Housing, KiwiSaver, and debt: Solving NZ’s biggest money issues with the Retirement Commissioner

Retirement Commissioner Jane Wrightson explains some of the biggest money mistakes she sees, and how we can all do something to fix them. Money can be frustrating, and all of us have had at least once or twice when we’ve wondered, why isn’t someone trying to make this a bit easier for me? Why does it have to feel like such an uphill battle? Well, there are actually some people whose job it is to work away behind the scenes, badgering the government on everything from changing our education system, to retirement savings, to housing… it’s just that, well, there’s a lot to fix and sometimes resistance to fixing it. One of those people here in New Zealand is the Retirement Commissioner. And actually, her job starts well before you or I turn 65. One of her big projects at the moment, is actually helping us stamp out money problems while we’re still at school. So what are most of us getting wrong with our money, and are there easy wins, whether it’s from us, or bigger government changes? Follow me everywhere! Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ/ Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@francescooknz Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 01:57 - The Role of the Retirement Commissioner 04:30 - The Sorted Fund Finder 05:22 - Personal Journey and Financial Awareness 10:01 - The Impact of Historical Financial Crises 13:21 - The Biggest Surprise In Her Role 15:00 - Common Financial Mistakes and Debt Management 20:48 - The One Thing You Should Set Up During Your First Job 22:12 - Kiwibank Ad 22:38 - Positive Trends in Saving and Financial Awareness 25:40 - Balancing Individual Responsibility and Systemic Issues 28:02 - Integrating Financial Education into Schools 34:00 - Enhancing KiwiSaver for Future Generations 44:59 - Addressing Housing Affordability and Options 51:10 - Long-term Solutions for Retirement Savings 56:05 - Conclusion