Her Magazine

Her Magazine April/May 2013

Her Magazine is New Zealand’s only women’s business lifestyle magazine! Her Magazine highlights the achievements of successful and rising New Zealand businesswomen. Her Magazine encourages a healthy work/life balance.

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The key to having a good retirement (and you can) Knowledge is power – and that is very much the case when it comes to retirement. It does not matter if you are 25 or 75, women of all ages can and will benefit from planning and learning about retirement and finances. You don't need to be a rocket scientist either; • Get started on a savings plan today • KiwiSaver is good, but for most of us that will not be enough • Any saving is better than no saving • Learn the basics or more about investments • Get professional advice from an independent adviser or suitably qualified mentor • Make a plan and stick to it • Review your plan at least annually with your adviser • Be prepared to be flexible • Never, never ever give up – Winston Churchill Property – your home Keep an eye on property prices, because at some point you may downsize your house to release some more cash - the fallback position. Since you do not know how long you are going to live, "keep your powder dry" and do not use up your fallback position until later on – say age 77 to 80. House prices are a very interesting issue and I would not be so brave as to forecast where they will go. However, the government recently tweaked the rules and asked the Reserve Bank to ensure house prices do not rise too quickly. Excessive house prices for young families were recently referred to in the media as "a form of child abuse" and the government is working on cheaper first homes as I write. House prices are very high compared to wages in NZ. Taking all these factors into account, one would be unwise to count on significant capital gains, year in, year out. So ladies, you can have a good retirement, but to get it right, you need to take action and seek the knowledge. If you do, you will gain a lot of satisfaction and peace of mind. Good luck. Alan Clarke www.investandretire.co.nz Alan is an independent authorised financial adviser (AFA) and his disclosure statement is available on request and free of charge. Knowledge is power – and that is very much the case when it comes to retirement www.h e rmagaz in e .co.n z | 39

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