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Looking to make sense of your dollars? Newstalk ZB’s Smart Money delves into the deep, dark recesses of unwanted debt, traverses the highs and lows of investments and helps to ensure you money works for you.
Our industry experts give us their top tips on a wide selection of topics including mortgage rates, stock, savings, goal-setting and retirement.
Our industry experts give us their top tips on a wide selection of topics including mortgage rates, stock, savings, goal-setting and retirement.
318 Episodes
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We got another OCR cut this week - now down to 2.25% - the lowest it's been since June of 2022. That was the last one for the year, so a lot of us mortgage holders are trying to figure out whether things are slowing down, and if it's time to fix for a longer term this time around. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Queues at budgeting services are getting longer, and financial advisors are finding households with increasing incomes are seeking help. Kiwis with a household income of over $200,000 a year and likely with a mortgage are struggling to make ends meet. It feels like it was only a few years ago that being on a six figure salary meant you were fairly well off, but it seems it's barely enough to get out of living paycheck to paycheck these days. So what actually is a liveable wage these days? Do we truly need to be making half a million a year just to pay our bills and still have a bit left over for savings and fun? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Most of us have spent the past few days daydreaming about what we would spend $55 million on. Pay off the mortgage, book a holiday, send some off to charity, throw the rest in a term deposit. Three lucky punters each one a share of the jackpot last night - $18.3 million each. Not many of us will have the chance to come across tens of millions in our lives, but most of us will at some point get a large some from inheritance or a bonus or the likes. So what's the smart thing to do when you get a big windfall, before the excitement takes over? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Reserve Bank shocked a lot of us last month when it cut the OCR by 50 basis points down to 2.5%. Analysts have said that the RBNZ was reading the room and giving kiwis a much needed breather after years of high rates. Early signs are showing it's starting to have an effect - with the GDP estimate for the September quarter pointing to 0.6% growth and many banks forecasting an optimistic remainder of the year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dame Noeline Taurua was stood down as the coach of the Silver Ferns in September due to 'significant issues' in the team. After many public statements and interviews, she was reinstated at the end of last month. Netball NZ, her employer, remained just vague enough that the public could allow their imaginations to run wild about what had happened. Andrew Bayly, MP for Port Waikato, resigned as a Minister after an 'animated discussion' during which he placed his hand on a staffers arm. He said he was led to believe a complaint had been laid, and his resignation was in response to that - but he very recently discovered that no formal complaint was made. Luxon has since said about Bayly, that he would have sacked him if he hadn't resigned first. But what is the right way to go about an employment dispute like these? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Trusts are hardly mentioned outside of when wealth tax is in the news, or when someone mentions their accountant told them to get one. One side of the political aisle seems to have a good list of reasons as to why someone would need a trust, while the other side seems to be convinced that essentially the only reason anyone would have one would be to hide assets. So what is the real purpose of a trust? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
An interesting report came out this week about budgets: the average household spending has only gone up two dollars a week since 2023. 50-percent of respondents said they're actively seeking out discounts and promotions - and 30-percent downgrade brands. It's one thing to be spending less on non-essentials, eating less, or wearing cheaper clothes, but sometimes that can chip away at our mental health and confidence. So how can we still feel good and financial okay, with what we've got? On the topic of household budgets: when do you merge finances with your partner or spouse? How do you do it? What should you be careful of? Financial specialist, and author of top Personal Finance book - Money Matters - Amanda Morall joins Tim Beveridge for Smart Money...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A new governor has been appointed for the Reserve Bank of New Zealand - all the way from Sweden. Dr Anna Breman has already received criticism from economists who find themselves concerned that someone with such little knowledge of the New Zealand economy will hold such a high stakes position. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The economy had a worse than expected drop in the June quarter, shrinking 0.9%. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has blamed it on global turmoil, but the Reserve Bank of New Zealand says there's a need to provide more stimulus to the economy by cutting the OCR. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Last week, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters announced plans to campaign for compulsory KiwiSaver at the next election, and increase the minimum contribution from 4% to 12%. He said there would be tax cuts alongside these changes to help fund the increase in contributions. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There are two different types of employees - one who stays low profile, gets what they need to get done, done, and goes home. Then there's the other, who complains about anything they feel inconveniences them. Is it true that the squeaky wheel get the grease? Or is this a great way to get yourself ruled out when it comes to opportunities and promotions? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's no secret that the cost of living has gone a bit crazy these past few years, but insurance seems to be one of the hardest hit. Insurance prices have increased 900% since 2000 - almost triple the increase of tobacco products. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The OCR got another cut this week, now down to 3%. While there have been questions for a while around whether banks are passing the cuts down to consumers, the real question is whether the cuts will actually solve anything at all. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wills are some of the most painstaking things you need to do as an adult. They remind you of your mortality, and of all the familial issues you may have had throughout the years. But they must be done - so how can you write an airtight will? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Most New Zealanders consider themselves only “average” with money. In fact, a new study from Partners Life finds less than a quarter of New Zealanders rate their financial knowledge as "excellent". Nearly 60 percent find it tough to pay monthly expenses, and just over half reported stress or losing sleep due to money concerns. At the same time, many are reportedly using credit and afterpay services to make ends meet. How do we improve financial literacy? What can we put into practice now? Banqer CEO Simon Brown joins Tim Beveridge for Smart Money... LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The number of mortgage holders refinancing their loans is the highest ever recorded. More than 3,500 borrowers refinanced in June, and experts are expecting to see the trend continue through to the end of the year. Finance specialist Amanda Morrall joins Tim Beveridge for Smart Money. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Consumer Price Index over the June quarter was lower than expected at 2.7%, and it could mean a rate cut by the Reserve Bank next month. So is the New Zealand investment winter over? Shane Solly is a director at Harbour Asset Management and he joins Tim Beveridge for Smart Money. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We all want our kids to do better than we did, and a major part of that is teaching them how to set themselves up financially. Founder and managing director at Koura Wealth, Rupert Carlyon, joins Tim Beveridge for Smart Money. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The cost of living is crunching down again, as more than 30-thousand Kiwis reportedly moved abroad last year. Are there any more changes can people make to save money? What things can they afford to cut? Additionally, at what point do we look in the mirror and say the problem is our lack of personal discipline? "Financial Force of Nature", and Founder of financial strategy site joins Tim Beveridge for Smart money... LISTEN NOWSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week, the Government's KiwiSaver contribution was halved under budget changes. Employers will also have to fork out a mandatory 4% contribution to adjust for the deficit left by the Government's contibution. That bump's expected to stifle potential salary increases, and in turn, our retirement funds - leading many to question what changes we really need, and what we can do for ourselves, to support our golden years. Retired financial advisor and writer Martin Hawes joins Andrew Dickens for Smart Money... LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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