News & Articles: Financial Literacy

At 5 pm every second Tuesday, the alarm in my mind never fails to go off to remind me that it is payday. I’m sure you’ll agree that there are few things better than the feeling of seeing fresh money enter your bank account (I will admit that going toe-to-toe with The Chaser in front of the family is a close second). When payday swings around, I often find that there are two mindsets people have...

My last article was written about teaching your ‘young’ kids about money and that was well received by our readers so I thought I would continue down the financial education path and focus on what we need to teach our ‘young adults’ about money.

I have always found having check lists helpful so hopefully this will help those young adults heading on their OE, graduating and leaving home and possibly also for the parents or grandparents who are helping coach these young New Zealanders from the side-lines.

At Lifetime we understand the impact that these health situations can have on you both emotionally and financially. Your Adviser can be that person who can be there to reassure you especially if you hold insurance policies; they often cover more situations than you think.

I decided when my boys were young that I would teach them both about money and investing. I opened KiwiSaver accounts for them when they were only months old. They also have non-KiwiSaver investment accounts to help fund the cost of university. My wife and I add to the accounts when we can and so do the boy's Grandparents.

Albert Einstein famously said, “compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world, those who understand this, earn it… those that don’t, pay it.”  The simple truth of compounding returns is the most important thing that matters for the long-term investor. Yet in today’s world we are consistently bombarded with distractions, become pre-occupied with other things, and we forget this simple truth.

Lifetime is truly up and running post its 2018 merger and now rolling out new and improved advice and investment training program for our advisers and administration staff. 

The lessons you teach them now can significantly impact your children once they leave home, writes Lifetime financial adviser Matt Wenborn.

Happy New Year to all and I hope that you all had a wonderful and peaceful holiday season. As I noted in my recent quarterly performance report, we remain optimistic about the markets over the long-term but have a cautious short-term outlook as we expect volatility to remain with us for the foreseeable future.

OPINION:  As millennials, there’s often a gap between what we think will make us financially free versus what actually does. My story is testament to that.

By 23, I was working full-time running a business, studying full-time at university, and proudly took out a loan for my first home in a bid to grow my wealth and ultimately gain financial freedom. 

Setting clear money goals as a couple can pay real ‘dividends’ for both your bank account and relationship. Lifetime financial adviser Chané Berghorst explains what you need to consider when drawing up a shared plan. 

OPINION: For a woman, your forties can be the most defining and lucrative decade – especially when it comes to finances. Taking the right steps can improve your financial standing and set yourself up for the years ahead.