Many people don’t have a Will, or their Will is out of date. But there is a third issue; someone who has a Will but does not understand the potential costs. When you set up a Will, you can do
The Hidden Cost of Dying
Saving for a Rainy Day
If you’ve ever been caught in a thunderstorm without an umbrella or a raincoat, you’ll know how miserable you feel. However, unless you catch pneumonia, you can recover pretty quickly. The same can’t be said for your finances. The expression
When ACC isn’t what you think it is…
Joe is a self-employed arborist. Very healthy and loves his job. Last month he fell out of a tree and broke his back. He’ll be off work for a long time, but at least he’s got ACC. On average he
Where there’s a will …
Around 50% of my new clients either don’t have a will, or their will is no longer current. Often people assume that as they are married, if they die then their assets will go to their partner. This is usually
Don’t Miss Out!
It’s time to check your KiwiSaver contributions, to ensure that you receive your full entitlement from the Government. Did you know that the Government contributes to your KiwiSaver? For every dollar you put into KiwiSaver, the Government will put in
When Medical Trauma becomes Financial Trauma
Whilst life insurance is something you do for those you leave behind, Trauma insurance is something for you as well as your family. It is often left out of the insurance planning, particularly for younger people. I’m sure that you
Your Christmas Present to Yourself
Christmas can be a stressful time for families. Not just financially, but in our time-poor society, people often feel overwhelmed at this time of year. Buying stuff that we don’t need is for some a way of coping. Here is
A KiwiSaver Holiday?
Employees contribute a minimum of 3% of income to KiwiSaver. Can you stop contributing if your budget is tight, even if you still have a job? Yes, you can. You can take a contribution holiday, between 3 months and 5
The Mortgage Diet
Banks will generally lend you plenty of money, often more than is desirable. Then comes the challenge of paying it off. Paying off debt can be like getting rid of those extra post-Christmas kilos. You put in a lot of
Your Biggest Asset
When I ask my clients what their biggest asset is, I get a variety of answers. “My house” is the most common response. Others include “KiwiSaver”, “my partner” (sweet and often true), “my 57 Chev” (cars are not assets!). Sometimes