Latest from Financial Planning

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.

Heat on mortgage holders
Homeowners are being warned to prepare for harder times as the days of low interest rates come to an end.

Max Wallace & Robert Nola: Asset rich churches should pay fair tax
Churches have become corporate onshore tax havens which are subsidised by taxpayers so that the religious can pursue the supernatural, writes Max Wallace and Robert Nola.

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?

Mary Holm: Volatility a risk with KiwiSaver funds
There are certain periods when your account balance will fall. When that happens, stick with it.

Time to fix mortgage has come
Floating mortgage holders could save more than $700 million this year by switching to a two-year fixed rate, statistics show.

Consumer Watch: Cash in on better habits
New Year's resolutions are often difficult to stick to and require some upfront investment. But, as John Weekes reports, they can turn out to be money-spinners.

Mark Lister: Is market's bull run over?
We're unlikely to get a repeat of the New Zealand sharemarket's exceptional year, predicts Mark Lister.