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.

You'll see this ridiculous picture in captions everywhere where someone's complaining about cutting out a daily work coffee to save money. The meme suggests that saving $20 a week gives you $80 a month or $960 a year. They've even got the maths wrong by assuming exactly four weeks in a month. After 10 years, you've supposedly saved $9,600, which isn't enough to buy a house, so you might as well enjoy your coffee.

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.

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.

 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.

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.

In tough economic times why is it that personal insurance is the first expense that most people think is fair game to reduce the cost of or cancel completely.

I don’t disagree that insurance products are a purchase that is often made begrudgingly. What is there to show for them other than a folder full of terms and conditions and jargon most don’t understand.

Don’t panic sell your investments, if you think you have to cash out soon, get advice. This shall pass, you need to Hold Fast.