Financial Wellbeing means different things to each of us.

It can be as simple as your ability to manage your money.  And isn’t necessarily dependant on the amount of money you have.

For me it is more than just being able to pay your bills.

For me it is a deeper sense of balance, a feeling of security that I am gaining control over my day to day expenses, and that there is an element of freedom to make choices to enjoy life and looking to the future having both short term and longer term financial goals.

Financial wellbeing and mental health (and then physical health) are closely linked: when one drops, we often see the other follow.  There are 5 keys to financial wellbeing – this is the third article in the series of 5.

By now you may have heard about the budget today, and some of the changes to KiwiSaver.

I am not going to talk about the politics of it all, but more just the changes to KiwiSaver and what this might mean to you and some things to consider. I will try to keep this as short as possible but it may be a little long.

I see ads like this all the time from other advisers and it tends to annoy me.

It’s a clear play on the meme that went around ages ago about cutting back on coffee of avocado toast to save for a house.

It’s designed to get you annoyed, give you some FOMO and make you think you need to do more, and they can sell you on buying rental property, with the aim that this helps you pay off your loan faster.

An applicant’s medical history makes up an important part of any insurance application. 

As time has progressed the human body has become subject to an ever-increasing number of new medical conditions. To better understand rare or unusual conditions the insurance underwriters have two key places to gain information when assessing an application.

Retirement planning in New Zealand requires more than just relying on NZ Superannuation. With inflation, rising living costs and varying lifestyle preferences, retirees need to consider their financial resources and future goals. Here’s a breakdown of retirement expenses, financial strategies, and how to prepare for this stage of life.

The property we brought three years ago, needed some modernisation and so we went about the process of getting quotes etc. 

We wanted to try and support locally owned and operated businesses. This a great in theory but can pose some challenges in practice. 

Financial Wellbeing means different things to each of us.

It can be as simple as your ability to manage your money.  And isn’t necessarily dependant on the amount of money you have.

For me it is more than just being able to pay your bills.

Most people save what’s left at the end of the month - if there’s anything left at all.  

But what if you flipped that habit on its head? 

Can Coffee and a Mortgage Coexist?

For many, a daily takeaway coffee is a simple pleasure—a small ritual that jumpstarts the day. But when considering mortgage affordability, a common question arises: Do small lifestyle expenses, like coffee, really stand in the way of homeownership? The short answer is No, but financial awareness is key.

Financial Wellbeing means different things to each of us.

It can be as simple as your ability to manage your money.  And isn’t necessarily dependant on the amount of money you have.

For me it is more than just being able to pay your bills.

For many people, going into the new year meant making clear goals and determinations to change things and do better. I have had many sessions with people already this year wanting to get better with money.

The challenge with resolutions is they are made in a moment of excitement, and that excitement cannot be maintained indefinitely.

Some of you will have already done your Christmas shopping, booked your flights and accommodation, or generally organised yourselves for the holidays.

To those that have, I commend you!

It is clear that to a certain extent, it depends on your up-bringing.

As a financial adviser, I often talk about the importance of planning for the future, managing investments, and saving for retirement. But today, I want to discuss something equally crucial: your health. November is Men’s Health Awareness Month, also known as Movember, and it’s the perfect time to get caught with your pants down – metaphorically speaking – and take a good look at your health.

 We often get asked about what advice is for and its value. Advice is for many things, but it all comes down to making sense of Life’s defining moments.

It may be difficult to see how this applies so here are some ideas.

“Without Knowledge, action is useless and knowledge without action is futile.”

― Abu Bakr

 The terms financial literacy and financial capability are closely related, but have distinct meanings. These terms get thrown around all the time, but what do they actually mean? We outline the differences below and explain why you should care.   

We buy insurance to get a claim paid, not to just watch the money go out every month. What happens at claim depends on how you bought the cover.

The biggest investment that most Kiwi’s will make in their lives is purchasing their first home.

It comes with its own set of risks as we have all seen in the falling house prices and increased interest rates over the last few years.

Most of us are happy to take those risks on, as we all want a place to call our own and something to pass on to future generations

For many years – a mortgage “broker” has been the person you use as a go between you the client – and the bank.

Essentially a mortgage adviser does exactly the same thing – so for you the clients – the term is interchangeable.

Don’t cancel it – choose an excess. This change can save you hundreds, even thousands of dollars.

Many people consider cancelling their medical insurance due to rising costs, unaware of their options. This concerns me because once you cancel your policy, it can be difficult to get it back.