No Stupid Questions with Susan Edmunds

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

Do you have kids? If so, are they bugging you to get them Ooshies, those tiny, plastic figurines they’re giving away at one of the supermarkets?

In this episode, Susan answers questions about:

• Could solar power buybacks ever become taxable income?
• What are the pros and cons of income protection insurance?
• I'm struggling to pay tax on my freehold investment property. What are my options?
• Can the age of eligibility for KiwiSaver be changed?
• Why do some supermarkets offer giveaways like Ooshies?

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 should you do if you’re offered an extended warranty when you’re buying an appliance? Isn’t that what the Consumer Guarantees Act is for? That’s just one of the questions that we’re looking into on this week’s episode of No Stupid Questions, which is a dive into some of the niggly questions that annoy people in their everyday lives.

In this episode, Susan answers questions about:

• Are extended warranties worth it?
• Why do I need to declare personal goods over $700 when I enter the country?
• Why are fuel prices at discount brands different across my town?
• Can I opt out of biometric account validation?
• Why do some teachers have an extra tax bill?

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 have debt. And we've all heard about good debt versus bad debt, even if we don't always understand what that means or always make a wise choice if we do. But does the good debt/bad debt divide also apply to the country as a whole? Or are there different ways of weighing it up?

In this episode, Susan answers questions about:

• Does the thinking about good debt vs bad debt also apply to government debt?
• Which KiwiSaver provider is best for me?
• Is the Public Trust funeral fund still going?
• How much has the cost of insurance risen in the last 25 years?
• Can I be insured against alien abduction?

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