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Budget Buster: The curious case of the shrinking KiwiSaver balance
Posted in Kiwisaver, Savings on
Has anyone else's KiwiSaver balance been mysteriously going backwards lately? Despite faithful monthly contributions, mine's been shrinking faster than a The Biggest Loser contestant's waistline. It's not a great feeling watching your retirement savings melting away. But it's important not to panic before making any rash decisions.
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KiwiSaver fund choices leave money on the table
Posted in Kiwisaver on
Why have KiwiSaver investors received much lower returns, on average, than the New Zealand Superannuation Fund and Australia's Future Fund? Is this underperformance due to the choice of funds, asset allocation or fees?
View moreMarket slumps happen
Posted on
We came accross this commentary from Fidelity International and found it to have some wise and timely words: There is a rich seam of wisdom about how to respond to market slumps. This points to two things. First, it says that market volatility is not unusual, it is a shared experience and therefore worth commenting on. Second, it suggests that most people do the wrong thing when the market falls – if people knew how to react there would be no point in the greats trying to put them right.
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Hanging in through market shift will pay off
Posted in Kiwisaver on
Black clouds set in over New Zealand and the UK with the markets down 2 to 3 per cent in 31 short days. Rain wet the Aussie summer with the All Ords off more than 4.5 per cent. A cyclone over Japan saw a 6 per cent fall in the Nikkei and snowstorms in both Europe and the US gave a 5 per cent tumble.
View moreFocus on the short term costs KiwiSavers Billions
Posted in Kiwisaver on
We stick with low-risk funds but gaily switch power firms. An analysis of the latest electricity and KiwiSaver transfer statistics confirms that New Zealanders have a short-term attitude to money. We transfer from one electricity provider to another to save a few hundred dollars, but we stick with low-risk KiwiSaver funds even though this may cost us tens of thousands of dollars in the longer term.
View moreSix ways to make the most of KiwiSaver
Posted in Kiwisaver on
Keeping an eye on how savings are progressing can ensure savers get the best return on their investment. More than 2.5 million Kiwis are signed up to KiwiSaver but many people aren't making the most of it..
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KPMG: Average Kiwi 'financially illiterate'
Posted in Kiwisaver, Savings on
The average New Zealander could be losing up to hundreds of thousands of dollars by not managing their KiwiSaver accounts properly, according to leading financial consultancy firm KPMG.
View moreOz male retirement savings nine times higher than KiwiSaver average
Posted in Retirement on
The average superannuation balance for an Aussie bloke is more than nine times the average amount Kiwis have put aside for their retirement in KiwiSaver and it's unlikely Kiwis will ever catch up, an expert says.
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KiwiSaver HomeStart loan proving extremely popular
Posted in Kiwisaver on
Building and Housing Minister Nick Smith says the figures confirm the government is on track to meet its target of helping 90,000 people over the next five years to buy their own home. "It's making home ownership a reality for Kiwis for whom owning their own home may otherwise be out of reach."
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Kiwisaver: Tax credit worth saving for
Posted in Kiwisaver on
Q. A month ago, we bought our first home. We were unable to use our KiwiSaver funds because we have only been members for a year. When we have been contributing for three years, can we then withdraw our funds to help pay for what will still be our first home?
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