Think you may need financial advice? Watch this step-by-step video showing the process of getting financial advice through Milestone Direct.
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(Video) Milestone Direct presentation
We believe that advice should be affordable and accessible wherever you are in New Zealand. To do this we embrace technology to deliver a low cost, high quality service. At Milestone Direct our advisers are trained and obliged to put your interests first. We are here to ensure your financial goals are understood and an appropriate financial recommendation is presented to you and your family:...
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5 tips to keep on top of your insurance
Many people seem to think that once they start some form of insurance, they don’t have to think about it anymore and it will stay right for them forever. However, there are quite a few things that people need to consider, both before they get insurance and throughout their lives as they hold certain insurance policies. Below are five tips to ensure you are getting the best out of your...
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5 ways you could be wasting money on insurance
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....
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Insurance
Business insurance
Building your business never stops. Protecting what you’ve built so far is equally important. As businesses grow, it’s vital to ensure all that hard work isn’t lost in an instant – which is where different types of business insurance are key.
Protecting your business from disruption by injury or illness
Helping you address the financial consequences of losing a key person (like...
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End of year financial checklist
As the weather warms, the beach and barbeque are probably calling your name. Though something else worth spending a little time and attention on during the holiday season is your finances.
Just like your physical health, your financial health needs a check-up at least annually.
Before the year that has been like no other winds down, take some time to check in on your financial...
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Investment
Financial advice plans and pricing
Not sure what your retirement will look like? Deciding whether to invest in property? Retiring and need to know what to do and how much you can spend each year? Wondering if you're overpaying for insurance? Not sure what to do after paying off the mortgage? Deciding what to do with an inheritance or other sum?
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Financial rip offs
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...
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Give your finances a spring makeover
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...
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Good insurance advisers secure big payouts for clients
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...
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Have you insured your largest asset?
For many of you reading this, the first thought you may have about your largest asset may be that it’s your house, an investment fund, a business, or perhaps a share portfolio.
However, for nearly anyone reading this still in paid employment, (or in other words, if you haven’t retired yet) your largest asset is usually your ability to earn income. That’s because your financial security...
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Insurance
Health insurance
Health insurance is an important safety net, allowing you and your family to access the best medical care when you need it.
Whether you realise it or not, your health is everything to you, so helping protect it is crucial. While you may be in perfect health now, it’s very possible that you may become unwell at some stage of your life. You will need to be able to get back to full health...
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Insurance companies are hiking the costs of income protection insurance and are making it tougher to get cover in the wake of major financial losses on the same offering in Australia. Across the Tasman, a situation where consumers being “price-forced” to cancel their policies led the Australian regulator to ban insurers from offering policies which would replace more than 70 per cent of...
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Insurance
Home, contents and vehicle insurance
Home insurance
You’ve worked hard for your home, and it likely represents the single biggest investment for your future. Fire, earthquake, burglary, flood, and accidents can cause damage to your house, so home insurance protects what’s probably your most expensive possession. The most common claims are usually for:
Weather-related damage to roofing and ceilings Damaged...
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How the rich spend their money
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...
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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...
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Insurance
Income insurance
While none of us want to think about suffering an illness or injury, every week thousands of New Zealanders find themselves in that exact situation.
How would you pay the bills if you couldn’t work due to such an illness or injury? Income insurance protects your most valuable asset – your ability to earn – by guaranteeing you a regular income to cover your essential expenses. This...
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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...
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Insurance
Life insurance
Life insurance can help ensure your loved ones are looked after during the hardest of times. Your life insurance policy (often called life cover) will pay out a lump sum if you die or are diagnosed with a terminal illness. This is so that:
Your spouse will have enough money to replace your income for a while, pay for your funeral, and look after your children Your family can...
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