If Labour finance spokesman David Parker is proposing a job swap with the Reserve Bank Governor he should say so, writes Fran O'Sullivan.

Labour's proposals to allow the Reserve Bank to adjust KiwiSaver contributions rather than interest rates to control inflation could hurt savers, KiwiSaver experts warn.

More people are complaining about KiwiSaver to the Banking Ombudsman with a 51 per cent increase in cases compared to last year.

It's a great idea to keep an eye on your KiwiSaver fees because "Fees are the one constant that will always eat away at your returns."

The industry needs to win the public's trust before people will hand over their retirement savings in exchange for a regular income.

More than a third of Kiwisavers are withdrawing their funds when they hit retirement and spending it on cars, boats and home improvements.

Calls are being made for clearer rules around what happens to a person's KiwiSaver savings when they are declared bankrupt.

Many funds charge over $100 a year in management fees, which take a big chunk out of KiwiSaver earnings. The Govt has responded by tightening up on the fees that default schemes can charge.

NZ could have had a superannuation pot of gold worth $278b by next year had it kept a compulsory savings scheme set up in 1974, a financial industry body claims.

According to a list I compiled earlier, 11 KiwiSaver providers volunteered for default duty but only nine were approved by the government last week.

So what's the difference between KiwiSaver and the Government's Superannuation Fund and is Kiwisaver backed by the Government?

Q: We are a couple in our early 30s who own a rental house and live in a rental too. We have been paying as much as possible off our mortgage and now find ourselves in a position where we are making a profit (taxable) on the rental property.

Commerce Minister Craig Foss has beefed up the number of KiwiSaver default providers that members are automatically enrolled into when they sign up.

We're increasingly becoming a nation of renters with less than half of us now owning our own place, Census data shows.

Adjusting peoples' retirement savings for inflation has dented the confidence of those putting a nest egg aside, an ANZ survey has found.

KiwiSaver fees can make a real difference to the return you get, particularly on accounts with low balances.

The latest Reserve Bank managed fund statistics reinforce two important features of our investment markets.

This is a KiwiSaver aspect I have never seen discussed regarding the scheme reaching its "fruition".

The majority of New Zealanders do not fully understand KiwiSaver especially when it comes to switching jobs, tax rates and the Government's annual contribution.

The short answer is yes, KiwiSaver is taxed. But taxation isn't the only difference between saving through KiwiSaver and the cash-deposit options.