Latest fromMary Holm on investing
I'm 29 and single with a baby: So what can I do with my $95,000?
Mary Holm: How laddering your money can help your savings to climb.
Holm: Complexities of tax on share gains
COMMENT: Finding clear rules about obligations on trading profits proves hard.
Holm: Enlist IR to give the boss a nudge
COMMENT: If KiwiSaver is underpaid, Inland Revenue Department will follow it up.
Your call: Risky ride, or no ride at all
Investing is like riding in a car. Don't want any risk? Don't get into the vehicle.
Sailing ahead with term deposits
COMMENT: Rates aren't as bad as they seem, once you take account of low inflation.
'Real' or not, fund returns add up
COMMENT: There's more than one way to calculate your KiwiSaver gains.
How much fun is too much fun?
COMMENT: While some people don't save enough to retire, some save too much.
Taming a mortgage the size of Africa
COMMENT: Any bust in house prices won't affect everyone in the same way.
Picking through the fund fruit salad
Don't fall into the old apples v oranges trap when checking your fund's returns.
$210 a week, but there's a way out
COMMENT: Long-time saver looks for a way to escape the benefit trap, writes Mary Holm.
Untouched credit can be travel aid
Funds handy for urgent medical care but urge to shop is a hazard.
Mary Holm: Choose the right fund, minus the agony
Nobody knows which investment will turn out best, so it's not worth too much worry, writes Mary Holm.
Mary Holm: When money is needed right this minute
Mary Holm answers readers personal finance queries.
Holm: Where to put emergency money
COMMENT: Laddering means you'll always have some cash available.
Views on diversifying rather ... diverse
COMMENT: Everyone has a different take but spreading risk seems wise.
Fairytale endings never a sure thing
COMMENT: There are many reasons why top investors don't remain in front.
The mortgage or the KiwiSaver?
COMMENT: When debt is low, paying down the mortgage might not be best bet.
Mary Holm: How to spread your savings
COMMENT: Changes to KiwiSaver conditions are at the whim of future governments.
Mary Holm: Mortgage best for family in crisis
COMMENT: Even a little extra payment will be a help for family facing a terminal illness.
Put house-buying dreams on hold
COMMENT: Figures suggest NZ real estate prices are well out of line.
Mary Holm: The perils of flying solo
COMMENT: Tempted by top-performing shares? Be careful, those gains may not last.