No Stupid Questions with Susan Edmunds

Family, the family home, retirement – and a lot of the things that can go wrong when you mix them together. That's all in this episode of No Stupid Questions with Susan Edmunds.

In this episode, Susan answers questions about:

• Should you buy a house from your mother-in-law?
• Should I sell my house now or hope the market improves?
• Can my stepkids kick me out of my home?
• If my partner needs to go into care, do I have to pay for it?

If you have a money question you'd like Susan to answer, put it in an email or voice memo, then send it to [email protected].

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Are you confused about KiwiSaver, retirement, or your pension? Then you're in the right place. Retirement Commissioner David Boyle joins No Stupid Questions with Susan Edmunds this week to answer all your questions.

In this episode, Retirement Commissioner David Boyle answers questions about:

• Is KiwiSaver more secure because it’s a government scheme?
• Does paying tax on KiwiSaver discourage saving?
• Does means testing apply on rest home subsidy?
• Who looked out for retirees before the office of Retirement Commissioner was established?

If you have a money question you'd like Susan to answer, put it in an email or voice memo, then send it to [email protected].

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

What can you do if you’re renting a house and your landlord decides to put a billboard on it, supporting a political party you object to? That’s just one of the questions we get into on this week’s episode of No Stupid Questions.

In this episode, our experts ask questions about:

• Can my landlord put a political billboard on the house I’m renting?
• What is the difference between government surplus and government debt?
• Do I have to get a contracting out agreement to make my will count?
• What happened to the ban on card surcharges?

If you have a money question you'd like Susan to answer, put it in an email or voice memo, then send it to [email protected].

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Everyone who has kids wants to help them get on in life. One way is to help them buy their first home. But is selling a stake in your home a good way to do this?

In this episode, our experts ask questions about:

• How can selling a stake in your home help your kids buy property?
• When was the last time bank term deposits gave a return above inflation?
• How can the same petrol company get away with charging different prices at different stations that might only be minutes apart??
• How much profit do the oil companies behind petrol stations make? And do their margins change much as prices rise and fall?
• How many of us aren’t on track to have enough in retirement?

If you have a money question you'd like Susan to answer, put it in an email or voice memo, then send it to [email protected].

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

One of our listeners emailed us to say she was surprised to find out she was paying tax on her KiwiSaver account and horrified to realise she wasn't paying the right amount. She now owes money to the IRD. This week on No Stupid Questions with Susan Edmunds, we ask: what tax rate should you be paying on KiwiSaver, how will it affect your retirement savings, and is there a plan to amend the tax brackets?

In this episode, our experts ask questions about:

• How will the tax I pay on KiwiSaver affect my retirement?
• What is fiscal drag?
• Should I keep contributing to KiwiSaver when my employer stops?
• What impact will the New Zealand Super Fund have on the affordability of New Zealand superannuation costs??
• Why is our wine and lamb cheaper in the UK than it is here?

If you have a money question you'd like Susan to answer, put it in an email or voice memo, then send it to [email protected].

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

It’s our 50th episode, and so this week on No Stupid Questions with Susan Edmunds, there’s a bit of a twist!

In this episode, our experts ask questions about:

• Is it possible to run out of money in retirement?
• Should you contribute more to KiwiSaver?
• Are there any real differences between KiwiSaver providers?
• How do we solve New Zealand’s productivity problem?
• Why is income protection insurance a tax deductible expense?

If you have a money question you'd like Susan to answer, put it in an email or voice memo, then send it to [email protected].

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Every parent wants to help their kids with money stuff. And we know that some aren't able to. But for those who can, at what age does that responsibility end? Should you still support your kids through university, trades training and the like? What are the options out there, beyond the Bank of Mum and Dad?

In this episode, Susan answers questions about:

• Student loan isn’t enough to cover hall of residence fees. Are there other options?
• At what age can I stop paying for my kid?
• How do I set up a financial gift to a child that isn’t mine?
• Does it still make sense to sign kids up to KiwiSaver?
• Credit card surcharges were to be stopped this year – what happened to that?
• Do banks have to pass on the OCR basis increase to their customers?

If you have a money question you'd like Susan to answer, put it in an email or voice memo, then send it to [email protected].

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

If your employer doesn't contribute extra to your KiwiSaver, is there any point being in the scheme? It's a question that gets to the heart of what KiwiSaver is for, and whether some New Zealanders might be better off investing elsewhere.

In this episode, Susan answers questions about:

• Whether KiwiSaver is worth it if you're on a total remuneration package
• The pros and cons of investing outside KiwiSaver
• Whether a 46-year-old is too old to switch to an aggressive KiwiSaver fund
• What to consider when deciding whether to keep life insurance after 65
• Whether a motel can charge a 3 percent surcharge on debit and credit card payments
• Alternatives to using credit cards overseas, including Wise cards

If you have a money question you'd like Susan to answer, put it in an email or voice memo, then send it to [email protected]

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Say you can afford to pay off more than the minimum on your mortgage. Everyone says it's a good idea. But what's the best way to do it? Focus on one part of it, or spread it across the whole loan? Listen and find out in this week’s episode of No Stupid Questions with Susan Edmunds.

In this episode, Susan answers questions about:

• What’s the best way to smash down my mortgage?
• Is it a good idea to have your current account and savings account with different banks.?
• What do I do in a dispute over the Consumer Guarantees Act?
• Is there a limit to how much money I can put in my KiwiSaver?

If you have a money question you'd like Susan to answer, put it in an email or voice memo, then send it to [email protected].

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Everyone loves a good garage sale. But if you're running one, should you be charging GST on the things you sell? They're all goods, after all. Who actually needs to charge GST? And is there a case for and against taking it off essential household purchases?

In this episode, Susan answers questions about:

• Why does my business pay GST when we’re not registered to collect it?
• Why aren’t we taking GST off our power bills?
• Should New Zealand issue $200, $500 or $1000 notes?
• I want to work overseas. How do I balance interest versus earnings on my student loan?
• Will my bank accept cheese as security on a loan?

If you have a money question you'd like Susan to answer, put it in an email or voice memo, then send it to [email protected].

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details