Retirement

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.

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Articles

NZ Herald August 23 2008

Q&As: 64-year-old can't believe how good KiwiSaver is for him
KiwiSaver providers give wrong info to a would-be investor
Retired man questions my advice about bonds

Are New Zealanders bad savers? It's all in the way you look at life

Key Points

· Some surveys on retirement saving are unduly pessimistic.

· Saving for retirement should be defined much more broadly than putting money into financial assets.

· Other ways of saving, such as repaying debt or getting an education, are wiser moves for some people than financial investing.

· Research shows that most New Zealanders are saving enough to maintain their pre-retirement standard of living after they retire.

· When we define retirement saving more broadly,...

NZ Herald August 16 2008

Q&As: Advice on investment during retirement has worked for these readers
KiwiSaver contributions holidays will be easy to take
Reader dislikes last week's answer on KiwiSaver fund performance

NZ Herald April 12 2008

Q&As: Monkey story a great yarn, but it's not about the share market.
Reader's concerns about banks' exposure to foreign exchange risk are unfounded.
61-year-old should think hard before selling her house and enjoying some of the proceeds.
Man about to retire can still get plenty from KiwiSaver.

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 March 3 2007

Seeking your questions about KiwiSaver
Q&As: Are home equity release (HER) schemes - which lend to retired people with homes but little income - a rip-off?
Sentinel defends its HER schemes, but they are still expensive compared with possible alternatives.

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 April 15 2006

Q&As: Attitudes to student loans.
Interest on student loans.
Fear and share investment.
Spending in retirement.

Syndicated column April 11 2006: Another reason to spread your investments

I can think of three good reasons to hold lots of different shares, as opposed to one or just a few. Two reasons are obvious, but one is less so, even though it may be just as important.

NZ Herald April 1 2006

Q&As: Can he retire?, 40-year-old asks.
Couple about to retire wonder if their expenses will drop as they get older.
Student loan interest ends. What happens if you go overseas?

Syndicated column March 28 2006: What we don't know CAN hurt us

One of the first things journalists are taught is to make the first sentence of an article a "grabber", something that will perhaps surprise readers and make them read on.

So this column is officially starting now: Every New Zealander over 65 gets NZ Super, no matter how rich they are.

Are New Zealanders bad savers? It's all in the way you look at life

Key Points

· Some surveys on retirement saving are unduly pessimistic.

· Saving for retirement should be defined much more broadly than putting money into financial assets.

· Other ways of saving, such as repaying debt or getting an education, are wiser moves for some people than financial investing.

· Research shows that most New Zealanders are saving enough to maintain their pre-retirement standard of living after they retire.

· When we define retirement saving more broadly,...

Holm Truths autumn 05

Moving the goalposts: Working part-time in retirement makes a huge difference to how much you need to save

Also in this issue: From the Mailbox - Is home ownership so great?

NZ Herald March 26 2005

Q&As: Man in mid 50s can afford to drop out - but what about emotionally?
Is reader silly to stick with renting?

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 January 22 2005

Q&As: Couple "retiring" in their 30s wonder how to invest their savings.
94-year-old share trader doing just fine.
How to run a caravan rental business.

Holm Truths summer 04-05

Scattering the seeds: By diversifying, you reduce risk but not returns

Also in this issue: From the Mailbox - Some people over-save for retirement