How to declutter your financial life – Diana Clement
Now’s the perfect time to check phone plans and utility bills. Are you still paying for services you don’t use, or have discounts for your plans expired? Chances are you can phone the supplier and ask for new discounts. Think long and hard about whether you have any long-forgotten financial obligations. Are you still named […]
Money tips to align spending with values and feel richer – Nadine Higgins
Hopefully the moral of the story is clear: the power of perspective. It’s often not your situation that is the problem, but how you view it and what you’re comparing it to. (I hasten to add the takeaway isn’t “make your situation worse so you can appreciate what you once had”). At this time of […]
Parenting guide to Christmas gifts: How to avoid entitled kids – Nadine Higgins
In short, I don’t want to create entitled little monsters … I’m just not entirely sure HOW you do that. I’m far too new to this parenting gig to profess any kind of expertise – so I decided to seek some advice. Is it too soon? It’s clear my 2-year-old understands far more than he […]
How to prepare financially for aged care – Diana Clement
The first thing to know is that your relative must be assessed as needing long-term care. The needs assessment, carried out in hospital or by a community team, will confirm what level of care: rest home, long-stay hospital, dementia, or psycho-geriatric. Call Seniorline on 0800 725 463, for advice. A needs assessment determines what level […]
How to rebuild trust after a restructure – Neil McGregor
A case in point A few years back, I worked with an organisation going through its third restructure in quick succession. The first two had failed: staff were demoralised, the brand had taken a hit, and the bottom line had suffered. When I asked management what they were trying to achieve, they were hesitant, worried […]
How to plan for retiring overseas – Diana Clement
You need a visa, health insurance, and your investments. And read my two articles about New Zealand Superannuation from last year: How you pay for healthcare in your new home is crucial, but NZ Super is just the beginning in planning a retirement overseas. There are other tricky questions that I will cover over the […]
How to use AI tools to simplify personal finance – Diana Clement
If you haven’t tried AI yet, visit one of those sites and type in a question [“prompt” in AI language] such as “What are some good questions to ask AI to improve my personal finances in New Zealand?” You’ll get a range of queries such as: What percentage of my income should I save? Should […]
Tax bills & IRD: How to legally reduce your tax burden before year’s end – Diana Clement
For most wage and salary earners, tax deductions will be correct and the Inland Revenue Department’s (IRD) annual automatic tax assessments will ensure that any refunds find their way into taxpayers’ bank accounts automatically. It’s worth checking that you’re on the right tax code. If you selected the wrong tax code when starting a job, […]
How to manage your retirement savings in your golden years – Diana Clement
The 6% rule allows retirees to withdraw 6% of their total retirement savings annually. The money isn’t going to last as long, but research shows that people tend to spend less as they age, said Alison O’Connell, a member of the New Zealand Society of Actuaries who has a background in the pensions industry. The […]
Debt snowballs and debt avalanches – how to pay ongoing costs in the New Year – Diana Clement
Advisers and mentors such as Lange are often contacted by people in the New Year who don’t know how they are going to pay for essentials. Some people will have overspent, while others may have been through relationship breakups over the summer and have no idea where to start to dig their way out of […]