No Stupid Questions with Susan Edmunds

Over the six months or so that Susan has been answering your money questions, we've received many about life after retirement - and even more about KiwiSaver. April 1 sees change coming to the KiwiSaver scheme. The default rate of contributions will change, as will government and employer contributions. To mark these changes and to celebrate our 25th programme, this episode of No Stupid Questions with Susan Edmunds will be a KiwiSaver bonanza!In this episode, Susan answers questions about:How likely is it for any government to remove the option of withdrawing KiwiSaver money to buy a first home?Should we transfer most of our money to a bank until the middle east conflict settles?Why do workers over 65 still not get paid KiwiSaver by some employers?What is going to be better in the long run, low fees or higher returns?If the age of entitlement to pension rises, will the age of eligibility for KiwiSaver also rise?Stuff is getting more expensive to buy. Why? And what's the solution?And when did New Zealand first attempt a major superannuation scheme?If you have a money question you'd like Susan to answer, put it in an email or voice memo, then send it to questions@rnz.co.nz.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Diesel is a big driver of our economy, no pun intended. If the squeeze comes on diesel, what will be the impact on your back pocket? Is it fair for someone to live most of their life in Australia, but come back here to claim the pension? Who remembers carlesIn this episode, Susan answers questions about:Have we forgotten about diesel drivers?Can someone work most of their lives in Australia and then come back to New Zealand to claim the pension?Do church-owned retirement homes enjoy tax exemptions?Can a 70-year-old join KiwiSaver?Why are there hurdles to get your funds out of KiwiSaver when you turn 65?What do you do if you're asset rich but cash poor?Will the rise in the benefit be enough for households to get by?And when did New Zealand bring in carless days? Did it work?If you have a money question you'd like Susan to answer, put it in an email or voice memo, then send it to questions@rnz.co.nz.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

You might own a lot, you might own a little, but you probably still need to write a will. But do you have to use a lawyer to do it? There are changes coming to KiwiSaver contribution rates. Who will miss out? And how do donation credits actually work? In this episode, Susan answers questions about:How will the changes to KiwiSaver contribution rates affect you?How does the donation tax credit actually work?Why aren't spouses paid to be caregivers?Are there still benefits to KiwiSaver when the government contribution stops?Do you have to write a will with a lawyer or can you write your own, have it witnessed and just keep it in a safe place?What items have gotten cheaper over the last 10 years?And which part of the country has the highest uptake on solar power?If you have a money question you'd like Susan to answer, put it in an email or voice memo, then send it to questions@rnz.co.nz.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Discussion of rising petrol prices and how oil-driven volatility could hit household fuel bills. Exploration of wider inflation risks as higher fuel feeds into supply-chain and food costs. Conversation about KiwiSaver volatility and what matching risk to time horizon looks like. Practical travel issues such as cancelled flights, refunds, insurance exclusions and war-related coverage limits.

Quite a few Aussie banks operate here in New Zealand as well as over the ditch. Are Kiwis being offered the same deals as their Australian cousins? If we can peg property rates to inflation, then why not electricity prices? Parents have a legal duty to look after their children, obviously, but at what age does that responsibility end? Susan answers all these questions as well as what's included in tax refunds on donations (and what isn't), how benefit sanctions are managed and which parts of the country pay the highest power bills.Episode detailsIn this episode, Susan answers questions about:00.33 Can we peg power prices to the rate of inflation?4.17 Are the big Aussie banks treating Kiwis like mugs?9.10 How long are parents and stepparents legally responsible for their kids?11.54 Does my employer have to apply the new KiwiSaver increase?12.36 Why aren't admin costs included in my donation tax refund?14.38 And where in New Zealand do we pay the most for power?If you have a money question you'd like Susan to answer, put it in an email or voice memo, then send it to questions@rnz.co.nz.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

It can happen. And does. Your dad dies. Your stepmother sells their home and then leaves all the money to her kids. You get nothing. This doesn't seem right. Is there anything you can do? We investigate your options on this as well asking whether it is worth having a savings account anymore, what the unemployment rate tells us and what it doesn't, and are KiwiSaver providers making their returns sound better than they are?In this episode, Susan answers questions about:What doers the unemployment rate actually tell us? And what is it leaving out?Can a stepparent cut their partner's kids out of the will?Are KiwiSaver providers making their returns sound better than they are?With interest rates so low, is it worth having a savings account anymore?How are the new rules around tenants and their pets working out?And what is the most expensive pet procedure insurance will pay for?If you have a money question you'd like Susan to answer, put it in an email or voice memo, then send it to questions@rnz.co.nz.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Your kids are all grown up now, having families, buying homes of their own and working hard to make ends meet. Wouldn't this be the best time for them to inherit your money? Have we got the wrong approach to inheritances? Susan has answers for this, as well as what the tax situation is when buying a house overseas, whether financial advisers who are paid on commission can really be objective and what to look out for when insuring your car.Episode detailsIn this episode, Susan answers questions about:00.51 What exactly is the OCR?2.42 What are the tax implications when buying an offshore apartment?5.17 Do we have inheritances all wrong?8.12 What are banks saying about the future of house insurance?10.22 Can financial advisers every truly be impartial?12.44 What you need to know about insuring your car13.41 And is a 1983 car better value than one from today?If you have a money question you'd like Susan to answer, put it in an email or voice memo, then send it to questions@rnz.co.nz.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Family stuff can be pretty tricky, especially after a bereavement. What can you do if you're partner has passed on and their kids want you to sell your house so they can get a payout? Speaking of kids, why isn't the cost of childcare tax deductible? Does the NZ Super Fund super proof my pension? And would you have been better off buying a house in 1981 - or Lego?In this episode, Susan answers questions about:00.44 What to do when your partner dies and your kids want you to sell the family home4.02 Why childcare isn't tax deductible5.19 Will pensions one day be paid out entirely from the NZ Super Fund7.55 Can a person on a low income afford to buy a tiny home9.28 Whether to invest in Kiwi Bonds or put your money into a savings account12.38 And what the average price of a house was in 1981If you have a money question you'd like Susan to answer, put it in an email or voice memo, then send it to questions@rnz.co.nz.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Plenty of us rent the homes we live in. How do we know if we're paying more for it than we should? Susan finds out and asks if anyone is making money from your rental bond, as well as how to avoid being scammed when you're investing, and whether your LEGO collection is a good investment or not.In this episode, Susan answers questions about:00.55 What to do if you think you're paying more than market rent5.38 Is anyone making money from your rental bond6.49 What happens if a parent dies with no money to pay for their funeral8.03 How to avoid the scammers when you've got lots of money to invest10.35 Why your KiwiSaver account is not being scammed12.39 How to protect yourself from being ripped off when buying online13.34 Why your KiwiSaver balance doesn't count against your pension14.07 And whether your LEGO collection is a good investmentIf you have a money question you'd like Susan to answer, put it in an email or voice memo, then send it to questions@rnz.co.nz.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

More than 600,000 New Zealanders have a student loan. If you’re one of them, you might have questions - like what happens if you die? Does your partner have to take on half if you split? We're looking at this as well as pension questions, tax questions, investing for your kids, and ensuring your KiwiSaver is invested in a way you're comfortable with.In this episode, Susan answers questions about:00.55 Avoiding the student loan debt trap2.59 Options for setting up your grandkids' financial future5.53 Why savings can count against an accommodation supplement7.02 How to avoid ethical jump scares when investing9.46 What happens when a working pensioner needs ACC payments10.35 Why tax on your pension isn't the government double-dipping11.55 What the new inflation data means for your mortgage13. 09 When did instant noodles get added to the CPI?If you have a money question you'd like Susan to answer, put it in an email or voice memo, then send it to questions@rnz.co.nz.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details