If you’re a movie-lover but don’t feel like funnelling more money to a giant global corporation right now, good news: there are plenty of free – and legal – streaming options out there. You just have to know where to look. The number of people with access to linear television is growing smaller and smaller … Read more
We needed a reasonable period of time to allow the recent surging wave of highly geared first home buyers to get financially comfortable. We didn’t get it, writes David Hargreaves of interest.co.nz. You know, I was really beginning to think (as well as hope) that we might just get away with it. By ‘it’ I mean the … Read more
A week into level four lockdown, people are probably starting to feel a little cooped up. To help with this, some subscription services and brands have begun to make their products temporarily free. Here are just a few things currently on offer. For those with the privilege of free time during this isolation period, there’s … Read more
With Covid-19 causing major downturns and worried investors wondering what to do next, Kiwi Wealth’s head of fixed interest shares her thoughts and experience on how to get through these challenging times. From the City of London to New York’s Wall Street, Diana Gordon has worked at the frontlines of global investing for more than … Read more
With Covid-19 wreaking havoc on New Zealand’s economy, shopping with local businesses has become more important than ever. Ryan Jennings from Buy New Zealand Made explains why that is and makes a couple of suggestions on where you can spend your dime. The government’s unveiling of a $12.1 billion Covid-19 relief package this week was … Read more
You don’t have to be a business with employees to apply for the government’s wage subsidy. That’s good news for more than 380,000 of us. Updated: an expansion to the Wage Subsidy Scheme was announced on March 23 along with the announcement that New Zealand would go into lock down for four weeks. The details … Read more
Alice Webb-Liddall speaks to RNZ business editor Gyles Beckford about the language of markets and economics in relation to Covid-19. Let me start by saying I am in no way a business journalist. I enjoy having money but the technicalities of how it works both before and after it’s in my bank account are mysterious … Read more
The government has announced a huge $12bn economic plan aimed at cushioning the impact of Covid-19 on New Zealand workers and the wider economy. We asked a range of commentators for their reaction. Arthur Grimes: NZ’s history of fiscal surpluses might just save the day The Covid-19 pandemic is the biggest economic shock to hit … Read more
In a surprise move this morning, the Reserve Bank has slashed the Official Cash Rate to just 0.25%, down from 1%. So what does that mean for you, and why has it happened now? Just quickly – what is the official cash rate? The OCR is the interest rate at which the Reserve Bank lends … Read more
What makes us save and invest the way we do? Jihee Junn explores how history and culture have shaped our approach to investing and why, despite our ‘rockstar economy’, many are feeling left out. A lot of great things happened in 1987: New Zealand officially went nuclear-free, Māori became recognised as an official language, and … Read more
Covid-19 related price gouging? Yep, it’s happening. Here are just a few things people are trying to sell for crazy prices off the back of coronavirus. Update, 18 March 2020: Bowing to widespread criticism, Trade Me today announced it is introducing a new policy to crack down on profiteering and price gouging related to disasters … Read more
The debate around the affordability and value of NZ Super has flared up once again and many economists have given their two cents on the issue. But with so many variables and unknowns, it’s impossible to give a definitive answer, argues Jenesa Jeram. Figures have recently been released showing that more than 30,000 people are … Read more
Fossil fuels and illegal weapons get the boot as the government announces changes to default funds. What’s the news? KiwiSaver default funds are set for a major overhaul as the government rules out investments in fossil fuels and illegal weapons for future funds. It also announced it would be switching default fund settings from ‘conservative’ … Read more
Less than half of New Zealand adults have a will. One hundred per cent of New Zealand adults die. Sam Brooks writes on why you need a will. Before you read any further, ask yourself this one question: If I dropped dead right now, reading this piece, would my loved ones know exactly – to … Read more
Not paying NZ Super out to those on incomes of $100,000 or more would save taxpayers around $608 million. Is it time we shake up who gets paid and what? RNZ‘s Nita Blake-Persen reports. The number of New Zealand retirees getting their superannuation while earning more than $100,000 has topped 30,000, costing taxpayers more than … Read more
Homeownership has long been touted as the great Kiwi dream, but not everyone’s looking for a permanent fix. Jihee Junn explores the rising phenomenon of renters by choice. Even if I had a hundred grand sitting in the bank for me to spend right now, I’m not sure buying a house would be my first … Read more
How to stop procrastinating and actually (finally) get on top of KiwiSaver. Because there’s a good chance that if you’re reading this, you don’t know a single thing about it. Read the full series here. As we learned in part two, being in the right fund can make all the difference: you could save thousands … Read more
Alex Casey goes on a hunt to find the rarest $10 note in the land. I’ve always been really good at finding money. Not in the useful, fiscal hole kind of a way, but in the literal, frequently picks up bottle caps thinking they are 50c coins kind of a way. Last year, a car … Read more
Duncan Greive shares his three philosophies on buying shares in global giants for people who are curious but terrified about investing. Like any perfectly normal twenty-something, I started investing in sharemarkets after reading a Warren Buffett biography. I came across The Making of an American Capitalist in a second-hand bookstore. It’s a well-regarded account of … Read more
Managing your money isn’t all about Excel sheets and financial diaries. Here are just a few apps we recommend to help you on your way. Money Lover This probably sounds bizarre, but there’s something oddly therapeutic about monitoring your money with an expense tracking app. Not only does it help keep how much you’re spending … Read more
How to stop procrastinating and actually (finally) get on top of KiwiSaver. Because there’s a good chance that if you’re reading this, you don’t know a single thing about it. Read the full series here. In a lot of ways, KiwiSaver is a bit of a misnomer. Sure you’re saving for your future retirement, but … Read more
From early beginnings as a boutique wealth management firm to being a major player in KiwiSaver, the journey of Kiwi Wealth has seen some things change and others stay the same. Alex Braae charts their history. A very simple sign once hung at Kiwi Wealth, the wealth management firm that emerged out of Gareth Morgan … Read more
The average New Zealand house price has hit a record high at over $700,000. What could we buy outside of Auckland – and around the world – for the same price? For the first time since records began in 2007, the average asking price for a house in New Zealand has risen to over $700,000. … Read more
Summer reissue: Dreamed of travelling long term, but at a loss about how to afford it? Here’s how Kristin Hall and her partner managed it (spoiler: involves a lot of brown rice and cabbage). This was originally published on 17 July, 2019 * Scroll to the end for an important note about privilege I’m not … Read more
Young Millennials and Gen-Zers are the first generation to have had KiwiSaver accounts for their entire working lives. Many aren’t worried about becoming homeowners, so why is it important they stick with the investment scheme? My first job was waitressing part-time at a Mexican restaurant with my best friend Mollie. She’s a lot smarter than … Read more
Michael Fuyala helps run his family’s wildly popular Misa Christmas Tree Farm in Auckland. But in recent months, he’s decided to venture into something a little bit different, setting up not just one but two startups: an online fundraising platform for charities, schools and clubs called Rewardhub, and an affiliate marketing network called Linkshop. Jihee … Read more
What is a managed fund and how does it work? We’re here to answer all your questions and more. Let’s start with the basics: what even is a managed fund? As the name suggests, a managed fund is an investment fund that’s taken care of by a team of experts. When you put money into … Read more
Life expectancy is increasing all the time, and now actuaries and retirement experts say young people need far more information on what they’ll need to do with their money if they live to 100. Don’t worry, we’re here to help. The message from the Retirement Income Interest Group of the New Zealand Society of Actuaries … Read more
What was once a distinctly US pastime has evolved into a worldwide phenomenon worth millions of dollars. But as consumers, how do we know we’re not just falling for the hype? Here’s what to keep in mind ahead of November 29. One of my earliest memories of Black Friday comes from watching the six o’clock … Read more