Summer reissue: Alex Casey goes on a hunt to find the rarest $10 note in the land. First published February 10, 2020. 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 … Read more
Summer reissue: 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. First published February 29, 2020. Before you read any further, ask yourself this one question: If I dropped dead right now, reading this piece, would … Read more
Recapping the highs and lows of 12 turbulent months. It’s officially the last week of the year and yet March 2020 feels just like yesterday. So much of our lives have been affected in strange and unexpected ways since the global pandemic was declared and our markets and economies have been no exception. So what … Read more
Recent shocks to our economy have shown that when it comes to knowing how to manage our money, New Zealand still has a long way to go. Having now moved on from my first illustrious job as a graduate tax accountant, a lot of what I learnt about tax in my early days has (for … 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
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
New Zealanders insure their cars and contents at almost four times the rate that they insure the thing that pays for all of this – their income. Alice Webb-Liddall learns about insuring her most essential asset. Going about their daily lives, most people don’t think about all the different ways things could go wrong. It … 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
Auckland’s property market is increasingly hard to crack for first-home buyers, but co-ownership could be the answer. Executive director of YouOwn, Nigel Spratt explained how it works to Alice Webb-Liddall. Despite the constant headlines about yet another 19-year-old who’s bought a house, the property market seems geared against anyone under 40 purchasing property. Coming to … 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
Host of personal finance podcast Cooking the Books and now author of a book dubbed ‘the realest guide to money’ Frances Cook tells us why it’s so hard for people to be open about money, finding new ways to channel her spending habits, and why more young women should look to invest. Read more: … Read more
After years of trying, The Spinoff today launches Money – its newest section, one aimed at demystifying and making accessible the world of money. For decades, the relationship between most New Zealanders and money was broadly stable, baked into a set of milestones it was assumed all aspired to and would achieve if they strived. … Read more
Huge numbers of Kiwi customers don’t know who owns their bank, and it’s contributing to a multi-billion dollar profit for Australian-owned banks in New Zealand every year. In 2018, Australian banks made a profit of over $5b in New Zealand. That’s $14m every day being taken out of our economy. Yet a new survey shows … Read more
In our latest local elections 2019 race briefing (read the rest here), Josie Adams looks at those who would dare oppose Tim Shadbolt’s record reign. The Spinoff local election coverage is entirely funded by The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting The Spinoff’s journalism click here. Where? At the bottom of … Read more
Over 2.8 million New Zealanders are signed up for Kiwisaver, but not many are aware of where that money is going. Weaponry, fossil fuels and gambling services are all being invested in from some of the most popular funds, and a new charity tool is making it one step easier to change what you’re investing … Read more
Thousands of Pacific Islanders – including a quarter of Samoa’s population – are hoping for a new life through the annual visa lotteries. They are ready to wrench themselves from home for a New Zealand residence visa. But is the better life the ballot promises a reality? Philippa Tolley reports in this piece originally published … Read more
A fledgling writer asks five of the best how they are striking a balance between work – as in, for proper money – and writing. We like writers to be poor, but in a sexy way – black clothes from the op-shop, a windowless flat, and an endless supply of wine and cigarettes, but no … Read more
In the second instalment in the Money Talks series, Alice Webb-Liddall and Henry Oliver face up to their finances. Dealing with money is complicated enough when you are a single person with a single income. But it can be more than twice as complicated if there are two (or more) of you in a committed … Read more
A new programme being rolled out in 111 schools teaches students how to manage money – and the difference between good and bad debt. In Porirua East the houses look like Monopoly hotels. Two-storied, sturdy state houses that are more giant blocks than anything else. They’re good homes, with beautiful wooden floors (if you happened … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. It is now the second half of the year. In today’s edition: Families package comes into effect, but meanwhile, so does the regional fuel tax. Plus, the NZ Defence Force is waging war against political graffiti. From Sunday, the government’s Families Package took effect. Passed in the mini-Budget at the … Read more
Our well-being and our bank accounts are intricately linked. Simplicity’s Amanda Morrall says the relationship between your financial health and your mental health is inseparable. Juggling the worlds of yoga and finance as I do is a mind bend for some folks. They can’t seem to square the rational with the esoteric. On the surface it … Read more
Setting a budget and sticking to it is really hard and The Spinoff Parents regularly gets asked to pull together budget tips that real parents use. Here are the best crowd-sourced tips from parents in New Zealand. We’ve tried to split this series into parts – because we were sent so many tips. This week we’ve compiled … Read more
Information is power, right? A new money personality quiz built by our partners at Kiwibank could help you tackle your money issues. The Spinoff took it for a spin – here are our results. Do you ever consider your relationship with money? Or that the way you feel about yourself carries through into what sort … Read more
Just living and breathing seems to cost money now. But don’t worry, we got you. We asked around the office and compiled the Spinoff’s tips for living a premium economy lifestyle on a discount economy income. DO Shop at Reduced To Clear. Make sure to ask them what day their cans arrive and get there … Read more
In 2014, New Zealand was one of the first countries to legalise peer-to-peer lending. Jihee Junn takes a look at what effect it’s had on the country’s borrowers, lenders and financial institutions three years on. You might not remember much of it, but a lot of stuff happened back in 2014: John Key romped home … Read more
To buy or not to buy isn’t really the question. The real question is, is bitcoin for us? Mark Hattersley argues that seeing bitcoin as an investment is ultimately short-sighted when it’s a potentially life-changing invention for some. At the time of writing this, one bitcoin is worth more than $24,500, having recovered from a weekend … Read more
Priced out of the housing market? Don’t lose heart. In the second part of a series on alternatives to property investment for ‘Generation Rent’, Jenée Tibshraeny explains the benefits of passive investment and offers a comprehensive guide to the available options. This story has been updated since it was first published on interest.co.nz in June. … Read more
At Techweek’17, over breakfast baps and muesli cups, Henry Oliver looked into the future. Of money. In the ASB cube in Wynyard Quarter, upstairs from an enormous version of Michael Parekowhai’s Six60 cover art (jokes – it’s called ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ and it’s cool), a room full of young bankers in smart casual, ex-bankers in … Read more
New Zealand’s greatest reality show doesn’t only offer a window into the lives of the rich and shameless, says Max Rashbrooke. It’s also a perfect distillation of how the country’s wealth is increasingly being concentrated at the top. In the first episode of Real Housewives of Auckland, Louise Wallace introduces herself with the immortal line, … Read more