The top 10 money moans of 2010

Photo / John Borren

Inside Money reviews the year almost gone, highlighting the 10 most commented-on blogs of 2010.

1) What is it about property that we love, or hate? Whatever it is, the government's decision in February to change property tax deduction rules stirred up the old passions - 65 readers loved it, or hated it.
"Chaplin, you can attempt to portray property investors as innocent martyrs and victims as much as you like, but everybody knows it's time to reign-in the limitless greed property investors are renowned for possessing." - Spaz Boy, Twizel

2) Agents - love them or hate them?
Proving that property is still the number one investment obsession of New Zealanders another real-estate related blog, published in August, comes in as the second-most commented piece.
"Good job, I won't pay land agents anything and believe many more people can by pass them quite easily.The more of them that go belly up the better." Gazza

3) And don't let's get started on the nanny state butting in with its damn taskforces and whatnot. "These task groups are a huge waste of money and I suspect just jobs for cronies. We have a public service (although thinner) use it. Stop wasting taxes on rubbish." Dee of Nelson

4) I wrote other, better, stories about KiwiSaver in 2010 but this one having a go at Gareth Morgan having a go at Huljich got the readers going.

"Brilliant stuff David - exactly what I was thinking this morning when I read Gareth's dribble - I am SICK of hearing his holy than thou attitude - what are you Garth - a fund manager, an adviser, a Kiwi Saver provider, a journo, a politician - which hat do you wear? who are you?" Tony Rogers of North Shore City


5) Gold is great. Discuss.

"Whatever we do it needs to include returning the power to issue money to the people via the government. Money should never be a commodity left to the devices of private companies. Especially when they create it out of thin air and have the audacity to charge interest on it. The financial is stuffed." Kaya of Glenfield


6) Bizarrely, my Christmas-tainted piece about the Warehouse waft got up the noses of some readers. Phew.

"I have to agree with Cherie Brown and say that this 'blog or article really is so bad that I can only hope that another correspondent "Pacman" is correct when he says the author has started Xmass festivities earlier than most of us." Rob Hughes in Vietnam

7) Did I tell you Don Brash called me up to complain about this one? The Huljich KiwiSaver scandal promoted Brash into a job he didn't want - and has since left - and also sparked a major review of scheme disclosure rules.

"So prominent political apparatchiks Don Brash and John Banks, despite the enormous damage done by loose financial behaviour going unpunished on our country, are quite happy for loose financial behaviour to go unpunished in the Fund they are associated with?" Greg of Glen Eden

8) How do we save New Zealand? Everyone's got an opinion.

"As our political leaders have proven time and time again that they don't know how to improve our standard of living, here's how to do it.
Fire the $1000-an-hour consultants and spin doctors. To fix New Zealand's problems, all it takes is a little common sense.
All taxes on savings must go. Over a lifetime of saving, people would retire with over twice as much money in their account if this were to happen." The Doctor, Gisborne


9) In February John Key delivers vision speech, hinting at changes to tax laws and floats idea of making NZ a funds management hub, readers worry about residential housing investments.

"A large proportion of the money involved in residential property investment is borrowed. Will investors be able to borrow to the same level to fund share purchases or other non-property investments? If not, where is all the investment in the 'productive' sector going to come from?" Bobby of Howick

10) KiwiSaver and compulsion - put the two together and you've struck columnist gold.

"There is no problem that cannot be made worse by the weight of uninformed opinion. New Zealand suffers greatly as media beat-ups continually provoke irrational policies from populist politicians.
How nice to read a competent commentary and how tragic they are so rare." Alan Wilkinson of Russell

Happy New Year, especially to Alan Wilkinson in Russell.