New Zealand Media Commentators, & Retirement Income books and useful websites.

BOOKS:

• Cracking Open the Nest Egg: How to Make Your Retirement Savings Last the Distance. Martin Hawes, 2022. Great for those Retired
• Money Made Simple. Managing your money, a guide for all New Zealanders, Sam Stubbs 2022
• Rich enough: A laid back Guide for every Kiwi, Mary Holm, 2018. Excellent.
• A Richer You, How to Make most of your Money, Mary Holm, 2021. All from Mary’s Q/A column from the Weekend Herald. Magic!
• The Great NZ Work, Money, and Retirement Puzzle and how to solve it. A Practical Guide for everyone 19-91 yrs.Alan Clarke, (2014). Unusual style but easy to read.
• The No Regrets Guide to Retirement: Patricia Howard, 2021, John Whiley, Publisher, Aussie with many references to Australian Aged Pension and their compulsory Super savings, but easy to read and sound advice.
• The Essential Retirement Guide, A Contrarian’s PerspectiveFrederick Vettese, John Wiley& sons (2016) * American but suitable and applicable to NZ. Excellent, good examples. On the button!
• Retire Richer; a practical guide for everyone aged 25-85. Alan Clarke. 2010. Large font, easy to read. Very sound.
• The New Retirement: Smart Tips for Boomers. Bill Jamieson Shoal Bay 2007. Chatty.
• NZ Retirement Guide, (2013), Twenty Good SummerMartin Hawes: A prolific writer, (over 20 books) always provides good reading and common-sense recommendations.
• How to retire with enough money and how to know what enough is. Teresa Ghilarduccci, (2015). Also, American, but suitable for NZ readers. 100 pages. Excellent.
• Your 60’s by Peter Dunn, (2015) Centage Learning. again, an American book, but applicable to NZ scene.
• The New Zealand Tax System, NZ Taxes in comparative perspectiveRob Salmond, 2011. Want to know about the NZ Tax system? Easy to follow.

 COMMENTATORS?  Who is worth listening too?

The comments are brief, editor opinion only, and the names mentioned are those that provide or give opinions or articles on either retirement income issues, and or New Zealand Superannuation and Kiwi Saver.

I have used the generic label of conservative, liberal or neutral to describe my perception of their objectivity, readers should always make their own mind up on commentator bias and balance.

• Martin Hawes: Calm, considered, common sense covering superannuation, trusts, retirement savings etc. Published Author. Neutral.
• Mary Holm: Sound and succinct. Good simple business and personal financial comment, on many of the current retirement issues. Excellent plus NZ Herald column each Sunday-compulsory reading! Published author. Neutral
• Rob Stock: Leans towards the senior’s market, writes regularly in an easy-to-follow manner, on topical retirement income. Sound approach. Neutral.
• Hannah McQueen: Always interesting. Neutral
• Janine Starks. Financial commentator, sound on a range of retirement income issues. Neutral.
• Amanda Morrell. Newstalk ZB guest on Smart Money, her comments on New Zealand Superannuation lack depth, but financially informative overall. Needs to upskill on NZ Superannuation. Neutral.
• Cameron Bagrie: Independent Economist. Previous Chief economist ANZ bank, now out on his own. A 2017 piece on Superannuation was poorly done, containing the usual myths and generalizations. Believes NZ Super is fiscally unsustainable, and age of eligibility must be raised. Conservative. Be wary of this voice!
• Brad Olsen: Up and comer, precise in his comments. Experience will add further substance to his skill set, too early to asses his retirement income knowledge, needs to specifically research NZ Superannuation policy and impacts over time. Neutral.
• Diana Clement. Regular NZ Herald columnist, who writes in a simple and clear manner. Solid topics and approach. Neutral.
• Shamubeel Eaqub: Independent economist. Always interesting, has a view on everything, maturing in his overall approach. Neutral.
• Matthew Hooton: A commentator, strong National party-political links. Well-connected, do not ignore him but take him with a grain of salt, and he gets too much air time. Conservative. Be wary of this voice!
• Fran O’Sullivan: Writes some good stuff, on radio frequently and been around a long time. Always proclaiming NZ Superannuation fiscal costs are too high and age of entitlement needs to be raised. Conservative.
• Brian Fallow. Experienced economic editor e.g., the NZ Herald. Always interesting. Like Fran automatically asserts NZ Superannuation and fiscal costs are unsustainable, both leaning towards crisis rhetoric on Superannuation issues. Needs to allow for adjustment factor long-term trend analysis, but he writes on lots of financial topics. Conservative.
• Brian Easton. Long-time commentator on all elements of retirement income. Conservative
• Ralph Stewart: Experienced business background, common sense approach, currently CEO Life time Income, annuities expert, surrounds himself with quality retirement income advisors. Neutral.
• Susan St John, THE PENSIONS, AND INTERGENERATIONAL EQUITY HUB A leading academic Susan’s substantial knowledge of the Retirement Income sector makes her a “must read”. Liberal
• Dr Dale Claire. The Pensions and Intergenerational Equity Hub Research Fellow, colleague of Susan St John. Well informed and research strong point. Liberal

• Michael Littlewood. His papers on NZ Superannuation are seminal resource papers, easy to read, clarifies the issues in a simple manner. NZ Guru on New Zealand Superannuation. Neutral.
• Liz Koh, Sincere, balanced approach and well researched. Neutral.
• David Boyle. Ex Retirement Commission, Sales and Marketing Mint Asset Management. Sound. Neutral
• Katrina Shanks. CEO Financial Advice, NZ. Sound. Neutral
• Tony Alexander. No direct commentary on retirement income, but visible and sound economic analysis on a regular basis. Easy to read, explains things simply and logically. Impressive! Neutral.
• Paul Henry: Full of opinions. Like him or hate him, he provides a view. Pops up now and then, and never dismiss. Conservative.
• Brent Shearer. Sound on investment issues, always gives an opinion. Neutral
• Associate Professor Claire Matthews, Massey University. Pops up frequently with comment on Tax and retirement income issues. On NZ Superannuation always defaults to fiscal sustainability and wants to raise the age of entitlement. Neutral.
• Bernard Hickey: Diverse background. Well researched. Firm opinion and views. Liberal.
• David Farrer. Kiwi Blog, co-founder of the Tax Payer Union, strong National party links. Pollster. Firm opinions and views. Conservative.
• Alec Waugh. Chairman consumer group, Kaspanz (retirement income issues). Public Policy and History qualifications, Police career background, also period CEO Business Information Service. Supports NZ Superannuation model, disputes those contesting fiscal sustainability. Liberal.
• John Gascoigne.  Visible on NZ Superannuation, defender of the model and current fiscal sustainability. Conservative.
• Jane Wrightson, Retirement Commissioner. interesting and sound, wants to get on with things. Neutral.

TALK BACK

This medium is the radio social media platform equivalent, dominated by I Heart radio. This is a conservative platform, many hosts have a strong conservative leaning, and supportive of the right-wing approach, elements of Trump, libertarian, and National/Act party cheerleaders. Elements of retirement income emerge every so often including NZ Superannuation comment, usually from a perceptions viewpoint, rather than any informed knowledge, or evidence based. Be cautious of the many opinions provided, at times they are muppets or div, trying to conceal their right-wing arrogance.

• Mike Hosking. Newstalk ZB radio talkback host. Rapid speaking, intelligent, zany, opinionated, privileged, right leaning/libertarian. Strong bias in all his comments, needs to improve his knowledge on NZ Superannuation etc.  Mike tries to be NZ version of Aussie Alan Jones. Conservative
• Kate Hawksbury, wife of the above, does the early show segment, both are alter ego of each other. Entitled and Conservative
• Heather du Plessis-Allan. Newstalk host. Can be over confident, needs to develop further her knowledge on NZ Superannuation etc., similar approach to Hosking. Her husband is Barry Soper ZB Political editor, who often appears on her show. Conservative
• Leighton Smith. Great survivor of Radio Talkback. Conservative, knows his way around the subjects, but his twist on issues while often sounding knowledgeable, merely confirms here is an orthodox conservative. Describes himself as somewhat libertarian. Pod communication his current leanings
• Marcus Lush. Now Invercargill City Councillor, more liberal than most of his colleagues. His alternative style makes for good listening, have not heard much on retirement income. Liberal
• Kerre McIvor. Perceptions, rather than facts, often drives her. Has a nice common touch rapport with listeners, needs to improve her knowledge on NZ Superannuation
• Nick Mills. entrepreneur, (Saints basketball franchise). Lacks depth, full of one line rhetoric, what little I have heard from him on retirement income, has been unhelpful. Conservative
• Sean Plunkett  Old school media. Conservative
• Jamie Mackey, Rural radio Host. National Party supporter, nice common touch about him. Conservative.
• Mike Yardley, fills in as a part time radio host, also print media commentator. Barely conceals his anti-Government rhetoric.
• Tim Beveridge and Tim Roxborough, the Weekend Collective do a Sunday Money show. Nice and chatty, their own knowledge on NZ Superannuation and Kiwi Saver, is light, but they have good guests, and they target average Kiwis. Good stuff. Neutral
• RETIREMENT INCOME WEBSITES OF VALUE
• http://www.sorted.org.nz
• http://www.kaspanz.com
• http://The Happy Saver.com
• MAGAZINES/JOURNALS OF VALUE
• The Headliner. Investment advice sheet and comment. headliner.co.http://headliner.co.nz
• The National Business Review. http://www.nbr.co.nz/.New Zealand weekly business review and analysis magazine. On- line only
• The Economist com. Concise world view.

The information in this newsletter is of a general nature only, and is not professional advice. Kaspanz accepts no liability for its accuracy. The newsletter is principally the work of the current chairman of Kaspanz, and articles and views are not to be regarded as Kaspanz policy. The intent of the newsletter is to provide information only, to assist the reader in their own various view points, and is not paid content, it is compiled on a voluntary basis, to be helpful to readers in retirement income matters. No liability is assumed by Kaspanz for losses suffered by any person or organisation relying directly or indirectly on information published on this site. Views expressed in any article are the views of the authors individually, and or the editor and do not necessarily reflect the view of Kaspanz.

 

• Posted by Alec Waugh, Dec 31, 2022