Mortgages

The following is a selection of articles mainly from January 2005 to the present. To explore this topic in more depth and access earlier columns, please use the search box.

Articles

NZ Herald 6 April 2013

Q&As: You can be regarded as being in a de facto relationship even if you don't live together
- Accountant gives bad advice on joining KiwiSaver
- Paying extra off the mortgage versus saving outside KiwiSaver
- 2 Q&As about young man who is NZ tax resident but still pays interest on his student loan
- Reader's student loan idea might work - depending on family dynamics

NZ Herald 23 March 2013

Q&As: Should student loan interest - for people overseas - be lower than mortgage rates?
- Why parents let students run up loans, and then repay the loans for them
- One way parents can help their adult child buy a home without losing the money to the child's ex later on
- How the new partner of a widow might get his share if they split up

NZ Herald 9 February 2013

Q&As: Ways to keep a daughter's partner's hands off an inheritance if he leaves the daughter
- Another provider of reverse mortgages
- 2 Q&As on the pluses and minuses of reverse mortgages

NZ Herald 2 February 2013

Q&As: Interest-only mortgages have major flaws
- Another - good - approach to reverse mortgages
- Are the banks ripping us off with reverse mortgages?
- Spending certainly didn't decrease for this new retiree
- KiwiSaver contributions flexible

NZ Herald 15 December 2012

Q&As: The pluses outweigh the minuses when putting kids into KiwiSaver
- Some thoughts about reverse mortgages
- Alternatives to reverse mortgages
- An end of year message

NZ Herald 8 December 2012

Q&As: Child's KiwiSaver account highly unlikely to shrink to zero
- Family could do its own "reverse mortgage"
- Some downsides of reverse mortgages

NZ Herald 1 December 2012

Q&As: Reverse mortgages can work well, if you know what you're doing
- Where to get comparable info on KiwiSaver fees
- A parent's worries about KiwiSaver are probably unfounded

NZ Herald 27 October 2012

Q&As: Fortnightly mortgage payments not all they're cracked up to be
- When the overnight money goes in and out of bank accounts
- How to organize retirement savings
- The downside of using rental property for retirement savings
- Last week's correspondent exaggerated his woes

NZ Herald 13 October 2012

Q&As: Make credit card repayment your top priority
- Why KiwiSaver tax credit is not as good as some people think
- Revolving credit mortgage could help some unhappy ANZ customers
- Reader bombs out on gold, silver, dollar forecasts

NZ Herald 6 October 2012

Q&As: Is now a good time to buy a first home?
KiwiSaver versus mortgage repayment trade-off for self-employed and non-employees
2 Q&As about changes to ANZ mortgage conditions

NZ Herald 29 September 2012

Q&As: A couple of concerns about buying shares in the company you work for
- Bank's mortgage changes don't look like profiteering
- New graduate shouldn't bypass KiwiSaver
- 3 Q&As about gloomy predictions and investing in gold

NZ Herald 15 September 2012

Q&As: The big question: does the doom merchant use banks?
- Why NZ banks are not beloved
- How couple close to retirement might be able to get a mortgage
- When saving beats repaying a mortgage
- Low-income reader lives a good life
- Housing NZ offers help to retired people too

NZ Herald 14 July 2012

Q&As: Use accessible KiwiSaver money to repay credit card debt, and probably mortgage too
- What exactly does growth in GDP mean?
- 3 readers are unhappy with charities asking for more ...
- And a fourth points out how complicated it can get
- An error last week about donations to St Johns?
- Reader happy with his healthcare insurance

NZ Herald 21 April 2012

Q&As: One retired reader is fed up with a younger person's attitude to superannuitants ...
- While another is amused, and thoughtful
- Effect of a mortgage rate rise on house prices being underplayed
- An overseas landlord must, by law, have an agent here
- Bank gives wrong info on deposits into KiwiSaver

NZ Herald 31 March 2012

Q&A: Students get a good deal by world standards, and shouldn't dodge student loan repayments
How come the bonds in a balanced KiwiSaver fund report losses?
Winning the tax game if you have a home and a rental property
Where to get free budget advice

NZ Herald 24 March 2012

Q&As: Is it better to go for the most expensive house you can, or the cheapest?
- Adult son in sheltered workshop should keep up with KiwiSaver
- Slight risk of holding back on using student loan repayment bonus

Syndicated column 24 March 2012 - How to join the new debt cutting trend

We're all living through three "great transitions", said the keynote speaker at a recent conference. One transition is from West to East - with the growing emphasis on China and India, another is from analog to digital, and the third is from debt to saving. Let's look more at that third transition.

NZ Herald 18 February 2012

Q&As: How much financial support a reader gives their student son
- Two banks offer mortgages that get around problems with revolving credit loans
- An accountant's offer boosts reputation of the profession
- Two Q&As about means testing of NZ Super in some circumstances, and how KiwiSaver fits in
- Yes, there are plenty of companies that don't pay dividends

NZ Herald 11 February 2012

Q&As: A disadvantage of revolving credit mortgages - it can be hard to keep track of your money
- Should John Banks and co. have shared the profits on the sale of their KiwiSaver scheme with members?
- The one situation in which NZ Super is affected by your KiwiSaver account
- A call for info about student spending

Syndicated column 3 December 2011 - Columnist is wrong - mortgage repayment is well worth it

Contrarian investing - when you put your money into investments that most people are getting out of - sometimes works well. Such investments are usually cheap. But should we extend that to borrowing when most others are repaying debt?

NZ Herald 11 June 2011

Q&As: Should couple with iffy job prospects sell their shares to slash their mortgage?
- Young KiwiSaver with an eye on first home help should move to a lower-risk fund
- One KiwiSaver doesn't appreciate how good his deal is ....
- And another is sick of whingers over the scheme
- Did my comment about people's inability to pick investments cover advisers?

Syndicated column 7 May 2011 - Think before switching your whole mortgage to a floating rate

In a dramatic change over the last couple of years, everyone's moving to floating-rate mortgages. Is this a good idea?

NZ Herald 9 April 2011

Q&As: Bad experience with fund shouldn't put you off KiwiSaver ...
- ... Nor should low income
- Way of getting around high-interest fixed mortgage not without risk

NZ Herald 26 March 2011

Q&As: Where does the money go when a finance company fails?
- How bank mortgage interest rates are set, and how to compare them
- Should a reader switch from a fixed to a floating mortgage?

NZ Herald 19 March 2011

Q&As: Should it take a bank three weeks to cut its mortgage rates?
- Just how great was one family's "Great Mistake of 2009"?
- Reader tells Mary off for forgetting about the expenses of selling a house
- How couple should invest as they approach retirement

NZ Herald 12 March 2011

Q&As: A reader clearly doesn't like the idea of renting instead of home ownership.
- How risky are mortgages, and who owns a home with a mortgage - you or the bank?
- Share portfolio in some ways better than rental property in retirement

NZ Herald 26 February 2011

Q&As: Why 55-year-old Mum shouldn't give up on home ownership
- Important to save a little, even if you have a mortgage, to gain market knowledge over the years
- Banks "are just like car dealers"
- Will below-market share buyer lose it all in tax?

NZ Herald 19 February 2011

Q&As: Repaying debt should be Number One priority - with one important exception
- Money can't buy the most important things in retirement
- Last week's numbers on NZ Super were incomplete - sorry
- Let's demystify share trading, and share holding
- One more advantage of owning shares

NZ Herald 12 February 2011

Q&As: Here's an incentive to save for retirement
- Would increasing GST have to hurt those on lower incomes?
- Time to count a few blessings
- Lengthening the term of a mortgage can ease payments - but at a price
- Don't let tax drive your investment decisions

NZ Herald 11 December 2010

Q&As: Earthquake victim faces an old question: whether to invest spare money or repay a loan
- Reader escapes "an endless loop" of credit card payments after using an internet Q&A service
- A "me too" letter raises questions about a bank's policy on fees

NZ Herald 30 October 2010

Q&As: What happens to your money when it seems to disappear for a few days in the bank?
- Flexibility an issue when deciding how to go about repaying a mortgage quickly
- Would gains on the sale of gold or silver be taxable?
- The pros and cons of holding on to gold coin gifts

NZ Herald 23 October 2010

Q&As: With extra to pay off a mortgage, should you add to principal repayments or shorten the term of the loan?
- Graph of gold price history tells some interesting stories
- Transferring money from UK to New Zealand to take advantage of higher interest rates here could be risky
- Under what circumstances can Inland Revenue take money out of your KiwiSaver account?

NZ Herald 2 October 2010

Q&As: KiwiSaver is not guaranteed by the government - but that doesn't mean you shouldn't join
Is it wise to have your KiwiSaver account with your bank?
Banks said to be "stealing" KiwiSaver members from other providers
Does a reader who is speedily repaying her mortgage need a savings account?

NZ Herald 7 August 2010

Q&As: Does it make sense to try to pick where Baby Boomers will retire and buy property there?
How KiwiSaver works if you move from employment to self-employment
Should couple use lump sum to repay a commercial mortgage or for other investment - and how KiwiSaver affects this?
Some alternatives for investing in emerging markets

NZ Herald 27 March 2010

Q&As: Why do people pick on landlords?
What tax breaks do rental property owners get that others don't get?
Why some accountants' advice to repay mortgage before joining KiwiSaver is wrong.

NZ Herald 23 January 2010

Q&As: Should couple repay mortgage with redundancy money, or invest it in KiwiSaver or elsewhere?
Big KiwiSaver provider should know better about first-year tax credits
More information available about investment advisers - and are hourly or percentage fees better?
Less room for trouble if people make their own investments after seeking adviser's recommendations

NZ Herald 8 August 2009

Q&As: 2 Q&As on whether New Zealanders over-invest in property
Is 50 too old to take out a mortgage?

NZ Herald July 4 2009

Q&As: Mother seeks advice on financial steps to take after husband is diagnosed with terminal illness
Investor in KiwiSaver cash fund hasn't done as badly as he thinks
Happy landlord reaps rewards from treating tenants well
Advice from this column about loans within families has saved time for a reader time - and money for her parents

NZ Herald June 27 09

Q&As: Many reasons why repaying home mortgage is better than investing in a rental property
Couple who haven't heard from their KiwiSaver providers need to take initiative
Accountant passes on his tricks about how to keep track of KiwiSaver contributions

NZ Herald June 6 2009

Q&As: Are rental properties the low-risk way to invest?
How to find out which financial institutions are covered by the government's deposit guarantee scheme
Getting rid of KiwiSaver mortgage diversion was a mercy killing

NZ Herald February 28 2009

Q&As: Couple approaching retirement should spend most of their savings on paying off their mortgage.
Yes, you can get KiwiSaver tax credits as well as NZ Super.
Reader who distrust government confuses KiwiSaver with NZ Super Fund
Was this column wrong last week about withholding tax on interest paid on a loan within a family?

NZ Herald February 14 2009

Q&As: The possible perils of parents lending a mortgage to adult children.
Tips on mortgage reduction from a mortgage broker.
How mortgage borrowers could unite to force interest rates down.
2 Q&As on what happens to KiwiSaver money in retirement.

NZ Herald February 7 2009

Q&As: Some great ideas for reducing your mortgage.
Non-employees are also eligible to join KiwiSaver.
The KiwiSaver tax credit has nothing to do with tax.
Once you're in KiwiSaver, you can't get out again - but should you want to?

NZ Herald January 31 2009

Q&As: Several options for 20-year-old who worries that the state of the world makes KiwiSaver iffy.
5 Q&As about reader who was offered a mortgage deal that was too good to be true.

NZ Herald January 24 2009

Q&As: Advisor's mortgage offer looks too magical to be true
Children more likely to be angry because their parents didn't sign them up to KiwiSaver than because they did
Too much on KiwiSaver in this column?

Syndicated column December 9 2008 - Falling mortgage rates your big chance to get ahead

It's hard to believe that less than nine months ago this column featured suggestions for people facing big mortgage rate rises. Now, with floating mortgage rates falling fast, the advice is quite different.

NZ Herald November 29 2008

Q&As: Repaying a mortgage - on a home or rental property - almost always better than saving with term deposits.
KiwiSaver works well for children.
3 Q&As on charitable Christmas giving.

NZ Herald November 1 2008

Q&As: There's plenty of hope for worried KiwiSaver in 30s - on the home ownership front and elsewhere.
National's plans for KiwiSaver make mortgage diversion much less attractive for many.
Plus: Readers' comments on KiwiSaver

NZ Herald October 4 2008

Q&As: A happy share investor, and how you might get out of shares if you need to in the current market.
How does KiwiSaver mortgage diversion work for someone with a "2 + 2" contribution arrangement?
Plus: Winners of the Herald book giveaway

NZ Herald September 27 2008

Q&As: Why KiwiSaver mortgage diversion is such a good idea.
Should the government intervene to stop house prices from falling?

NZ Herald September 20 2008

Q&As: Disgruntled KiwiSaver has actually done really well
Mortgage diversion finally available - soon - to most KiwiSavers

NZ Herald June 28 2008

Q&As: Why older people get a better deal from KiwiSaver, but younger people should nevertheless still join.
Do interest-only mortgages qualify for mortgage diversion?

Syndicated column March 18 2008: Choices for those hit by mortgage rate rises

The offers are already being made to people facing big mortgage interest rises. "If your lender won't renegotiate, we've got deals that will lower your payments," they say. Are these deals any good?

Syndicated column February 19 2008 - Mortgage diversion well worth it for many

The term "mortgage diversion" will be on more and more lips as KiwiSaver approaches its first anniversary in July.

It's not too early to think about whether this feature of the scheme - available after 12 months membership - would work well if you are already in KiwiSaver, or could attract you into the scheme.

NZ Herald October 6 2007

Over the next few weeks, this column will run highlights from Mary Holm's quarterly newsletter Holm Truths. Mary's regular Q&A column will resume on October 27.

MORTGAGE MOVES

You've probably got the message by now: It's a great idea to pay off your mortgage as fast as possible.

Paying off a 9 per cent mortgage, for example, is equivalent to making an investment that pays you a guaranteed return of 9 per cent after fees and taxes. And it's risk-free.

But not everyone is in a position to pay extra off...

NZ Herald June 30 2007

Q&As: Three Q&As about KiwiSaver - reimbursement of employer contributions; is daughter overseas eligible?; when is mortgage diversion helpful?; where can you get the information that was in the three Herald supplements about KiwiSaver?
Rental property running costs mount up over the years.

Syndicated column April 17 2007: Obsessed with property? Not us

New Zealanders are not as property mad - or as mortgage mad - as we've been led to believe, recent research shows.

NZ Herald April 7 2007

Q&As: A year-old letter shows the danger in trying to predict what the Kiwi dollar will do
"Plodders" wonder how to match the investments of their landlord friends
Traders in shares beyond Australasia no longer pay the old tax on capital gains
How about taxing rental property the same way as international shares?

NZ Herald March 31 2007

Q&As: Have you got what it takes to borrow to invest in a share fund?
How frequent traders in international shares will be taxed under the new rules.
How Inland Revenue might catch property traders.

NZ Herald March 24 2007

Q&As: Should we blame the banks for soaring house prices?
2 Q&As on the new fair dividend rate tax on non-Australasian shares - the threshold, and trying to get around the rules
2Q&As on home equity release - lifetime interest rates and break fees if you change your mind

NZ Herald March 17 2007

Q&As: Landlords, beware! Changes being considered in rental property taxation.
Reader feels unfairly punished by Reserve Bank's interest rate hike.
The word "secured" in a debenture ad is hardly a warning sign. The company is just following the law.

NZ Herald March 10 2007

Q&As: Many elderly, and others, could benefit from rates postponement schemes.
Why floating interest rates might be better - for home equity release schemes and ordinary mortgages.
A not-so-dumb question about the $50,000 exemption for international tax changes, and a new source of info on the changes.

NZ Herald February 24 2007

Seeking your questions about KiwiSaver
Q&As: Woman in mid 50s, who is renting, explores options for buying a home
2 Q&As about the $50,000 threshold in the new regime on taxation of international shares

NZ Herald January 13 2007

Q&As: Options for a newly retired couple with $200,000 and no home include part-time work, buying a home with a flat attached, an interest-only mortgage and equity release.
Two Q&As on which investments are affected by the new tax law on international shares, and how it will work for investors.

NZ Herald November 25 2006

Q&As: Is it a good idea to go back to 100 per cent mortgage on rental and invest the money in a term deposit?
A reader supports gradually building up a share portfolio.
Another charity offers Christmas gifts for the needy on behalf of your friends and relatives.
Reader wants more info on charities before making gifts.
A Sydney minister's quick-witted response.
Prices then and now - and how houses fit into the picture.
Cathedral carvings show inflation is nothing new.
A reader's pie and doughnut confession.

Holm Truths Spring 06

Mortgage moves: How you can make the big loans work better for you
Also in this issue: From the mailbox - Is it a good idea to increase your mortgage and invest the money elsewhere?

NZ Herald July 15 2006

Q&As: Lessons from the Bible: Is borrowing bad?
Is luck or attitude the secret to wealth?
Sharebrokers shouldn't always be expected to give ongoing advice.

NZ Herald February 11 2006

Q&As: Couple should spend less?
Wealth isn't always money.
How last week's correspondent made his millions.
Making extra payments on fixed mortgages without penalties.

NZ Herald January 28 2006

Q&As: 27-year-old overseas doesn't need more than 4 rentals in NZ.
Should more conservative 26-year-old get revolving credit mortgage?

NZ Herald January 21 2006

Q&As: Shares v term deposits - it depends how much time you have.
Short-of-cash millionaires should try to renegotiate their mortgage.
When is a 2% penalty not 2%?

NZ Herald December 17 2005

Q&As: Should newly separated woman buy a house or rent?
Our total tax rate depends on whether we spend or save.
End of year message.

NZ Herald December 10 2005

Q&As: $29,000 rental in Gore not the thing for a risk-averse man.
More on tax on a second job.

NZ Herald December 3 2005

Q&As: Who gets the money when mortgage rates increase?
2 Q&As on whether the tax rate on second jobs is fair.

NZ Herald October 29 2005

Q&As: Should immigrant solo mother get into the housing market now?
What is an index fund?
How exchange traded funds work.

Syndicated column October 18 2005: Home ownership not the only road to wealth

Shock, horror! Home ownership is falling and will continue to fall. But is that so bad?

NZ Herald September 10 2005

Q&As: How to go about investing your student loan.
How to find rating information on finance companies.

NZ Herald August 20 2005

Q&As: Should a youg woman put her savings into her rental mortgage or diversify?
How to get through to Inland Revenue.
Take care when depreciating rental property.

NZ Herald August 13 2005

Q&As: Risky to buy shares while waiting to buy a house.
Is the gain on excess shares in an IPO taxable?
Rental property depepreciation and Inland Revenue.

NZ Herald July 23 2005

Q&As: Pay off rental property mortgage as you approach retirement.
When is a capital gain taxable?

Holm Truths winter 05

Seize the chance: A great way to boost your savings

Also in this issue: From the Mailbox - Investment as retirement approaches

NZ Herald July 9 2005

Q&As: Is geared rental property right for everyone?
Perhaps the woman last week should wait befoe buying a house.

Syndicated column May 31 2005: How KiwiSaver will work for you

How you might react to the KiwiSaver programme in the recent budget depends on your circumstances.

Under the programme, scheduled to start in April 2007, employed people, the self-employed or beneficiaries can contribute 4 or 8 per cent of their income to a saving fund.

NZ Herald May 7 2005

Q&As: A letter to give a spouse who is mean with money.
Where to get info on interest rates.
Returns on share funds, and debt repayment.

NZ Herald April 30 2005

Q&As: How do bonds differ from term deposits?
Where to get info on interest rates.

NZ Herald April 23 2005

Q&As: Is it better to repay your mortgage or invest in a work super scheme?
Website with interest rate info.

NZ Herald April 9 2005

Q&As: Where should a 13-year-old put his regular savings?
Extra repayments on a fixed mortgage.

NZ Herald April 2 2005

Q&As: Different banks' policies on early repayment of fixed mortgages.
The man in last week's Q&A could stick with properties.

NZ Herald March 19 2005

Q&As: Tips for a 12-year-old on how to save.
A revolving credit mortgage might be just the thing.
One way to spot a leaky home.

NZ Herald February 19 2005

Q&As: Young couple take a break from work.
Some other options for the couple in the column two weeks ago.

NZ Herald February 5 2005

Q&As: Where to from here for 56-year-old rental property owner?
Should rich people be writing this column?

Holm Truths spring 04

Investor beware!: How to spot a rip-off or scam

Also in this issue: From the Mailbox - Plans for single mother of 41

Holm Truths summer 03-04

Time is Money: A basic principle that helps you understand investing

Also in this issue: Great Debate - Revolving credit v traditional mortgages

Holm Truths winter 02

Getting into gear: Borrowing to invest makes a good investment better and a bad investment worse

Also in this issue: Great Debate - Fixed v floating mortgages

Holm Truths autumn 02

Burrowing into borrowing: Buying goods and services using credit cards or hire purchase can hurt your wealth

Also in this issue: Great Debate: Credit cards v EFTPOS

Holm Truths spring 01

Taking on the world: Spread your share investment money across the world

Also in this issue: Great Debate - Investing v repaying your mortgage