Latest fromFinancial Planning

Tips for surviving on super
Making the move from being a working person to living, at best, in reduced circumstances, and at worst on NZ Super alone, is difficult.

Affordable homes: Best & worst regions
Mortgage payments for Auckland's most affordable homes are costing first-time buyers nearly half their take-home pay each week, a new report shows.

Car mods can ruin insurance payout
Tinted windows are becoming a fashion accessory for Kiwi motorists - but installing them can put owners at risk of a failed insurance claim.

Teaching kids about money
A Cambridge University study found that how we behave with our money as adults is decided by the time we are 7, when most children can recognise the value of money.

Diana Clement: Doing your best for kids once you're gone
Do you want to go to the grave knowing your hard-earned savings won't be wasted? Would you like to ensure little Holly or Olly can use the money only to buy a home?

Working hard to keep staff happy
It's been in the news recently that Apple and Facebook have offered to freeze eggs for female employees, the purpose is, apparently, to attract more women on to their staff.

Prisoners get back to life basics
He's 28 and a former mechanic - but had to go to jail to learn that it's useful to save some of your money.

Diana Clement: Read fine print on supermarket insurance
'Did you see that Countdown is selling insurance?" a friend emailed last week. My initial response was: "There's nothing new in that."

Hotchin loses Hanover decision appeal
Mark Hotchin has lost an appeal over a decision which said Hanover's trustees did not have a duty to verify the accuracy of statements in allegedly misleading prospectuses.

Loan scheme to knock out 'loan sharks'
Almost 1 million families will be eligible for low- and no-interest loans under a new Government-backed scheme aimed at saving low-income families from "loan sharks".

Diana Clement: Lending money to friend a can of worms
Has a friend or family member ever asked you for a loan? Or have you been tempted to offer money to someone in financial trouble?

Catriona MacLennan: Cap an easy way to protect vulnerable from loan sharks
The law is supposed to protect the most vulnerable in our community from exploitation.

Complaint awareness needs to improve - FMA
Just one in 10 people know who to complain to if they have a dispute with their bank, insurer or financial adviser - and that's not good enough, says the head of the FMA.

Diana Clement: Overcoming the money taboo is priceless
We confess all on Facebook. The whole world knows what we ate for lunch and what we think about political or social issues. But we don't tell the world how much we earn or owe.

AMP tops KiwiSaver default performance
AMP put in the best performance of the default KiwiSaver providers over the year to June 30.

Mary Holm: Highly geared assets not without risk
The tax "system" is certainly geared towards investment property. As an example I know of a professional couple in their 40s who own five investment properties.

Diana Clement: Swiping the plastic may not be so fantastic
Next time you give your credit card some exercise, ask yourself if you're behaving logically. You're probably not.

Kiwis good with money plans - bad on execution
Many New Zealanders are failing to their knowledge of money matters into action, according to a survey.

Employers divided over KiwiSaver in the pay packet
Divisions are emerging over who should pay for the KiwiSaver employer's contribution.

Mary Holm: Borrowing can be good - or horrid
Heavily geared property investments can return more than shares, but they can also go badly wrong

Mary Holm: Letting kids go often final dilemma
Some people want to protect inheritances from mistakes but others say children have to find their own way

Small business: Working with charities - Liz Gibbs
Why should a small business get involved with a charity?