KiwiSaver hardship withdrawals are on the rise. In April, more than 4000 applications were made, with $38.5 million being paid out. On the flipside, questions are being asked about the returns active managers are getting versus the fees they charge. On this week's episode of No Stupid Questions, Susan gets into your KiwiSaver queries, plus a whole bunch of other subjects from our mailbag.

In this episode, Susan answers questions about:

• Are there any special circumstances where I can claim more from my hardship withdrawal application??
• When you consider their fees, are KiwiSaver investment managers actually adding value to your fund?
• What's the deal with the Australian Federal Budget and what does it mean to us?
• Is the reported number of unemployed people accurate?
• Are power retailers being less generous with their solar buy back rates?

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

The property market has been a bit boring of late.

In this episode, Susan answers questions about:

• The market has turned against you, but you need to make a move. Should you take the hit or hold on?
• I have a chunk of change from the sale of my home. Should put it in one bank or spread it around to be safe?
• I've recently retired and sold my home, but I'm not ready for a retirement village. What are my options?
• In times of trouble, should I fix my mortgage for six months or longer?
• Will the next government offer a solar panel package so homes can cope with high power costs?

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

Most of us probably think we have a pretty good understanding of the pension.

In this episode, Susan answers questions about:

• If I live overseas, can I still claim a New Zealand pension?
• Why does the first person in a couple turning 65 gets the sharing rate, not the full single payment?
• Will the pension still be around when the next generation retire?
• When I turn 65, do I have to let someone know to get the pension?
• Which city in New Zealand has the most money left over after paying their mortgage, power, rates, insurance and food bills?

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

About a million New Zealanders are using some form of DIY share investing account to build extra wealth. In this bonus episode from the RNZ podcast Thrift, Susan joins Thrift host, Katy Gosset, to discuss how share trading apps work and we meet some fledgling investors.

You can hear more money saving tips and tricks from Thrift on the RNZ website or on your favourite podcast app.

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

Where should you actually be investing now? It’s an impossibly big question but on this week’s episode of No Stupid Questions, we’re going to be attempting to answer parts of it in a bit of an investing special!

In this episode, Susan answers questions about:

• Is AI any good at share picking?
• Should I invest in forestry?
• I want to grow my savings, but also need easy access to it. What are my options?
• I didn't sell my shares in my company at the best time. Should I wait or offload them now?
• I've lost the location of my crypto currency! How do I track it down?
• What's my FIRE number for retiring?
• What's on IRD's hold music playlist?

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've been trading in crypto currencies. You know if you are making money you need to declare it. But you're not making money. Instead, you're losing it. Is there a way to write those losses off against other income? We all know we should have long term savings and investments. But how much will high inflation mess around with your returns? And are there any restrictions on who can offer a KiwiSaver fund?

In this episode, Susan answers questions about:

• If someone was to make a loss trading crypto how does one write those losses off against other income?
• What the implications are of higher inflation on long-term savings and investment?
• Is there is a vetting process determining whether a fund is allowed to be part of the KiwiSaver investment options, and, if so, what the vetting criteria might be?
• Does paying tax on the employer contribution to KiwiSaver almost make it meaningless?
• Despite all the uncertainty in the world, my KiwiSaver fund is rebounding. Why?
• And why is the Tenancy Tribunal getting so many applications written by AI?

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 and your ex-partner both have student loan debt. While you were together, they worked more while you were the day-to-day caregiver to your kids and reduced your employment hours.

In this episode, Susan answers questions about:

• Why can't the government cause a decrease in costs to the consumer by making the big companies take less profit?
• Why nothing has been done to compensate for or reduce road user charges when the price of diesel is so high.?
• Is student loan debt included in relationship property?
• If I don't qualify for the Australian pension can I get NZ Super instead?
• How long do I have to have lived in New Zealand to qualify for Superannuation?
• And active or passive wealth managers - which are getting the best returns?

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

You're retired, thinking about the next stage and your house doesn't fit your needs anymore. Is it best to downsize now or wait for another time? Speaking of retiring, is KiwiSaver a safer place for your money than a bank account? Where will you get the highest returns? We all know there's a squeeze on fuel supplies right now. Has the quality of what we're buying decreased?

In this episode, Susan answers questions about:

• Should I downsize now or wit for a better time?
• Is KiwiSaver a safer place for my money, or a bank account? Which gives me the best return?
• Has the quality of the fuel we buy decreased?
• Are we paying higher prices for fuel that arrived before the war in the Middle East?
• What is the equivalent minimum wage for the self-employed?
• I canceled my Life Insurance which automatically canceled my wife's. How is that possible in 2026?
• And why am I paying more for rest home care when I qualify for the government subsidy?

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 a modern trend; one relationship, two separate residences, couples living apart together. But does this mean they are exempt from property relationship laws? And at a time when everything seems so precarious and unpredictable, why would anyone be considering raising interest rates?

In this episode, Susan answers questions about:

• Why are interest rates increasing?
• Do new build houses experience the same rate of capital growth when house prices are rising, or do they have a bit of depreciation when they lose their newness?
• What happens to my foreign pension if I come to live in New Zealand?
• Do relationship property laws apply if you don't live together?
• Is the government receiving more revenue from the rise in fuel prices?
• My kid spent up large online using my credit card. How do I prevent this from happening again?
• And how much have Roblox share prices risen since they were listed?

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

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.

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 [email protected].

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