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Cost of living crisis affecting retirement savings

Cost of living crisis affecting retirement savings

Written by R. A. Stewart

Thousands of New Zealanders have suspended contributions to their retirement fund due to the cost of living crisis and this will affect them when their retirement comes around.

New Zealand financial adviser Carissa Fairbrother advised people to keep sowing into your kiwisaver whatever your financial circumstances. Look at where else you can make cutbacks because not investing into your Kiwisaver will affect you when you retire.

Kiwisaver is New Zealand’s retirement scheme; it is voluntary, unlike the retirement schemes of other countries which are mandatory.

There is a $520 tax credit per annum for contributions to Kiwisaver but to obtain this investors will need to deposit a minimum of $1040 every year. This is just like getting 50% interest on your money for the first year the money is deposited.

Anyone who is a New Zealand resident can join kiwisaver. There is no upper or lower age limit. People under the age of eighteen or sixty five and over are not eligible for the $520 per year tax credits. It is still a good idea to join kiwisaver despite this for several reasons.

The $520 tax credits or government incentives as they are sometimes called is paid out in July into your Kiwisaver. If you contributed less than $1,040 during the previous year then you will receive 50% of your contributions.

The Kiwisaver year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30. It makes sense to check your contributions during the year and to make sure that you deposited at least $1040 by June 30.

One is it will give the young ones a good start to life as far as savings are concerned and it will also give them a good education in finances. 

For those aged 65 and over, it is still a good idea to keep contributing to your kiwisaver if you are not going to be using it in the short term.

Buying your first home

If you are purchasing your first home you may be able to use some of your kiwisaver for a deposit. It is all the more reason to start saving as early as possible as it will enable you to reach your goals quicker.

There are other circumstances where you may be able to access your Kiwisaver early. These are if you have a terminal illness, you are moving overseas permanently, or due to financial hardship. There are lots of hoops to jump through before you can access your money.

It is all the more important to have a rainy day fund when everything is going well for you and not just fritter away your discretionary spending money because things do go wrong in life.

It is never too late to join Kiwisaver, you can still join even if you are 65, though you are not eligible for the government incentives. It is still worth your while joining. It is a good way to play the share market.

You are never too young to join kiwisaver. You may not be eligible for the government incentives until you are 18 but joining early then having family members make contributions while you are still at school will give you a good financial platform for the future. Who knows, a rich uncle may leave you a sum of money in his will to be deposited into your kiwisaver.

About this article

This article is of the experience and opinion of the writer and may not be applicable to your personal circumstances, therefore discretion is advised. You may use part or all of this article as content for your ebook, website, or blog.

www.robertastewart.com

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Investing in Gold

Investing in Gold

Written by R. A. Stewart

Is Gold a good investment?

That is a question I cannot give you an answer to because it is a bit like a “How long is a piece of string?” question.

Whether investing in something is good or bad really depends on your personal circumstances and where this investment fits in with your objectives.

Is the money/investment needed in the short term, medium term, or long term?

Once you have answered this question you will have a better idea of whether gold is a suitable investment.

Problem with gold is…

That it does not provide investors with an income. All they can expect is capital gains; that is, selling gold at a higher price than when it was bought for.

The Share market provides a dividend to shareholders of the various companies and there is the opportunity to profit from the increasing value of the shares. 

Another problem with holding physical golds is the storage costs and this can mitigate any capital gains from selling it.

Different ways of investing in gold

There are several ways of investing in gold and there are pros and cons with each of them.

The easiest way of investing in gold is to purchase shares in a gold mine but this is very risky and should only be done with money you can fully afford to lose. Your country’s stock market may have listed companies of gold mines.

Purchasing gold coins is another way. You will find gold coins listed on ebay but the downfall of investing in gold in this way is that the seller will seek the highest price possible for their coins; and it may not reflect it’s true value.

Buying gold from a dealer is another way but this is beyond the means of a lot of people and then there is the problem of storage not to mention the risk of theft.

Collecting gold jewellery is another way of investing in gold. Just as collecting other items such as postage stamps, old comics, or barbie dolls, they give enjoyment to the collector and the items are worth something when it comes time to sell.

Investing in gold as an interest

Gold can provide an added interest to your portfolio. If you have discretionary money to spend then investing in gold can add an extra string to your financial bow and if the investment turns to custard then there is no damage done. After all, millions of dollars are lost in lotteries every year and no one blinks an eye lid. Giving up lotteries and use the money to build up your gold investments should be your best approach. 

The risk of investing in gold

There are risks with investing in Gold as there are with other types of investments but these risks can be managed. It is important for investors to do their research in order to understand these risks. 

Investing in gold should not be an alternative to contributing to your country’s retirement scheme.

The rules of investing

The rules of investing are just as applicable with gold as they are with other types of investments. Where does gold fit into your overall investment strategy? If you have some disposable spending money to invest then investing in gold is a good option. It will provide an added interest to you; that is interest in terms of enjoyment such as a stamp collector would derive interest from his or her hobby.

It is certainly not wise to just purchase gold with money which you can ill afford to lose or to invest your whole life savings into it. That is just asking for trouble. 

To summarise

Investing in gold can provide you with an interesting string to your financial portfolio, but it does have its pitfalls. It is important to weigh up the pros and cons and only invest money in gold which you can afford to lose. Read up on the subject and then decide whether gold is a suitable investment for you.

About this article

The opinions in this article are of the writer’s opinion and may not be applicable to your personal circumstances. You may use the content for your blog/site or ebook. Feel free to share the article on social media.

www.robertastewart.com

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Avoid these three Financial Mistakes

Avoid these three Financial Mistakes

Written by R. A. Stewart

Building an investment portfolio is similar to building a relationship. It takes time and patience but over caution can be just as costly. A lot of tolerance is required because in finance and in life in general you do not always get your own way. Life has its own ups and it is during the downs that we show our true character. It is when our true colours come to the surface.

Human nature or emotion as it is can interfere with one’s better judgment. This applies to relationships and finance.

Here are the biggest mistakes made by investors.

Mistake number one-Greed

“If something is too good to be true then it almost certainly is,” but many people have fallen into this trap by investing in something which was offering above average returns. In doing so they completely ignored another rule in finance and that is to diversify. During the 2008 Global Financial Crisis many investors lost their entire life savings when various finance companies went under. Several people have their entire life savings invested in one company. Whatever has been reported about these companies it is up to investors to do their own due diligence and invest sensibly. Placing all of your eggs in one basket is certainly not investing sensibly. The key word for sensible investors is “diversify.” This minimizes risk. Two things to bear in mind is that when there is an opportunity for a capital gain as there is with shares, there is also the chance for a capital loss. The other thing to remember is that when you hear stories of someone who made a killing on the share market by placing all of their eggs in one basket, you seldom hear of individuals who tried the same thing and lost their money. Greed will eventually get the better of investors who thought they were smart enough to beat the market.

Mistake number two-Timidity

Playing it safe is risky. Being overcautious will mean that you miss out on opportunities which risk takers take advantage of. There is no suggestion that you should be reckless and ignore common sense precautions but in relationships you need to risk getting hurt in order to discover what you are looking for. As far as financial matters are concerned, you have to accept some level of risk but this is manageable by diversifying your portfolio. Managed Funds or Mutual Funds as they are also called is an excellent way for ordinary investors to get involved in the share market. In New Zealand, Kiwisaver, Sharesies, Kernel Wealth, Hatch, and Investnow are excellent platforms for ordinary investors to get involved in shares. If you are from the US you may want to look at Robinhood which operates in much the same way as Sharesies.

Mistake number three-Impatience

“It is time and not timing which is important in the share market,” is a cliche which is worth keeping in mind. Patience is a virtue and this is applicable to relationships and finances. Some people lack patience that they invest their money in abc shares then when their portfolio is stagnant they sell those and invest in def and sod’s law, the shares they sold at a lower price suddenly rises meaning they have missed out on any gains which would have recovered their losses. The share market is a long term gain. If you require the money in the short term then investing in shares may not be the right option. Bank deposit probably is but you have got to do your homework. 

It really is up to your own risk profile.

About this article

You may use this article as content for your blog/website and as content for your ebook. Feel free to share this article with others.

The information here is of the opinion of the writer and may not be applicable to your personal circumstances.

Invest in sharesies here:

Sharesies makes it possible for anyone to get into buying and selling shares. It is an online share market platform where you have the option of purchasing shares in individual companies or in various funds (managed/mutual funds). You can even start with $5. This is a no brainer because it gives investors young and not so young the chance to improve their financial literacy. There is certainly no substitute for experience when it comes to learning and this is applicable to everything else, not just investing.

Join sharesies here: https://sharesies.nz/r/377DFM

Disclaimer: I may receive a small sign up bonus if you join sharesies.

www.robertastewart.com

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Just start saving…

The savings habit needs to start at a young age

Just start saving…

Written by R. A. Stewart

The amount that you need to fund your retirement is a personal topic and varies depending on personal circumstances.

So often we hear financial people saying that you need this or that to fund a decent retirement. They come up with figures of what the average person needs.

These figures are all based on assumptions. 

Different experts arrive at different calculations as to the amount needed in retirement because they make different assumptions.

These figures are based on averages but they do not take into account investor’s differences and where we each have our own goals and interests.

Then there are assumptions on how long we are likely to live after we retire and I am not suggesting for one moment that you should stop working when you reach a certain age. 

There are factors such as housing needs, inflation, return on your investments, and longevity which are important things to consider when trying to work out how much is requirement in retirement.

There has to be a life balance in all this. It is no good just staying at home during retirement only to leave your money to someone else when it is your time to go.

People are different and everyone’s personal circumstances are different therefore it is not helpful to   treat everyone the same way. Your retirement plan needs to be one that takes into account your personal circumstances.

Before you even contemplate using a financial advisor you need to map out your financial goals first because no one can point you in the right direction unless you know where you are going. It is similar to purchasing an airline ticket. The ticket seller cannot help you unless to tell him or her where you want to go.

In a nutshell, set goals for your money or your money will develop a mind of it’s own and do it’s own thing.

When setting goals set priorities for your money. Obviously your basic living costs are number one priority then comes things such as debt, if you have any and savings.

Your personal situation must be factored into your calculations. There is no size fits all. 

I don’t think anyone ever had any regrets that they belong to a retirement scheme of some kind. In New Zealand this is called Kiwisaver. Forget about what the experts are saving you need for your retirement fund and just start saving. You will be better off in the long term than if you just frittered away the money.

The reason why there is so much inequality in the world is because people make different choices and the result of different choices is different outcomes. It is important to take responsibility for your own choices and not blame the government all of the time. Focus on what you can do to improve your financial situation. If you don’t like the government you always have the option of voting for the opposition at the next election.

About this Article:

Feel free to share this article. You may also use this article as content for your blog/website or ebook. Check out my other articles on www.robertastewart.com

 

Note: This article is of the opinion of the writer and may not be applicable to your personal 

 

Start investing on a shoestring

Sharesies makes it possible for anyone to get into buying and selling shares. It is an online share market platform where you have the option of purchasing shares in individual companies or in various funds (managed/mutual funds). You can even start with $5. This is a no brainer because it gives investors young and not so young the chance to improve their financial literacy. There is certainly no substitute for experience when it comes to learning and this is applicable to everything else, not just investing.

Join sharesies here: https://sharesies.nz/r/377DFM

 

#sharesies 

#kiwisaver 

#savingmoney 

#sensibleinvesting 

#sharemarket