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Christmas Present Tips for Guys

Christmas Shopping Tips for Guys

giftgreen1Most of us guys are useless at Christmas shopping. Here's a few tips I've picked up over the years.

Ladies, you might want to share this with the men in your family to avoid getting an undesirable and badly wrapped present this Christmas.

  1. Buying your Christmas presents at a petrol station or dairy on Christmas morning really isn't the done thing - apparently not everyone wants a funnel, box of biscuits or a car care kit. Don't do it.
  2. Get started early, no not on Christmas Eve, yesterday was already too late.
  3. First thing in the morning is the best time to Christmas shop, and I mean first thing, teenagers are still in bed.
  4. It's not the thought that counts, it's how MUCH thought that counts.
  5. Cash is a GREAT present for teenagers - and me.
  6. If you must give gift vouchers make sure they are from a shop the recipient actually shops in and try and avoid those with an expiry date.
  7. Wrapping and cards are important, you and I know it's just paper but for some reason they are important.
  8. Before you start browsing in a shop check that it does gift wrapping and accept the service - wait if necessary. If the shop doesn't do gift wrapping move on to the next. Unless you are an expert present wrapper - Yeah Right!
  9. Even if every present you buy is gift wrapped, buy plenty of wrapping paper and sellotape. You are going to need it because dairy's and petrol stations don't gift wrap and being a bloke you'll probably ignore number 1.

Guys ignore the above at your peril and have a wonderful Christmas.

Posted in KiwiSaver.

Improved KiwiSaver Reporting

A new Quarterly KiwiSaver Reporting Regime has taken effect

Under the new regime all KiwiSaver providers are now required to provide performance and fee information for each scheme prepared in the same way to allow us all to make direct comparisons between funds.

Scheme disclosure statements

For non-restricted retail KiwiSaver schemes

Each quarter (at the end of March, June, September and December), and annually, at the end of March each year, KiwiSaver providers (of non-restricted or retail KiwiSaver schemes) must report on each investment fund within their scheme.

The quarterly and annual disclosure statements for each fund are required to be prepared in a simple, standardised format and are posted on your KiwiSaver provider’s website. They show:

  • the fund’s performance and returns for that period and in the past
  • fees and costs
  • what your fund invests into – a breakdown of the percentage of money that goes into each type of asset (eg shares, cash, property) and the top ten assets your fund has the most money invested in
  • the names of the people who have the most  influence on the investment decisions of the fund and key information about conflicts of interest and investment policies.

KiwiSaver providers of non-restricted or retail KiwiSaver schemes must send their quarterly and annual disclosure statements to FMA. Providers of restricted KiwiSaver schemes are not required to produce these disclosure statements.

However apparently the law doesn't decree that they have to be easy to find!

The IRD maintains a list of KiwiSaver providers with contact details here >> https://www.ird.govt.nz/kiwisaver/kiwisaver-individuals/joining-kiwisaver/kiwisaver-providers

KiwiSaver

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