A reader writes: I intend to settle a cash sum on each of my grandchildren on my demise. What fish hooks exist if I place a lump sum in a KiwiSaver account for each?

On his 60th birthday Woody Allen is supposed to have joked that "practically a third of my life is over". Optimistic maybe, but illustrative - as Patrick Nolan explains.

Leverage in trading is a good tool for those who use it properly. It is even better than good, it can be great.

In the online world a new adage that applies - If you pay for something, it’s the product. But if it’s free, you are the product.

The world is in the grip of a new oil shock. The shock is that prices are collapsing. Liam Dann explains what it means for the NZ economy.

Expectation is a powerful thing. It's the reason 45,000 sections in Auckland are sitting there ready to go, with all the connections to water, power and roads - but no houses.

The Financial Markets Authority's consultation paper on corporate governance is timely.

Falling oil prices have been one of the biggest stories in financial circles over recent weeks.

Pumpkin Patch shares hit another record low yesterday as investors continued to punish the company after a dark annual meeting.

To suspicious eyes, it starts to look as if the Govt is in ideological thrall to the 1980s dogmas that the smaller the state the better, and whatever the problem, the solution is a market, writes Brian Fallow.

The year is approaching its end with uncertainty over the future shape of the two big media corporates - MediaWorks, owner of TV3, and NZME., owner of the Herald,

The only problem with this technically-excellent, thoroughly-executed, thankfully-brief statistical analysis of KiwiSaver is its uselessness.

SkyTV, Spark's Lightbox and Quickflix, pretend in public they're not concerned about Netflix arriving, but that's just bluster, writes Juha Saarinen.

There's a common belief that women are better at multi-tasking than guys. It's only partly true.

FOFA is a serious law, introduced by the previous Labor government after a series of scandals hit Australia's financial planning industry.

A reader writes: If my employer includes its contribution as part of a total remuneration package, what happens to the contribution if one opts out of KiwiSaver?

Steer clear of dumb debt this season – and the more tidings of comfort and joy there’ll be for the rest of the year.

The funny thing is, most marketing activity is highly... incorrectly... focused.

The Christmas madness is about to begin and for many retailers the stakes have never been higher, writes Business Editor Liam Dann.

Why is the Government over-spending on motorways when new technologies could render them white elephants?

My partner and I have our own home at the moment with a sizeable mortgage, and we're thinking of starting a property rental portfolio.

Herald columnist Diana Clement looks at how to get the best out of the Christmas shopping spend.

Ken Wikeley's bankruptcy is a massive fall from grace for one of the NZX's more colourful characters.

The ticker codes are allocated and the listing dates set - New Zealand's initial public offering pipeline is pumping again.

CaseLoad is confident his public interest mission to reveal New Zealand's best and worst judges will come up trumps.

Public relations is back in the news, with controversy over Iain Rennie and the State Services Commission's "loose" handling of the press conference for departing Cera boss Roger Sutton.

The latest Briefing to the Incoming Minister from the Earthquake Commission is a revealing document.