This is an update to a similar article I wrote in 2016, and this shows in the seven years since, medical insurance premiums have mostly doubled and what has changed since then. Added to that is access to public health services is at an all-time low, with around 2/3 of people not being seen in required Ministry of Health time frames.

Don't take my word for it; you can check out Public Health services delivery response that is linked, though this hasn't been updated since before the 2023 election. Click time series view, and it will show you how well current public health delivery is achieving to expectations.

Interest rates have risen, and they are all biting. Is this a problem? It depends on your perspective.

If you are a homeowner, then yes, it will have a direct impact: Your mortgage payments will rise. Again, is this a problem?

If you bought your home some time ago when rates were higher and have not borrowed more, it is probably not a problem. You have been enjoying significantly cheaper money than you anticipated. Additionally, you have possibly paid back more principal than you normally would have, and you are now in a better position.

I am doing a presentation to a group of business people shortly around planning for Health & Safety risks and what implementing a Health & Safety Plan is about.

One of the things I have done is to get out to the WorkSafe website and see what they say on the subject. It is pretty good!

Their around the block tool is a handy, easy interface to the site for those who want to dig at specific examples of what relates to their business.

One of the things that is often said, reported in the news, and generally complained about are the increasing costs of medical insurance.

We've heard about Southern Cross policyholders up in arms because of the premium increases they have seen. To be fair, all providers' premiums increase; Southern Cross has the biggest pool of clients and the oldest pool of clients, so increases do hit hard in that particular group.

This article has been updated here, and this one has been maintained for historical reference.

By posting this, I’m going to raise a contentious topic. One that clients often do not understand, advisers generally avoid discussing, providers publicly discourage but operationally encourage and the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) is starting to have a closer look at.

I have stated the previous parties in a very specific order, from most impacted to the one with the stick they can use, and the players in between.

Something which is often kicked around by financial advisers is private education, sort of meaning: if something happened to you, your kids would go/move to private education from public education.

Now this may be a wish you have but the practical reality is your kids have had a significant change with the loss or disability of a parent. Why would you inflict more change on them by pulling them away from their friends and stable routine to send them to private schooling? Sounds like a great way of scarring them for life at a vulnerable time.

Life’s full of surprises though life cover insurance is usually a subject you do not get surprises in. Sovereign’s 2013 published causes for life claims, or rather reasons people died, makes for surprising reading.

In the graph from Sovereigns claims for the year ending 30 June 2013, The 70 plus age group isn’t surprising, cancer, heart or lungs are usual reasons people pass away. The first usually causing one of the second or third.

Stepping back from the older lives, things get a little different.