Mary Holm is a columnist for the New Zealand Herald.
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![Mary Holm: More tax support after 65? Careful Boomers! You haven't had it too bad financially](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: More tax support after 65? Careful Boomers! You haven't had it too bad financially
OPINION: Let's not start an all-out intergenerational war.
![Mary Holm: Invited to an overseas wedding? You should say ‘I do’](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Invited to an overseas wedding? You should say ‘I do’
OPINION: It seems that many people are too cautious, and regret it later.
![Mary Holm: Should I ditch KiwiSaver for term deposits?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Should I ditch KiwiSaver for term deposits?
OPINION: Financial advice and common sense.
![Mary Holm: I’ve come into some money - how can I use it to help my grandkids?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: I’ve come into some money - how can I use it to help my grandkids?
OPINION: It can be sad the way unequal treatment in a family can cause upset.
![Mary Holm column: The first-home grant is gone, should I cut back on KiwiSaver?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm column: The first-home grant is gone, should I cut back on KiwiSaver?
OPINION: There are plenty of other advantages in keeping your payments up.
![Mary Holm: Job shock - how to prepare for the prospect of losing your income](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Job shock - how to prepare for the prospect of losing your income
OPINION: All over the country, workers are worrying about losing their jobs.
![Mary Holm: Do I really need life insurance? What about health insurance?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Do I really need life insurance? What about health insurance?
OPINION: If you pay a lot and claim little, count yourself lucky, rather than ripped off.
![I own a $1.1m home and have $530k, will I have to keep working? - Mary Holm](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
I own a $1.1m home and have $530k, will I have to keep working? - Mary Holm
OPINION: If the $1m estimate were correct, a big proportion of retirees would struggle.
![Mary Holm: Financial tips for graduating to the working world](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Financial tips for graduating to the working world
OPINION: Start out saving a big portion of your pay while you can still live on little.
![How to kill debt without selling that classic car or treasured artwork - Mary Holm](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
How to kill debt without selling that classic car or treasured artwork - Mary Holm
OPINION: How to balance debt repayment and investment growth in NZ.
![How to put your kids on the path to financial success - Mary Holm](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
How to put your kids on the path to financial success - Mary Holm
OPINION: The key is to let young people make mistakes early on.
![Mary Holm: Fear or dare? When to move out of high-risk investments](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Fear or dare? When to move out of high-risk investments
OPINION: For a growth fund, you could shift it 10 years before you plan to spend it.
![KiwiSaver’s confusing for me: should I cash out when I hit 65? - Mary Holm](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
KiwiSaver’s confusing for me: should I cash out when I hit 65? - Mary Holm
OPINION: Savings scheme outperforms term deposits in the long run.
![First job? How to get your KiwiSaver working for you - Mary Holm](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
First job? How to get your KiwiSaver working for you - Mary Holm
OPINION: Getting into the right fund from the start can help you buy a house.
![Mary Holm: My tech stocks are running hot - is it time to cash in?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: My tech stocks are running hot - is it time to cash in?
OPINION: What to do with high-performing - but risky - investments.
![Mary Holm: Please help - my husband keeps dropping debt bombshells on me](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Please help - my husband keeps dropping debt bombshells on me
OPINION: I am a born saver but my husband is a born spender.
![Mary Holm: Pay down debt or invest?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Pay down debt or invest?
OPINION: Mary Holm says there are two things to consider.
![Mary Holm: How to turn a $20 a week saving into $165,000](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: How to turn a $20 a week saving into $165,000
OPINION: But make sure you have emergency savings first.
![Mary Holm: I’ve got terminal cancer - should I use savings to pay the mortgage?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: I’ve got terminal cancer - should I use savings to pay the mortgage?
OPINION: A reverse mortgage could also be an option.
![Mary Holm: Is it time to sell the investment property?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Is it time to sell the investment property?
OPINION: Higher interest rates and stress may not be worth it.
![Mary Holm: Why dodging the tax department could backfire on you](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Why dodging the tax department could backfire on you
OPINION: Some people hire accountants just to pay less but there is a downside.
![Mary Holm: My husband is worried our $4m isn’t enough to retire on](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: My husband is worried our $4m isn’t enough to retire on
OPINION: He is 69 and is starting to have a few health issues.
![Mary Holm: Should I pay off the mortgage or put all my money into KiwiSaver?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Should I pay off the mortgage or put all my money into KiwiSaver?
OPINION: Five of the top columns of the year from Mary Holm.
![Mary Holm: How to find out if you are owed missing money](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: How to find out if you are owed missing money
OPINION: Plus inspiring letters from readers to help get you on the right track.
![Mary Holm: DIY investing - what could possibly go wrong?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: DIY investing - what could possibly go wrong?
OPINION: Trying to avoid paying fees may not be worth it in the long run.
![Mary Holm: Taking the plunge - making a career change at 50](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Taking the plunge - making a career change at 50
OPINION: I’m not sure how to make my remaining $140,000 in savings grow.
![Mary Holm: How did our homes get to be so big?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: How did our homes get to be so big?
OPINION: Houses have been gentrified out of reach for some people to buy, a reader says.
![Mary Holm: Flick the rental and have a little fun](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Flick the rental and have a little fun
OPINION: No clear winner between investment property and a share fund.
![Mary Holm: Don’t play it too safe - get your investments off to a fast start](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Don’t play it too safe - get your investments off to a fast start
OPINION: Some words of wisdom for a beginner.
![Mary Holm: For house prices, up is not the only way](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: For house prices, up is not the only way
OPINION: I’ve been bothered for some time about property valuations.
![Mary Holm: Best investments for old age & what to know about residential-care rules](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Best investments for old age & what to know about residential-care rules
Exercise can pay dividends too.
![Mary Holm: If our kids get good grades should we pay off their student loans?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: If our kids get good grades should we pay off their student loans?
OPINION: How an incentive system seemed to work for one family.
![Mary Holm: Should you switch to a KiwiSaver growth fund?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Should you switch to a KiwiSaver growth fund?
OPINION: I'm 53 and have been in a conservative fund for years. Should I make the switch?
![Mary Holm: It’s your funeral, so why not do it yourself?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: It’s your funeral, so why not do it yourself?
OPINION: A DIY funeral could save you thousands of dollars.
![Mary Holm: First, second, third house — who has enough time left for saving?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: First, second, third house — who has enough time left for saving?
OPINION: People who move properties don't always take on bigger mortgages.
![Mary Holm: How to bypass IRD to supercharge your KiwiSaver](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: How to bypass IRD to supercharge your KiwiSaver
OPINION: There's a secret tip that can help you get ahead faster.
![Mary Holm: Should I sell up in the face of mortgage rate rises?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Should I sell up in the face of mortgage rate rises?
OPINION: I bought at the peak of the market in 2021 but now stand to make a loss.
![Mary Holm: Choosing the best KiwiSaver investment fund for the kids](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Choosing the best KiwiSaver investment fund for the kids
OPINION: Should I put all my daughter's KiwiSaver in a growth fund?
![Mary Holm: When one person’s tattoo is another person’s waste of money](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: When one person’s tattoo is another person’s waste of money
OPINION: Tattoos can mean a lot to others.
![Mary Holm: It’s not your job to keep on spending](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: It’s not your job to keep on spending
OPINION: Money travels around whatever you do with it.
![Mary Holm: Cutting out buying coffees and lunch could save you up to $1m](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Cutting out buying coffees and lunch could save you up to $1m
OPINION: And help! I put $300k in my KiwiSaver account and promptly lost $10,000.
![Mary Holm: Should I pay off the mortgage or put all my money into KiwiSaver?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Should I pay off the mortgage or put all my money into KiwiSaver?
OPINION: When the division of an estate comes between families.
![Mary Holm: Have you been caught out by the KiwiSaver cut-off date?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Have you been caught out by the KiwiSaver cut-off date?
OPINION: Some businesses don't charge for contactless payment, but others do.
![Mary Holm: $20,000 in cash and ready to travel - but I'm too scared to rent out my home](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: $20,000 in cash and ready to travel - but I'm too scared to rent out my home
OPINION: I'm considering packing up my life and becoming a digital nomad in Asia.
![Mary Holm: Decaying house, no cash for repairs - how to patch up the financial damage?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Decaying house, no cash for repairs - how to patch up the financial damage?
OPINION: The owner is 63, his carer and sibling - with no ownership of the home - is 60.
![Mary Holm: Hands off Mum’s money - kids should wait for their inheritance](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Hands off Mum’s money - kids should wait for their inheritance
OPINION: No child should expect an inheritance, writes one reader.
![Mary Holm: What to do when scammers call; protecting kids' inheritance from the taxman](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: What to do when scammers call; protecting kids' inheritance from the taxman
OPINION: Has anyone ever got into a good investment through a phone call from a stranger?
![Mary Holm: 16 years old with five-figure inheritance - where should I invest?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: 16 years old with five-figure inheritance - where should I invest?
OPINION: My bank will not allow a 16-year-old customer to open a term deposit.
![Mary Holm: Close to retirement and just inherited $100,000 - where do we invest it?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Close to retirement and just inherited $100,000 - where do we invest it?
OPINION: When strawberries are cheap, we buy more. What about managed fund units?
![Mary Holm: 'Sell the rental and live', plus surviving the KiwiSaver jitters](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: 'Sell the rental and live', plus surviving the KiwiSaver jitters
How does your provider stack up over a long period?
![Mary Holm: Reverse mortgages, term deposit deals - and an odd offer](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Reverse mortgages, term deposit deals - and an odd offer
OPINION: A good example of another use for a reverse mortgage.
![Mary Holm: Don’t get caught in the reverse-mortgage trap](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Don’t get caught in the reverse-mortgage trap
Reverse mortgage eats into couple's equity leaving them with limited choices.
![Mary Holm: My KiwiSaver fund is tanking, is it time to pull my money out?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: My KiwiSaver fund is tanking, is it time to pull my money out?
When the boss won’t come to the party, it’s time for some DIY saving.
![Mary Holm: Is property or KiwiSaver the better investment bet?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Is property or KiwiSaver the better investment bet?
If one real estate investment beats KiwiSaver, that doesn’t mean they all will.
![Mary Holm: The simple life - drop the shopping, save your finances](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: The simple life - drop the shopping, save your finances
Why waste money in the shops, when you could be investing in your future?
![Mary Holm: Why selling my investment property was the best thing I ever did](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Why selling my investment property was the best thing I ever did
Real estate good, managed funds bad? Not for one reader.
![Mary Holm: Funds or property? Rental returns just keep stacking up](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Funds or property? Rental returns just keep stacking up
The key thing is to stay invested for the long term.
![25 years of Mary Holm: When taking good advice pays off](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
25 years of Mary Holm: When taking good advice pays off
Some of the readers who've said this column has helped them over the years.
![25 years of Mary Holm: From straightforward to weird](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
25 years of Mary Holm: From straightforward to weird
Our money columnist looks back on a quarter-century of your questions.
![Mary Holm: Should workers buy a slice of the company?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Should workers buy a slice of the company?
OPINION: Employee share schemes can work well - but consider selling when you can.
![Mary Holm: What to do with $600,000 cash after selling rental property](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: What to do with $600,000 cash after selling rental property
Proposed tweak would be a useful extra for contributors.
![Mary Holm: Should you pick which shares to invest in, or leave it to someone else?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Should you pick which shares to invest in, or leave it to someone else?
You might be able to identify a good business, but not a good investment.
![Mary Holm: Should I keep the equity in my home or buy an investment property?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Should I keep the equity in my home or buy an investment property?
Borrowing against your house to invest can work well - but it's not for everyone.
![Mary Holm: Think you are smarter than the market?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Think you are smarter than the market?
Mixing bonds and shares can smooth your returns — but not in 2022.
![Mary Holm: Should I send my share market money to Australia?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Should I send my share market money to Australia?
Some investors are fans of Aussie shares, but you can look further afield.
![Mary Holm: I've got the money - but is it better to give up on owning a home?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: I've got the money - but is it better to give up on owning a home?
Yes, you can plan to keep on renting -- just be sure to save plenty for retirement.
![Mary Holm’s cyclone diary: Life with the five ‘No’s](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm’s cyclone diary: Life with the five ‘No’s
'The loo situation became dire. I put buckets in the car and drove to a local pond.'
![Mary Holm: Share investing the DIY way - can you beat a managed fund?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Share investing the DIY way - can you beat a managed fund?
There's nothing wrong with owning shares directly, but make sure you're diversified.
!['The house was shaking': Piha cut off after night of slips, heavy rain](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
'The house was shaking': Piha cut off after night of slips, heavy rain
North Piha has been cut off by chest-deep flooding and slips, trapping residents.
![Mary Holm: No home and retirement drawing near - how can I save more?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: No home and retirement drawing near - how can I save more?
A part-time worker has more savings than many - but no home of her own.
![Mary Holm: Early 30s and multiple funds - is this one of NZ’s shrewdest investors?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Early 30s and multiple funds - is this one of NZ’s shrewdest investors?
Is having lots of funds a problem? Not if they're the right funds.
![Mary Holm: I bought a home a year ago but soon won’t be able to service the loan](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: I bought a home a year ago but soon won’t be able to service the loan
Even when monthly payments soar, there are ways to get through this tough patch.
![Mary Holm: I have $50,000 in cash - should I pay down my mortgage or invest?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: I have $50,000 in cash - should I pay down my mortgage or invest?
The top five columns of the year from Mary Holm
![Mary Holm: Gifting to kids? Hard to get it right on the money](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Gifting to kids? Hard to get it right on the money
Fairness is key in sharing invested funds, but easier said than done.
![Mary Holm: Whatever you do, don’t neglect the golden property rule](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Whatever you do, don’t neglect the golden property rule
In a soft property market always secure your sale before you buy.
![Mary Holm: What to do with $3 million from divorce settlement](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: What to do with $3 million from divorce settlement
I’ve spent a lot of my life in debt, as the relationship was not financially equal.
![Mary Holm: Drip-feeding funds for juicy returns](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Mary Holm: Drip-feeding funds for juicy returns
Investing over time is a tried and tested way to smooth market shifts.