revealed the results of stress tests designed to assess the vulnerability of households to service their mortgages if rates rise. Its findings show a high number of owner-occupier households would be under financial stress if rates jump, which could collapse the housing market as defaults rise and demand weakens... Read more Read more

Historically, as the wealth of New Zealand families increased, their desire for a bach or crib also increased. Owning one became a status symbol and signified that you had ‘made it’ on the financial ladder. As time progressed, a bach or crib evolved from something simple and low cost that was often built by the owner beside a beach, river or lake, to now being a more palatial dwelling often... Read more Read more

Where to live when one gets older is an issue we all need to confront at some stage in our lives, be it making the decision for ourselves, or assisting a loved one to make that decision. Moving into a retirement village or rest home is now becoming more popular. However, there are other choices: Stay in the same house and modify it with ramps and rails, install assistance alarms, and... Read more Read more