<rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"><channel><title>financialindependence</title><description>financialindependence</description><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/news</link><item><title>Want more Air points?</title><description><![CDATA[SOVEREIGN & AIA NOW REWARDS YOU WITH AIRPOINTS DOLLARSFor AIA policy holdersYou will need to add your Airpoints number to your eligible insurance policy to start earning Airpoints Dollars. you can do this by:Register your air points hereT&C's apply For Sovereign policy holdersYou will need to add your Airpoints number to your eligible insurance policy to start earning Airpoints Dollars. you can do this by:Register your air points here FAQ's Click hereEARN 3X AIRPOINTS DOLLARS™ ON ELIGIBLE AIA<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_18567b8cb18d450eb029403f34cb5cac%7Emv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_626%2Ch_417/6bbae9_18567b8cb18d450eb029403f34cb5cac%7Emv2.jpg"/>]]></description><dc:creator>Alana Collinson</dc:creator><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2018/12/13/Want-more-Air-points</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2018/12/13/Want-more-Air-points</guid><pubDate>Wed, 12 Dec 2018 22:11:02 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_18567b8cb18d450eb029403f34cb5cac~mv2.jpg"/><div>SOVEREIGN &amp; AIA NOW REWARDS YOU WITH AIRPOINTS DOLLARS</div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_5469e77502564a77a0efdcae31d13d72~mv2.jpg"/><div>For AIA policy holders</div><div>You will need to add your Airpoints number to your eligible insurance policy to start earning Airpoints Dollars. you can do this by:Register your air points<a href="http://aianz.co/airpoints-register">here</a></div><div><a href="http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/copy-of-airpoints-faq-s">T&amp;C's apply</a></div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_b35190d0bb704ac0aa4d245762651c02~mv2.jpg"/><div>For Sovereign policy holders</div><div><div>You will need to add your Airpoints number to your eligible insurance policy to start earning Airpoints Dollars. you can do this by:Register your air points <a href="https://www.sovereign.co.nz/airpoints/pages/default.aspx">here</a></div> FAQ's <a href="http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/copy-of-competition-t-c">Click here</a></div><div>EARN 3X AIRPOINTS DOLLARS™ ON ELIGIBLE AIA INSURANCE PRODUCTS FOR 3 MONTHS*</div><div>Buy or hold an eligible AIA insurance product between 30 November 2018 and 28 February 2019 and earn 3x Airpoints Dollars™ on premiums paid for 3 months from the policy issue date.*</div><div>Not an Airpoints member?</div><div>Visit <a href="http://www.airnz.co.nz/airpoints">airnz.co.nz/airpoints</a> to join for free.</div><div>Register your Airpoints details today by visiting <a href="http://www.aianz.co/airpoints-register">aianz.co/airpoints-register</a></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Santa's big surprise</title><description><![CDATA[Are you spoiling someone this year? Great you got that new mountain bike you wanted or you decided to surprise someone with a new item of jewellery. It may be that if it is over a certain value that you need to specify it on your contents policy to ensure it is covered. More often we are finding people letting out their home for short term rental through Airbnb or Book a batch. This needs to be advised to your insurer or you could find you have no cover so please just check with us anytime. For<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_3f9293a127fe4b20be5320c68be8b704%7Emv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_570%2Ch_379/6bbae9_3f9293a127fe4b20be5320c68be8b704%7Emv2.jpg"/>]]></description><dc:creator>Ben Ruthe</dc:creator><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2018/11/29/Santas-big-surprise</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2018/11/29/Santas-big-surprise</guid><pubDate>Wed, 28 Nov 2018 23:46:20 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_3f9293a127fe4b20be5320c68be8b704~mv2.jpg"/><div>Are you spoiling someone this year?</div><div><div>Greatyou got that new mountain bike you wanted or you decided to surprise someone with a new item of jewellery. It may be that if it is over a certain value that you need to specify it on your contents policy to ensure it is covered.</div>More often we are finding people letting out their home for short term rental through Airbnb or Book a batch. This needs to be advised to your insurer or you could find you have no cover so please just check with us anytime.For overseas holidays just check that you have travel insurance covered and that you have disclosed any medical conditions fully and if you are taking higher value items that they are covered too.</div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>How to keep your home safe when you go on holiday!</title><description><![CDATA[Ah—the holidays! Time to get away for a bit. Relax. Unwind. Catch up with friends and family.But, will your home be safe and secure while you’re away? The last thing you want putting a damper on your holiday is finding out you’ve been burgled or vandalised.That’s why we’ve asked security experts Be Alarmed to provide a list of security tips to help keep your home and property safe this Christmas. After all, security is very much an insurance of types mitigating a risk and protecting assets. Have<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_10deab854f784fc0a75f4e51462c1bbd%7Emv2_d_5586_3724_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_432%2Ch_288/6bbae9_10deab854f784fc0a75f4e51462c1bbd%7Emv2_d_5586_3724_s_4_2.jpg"/>]]></description><dc:creator>Financial Independence</dc:creator><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2018/11/29/How-to-keep-your-home-safe-when-you-go-on-holiday</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2018/11/29/How-to-keep-your-home-safe-when-you-go-on-holiday</guid><pubDate>Wed, 28 Nov 2018 22:56:13 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_10deab854f784fc0a75f4e51462c1bbd~mv2_d_5586_3724_s_4_2.jpg"/><div>Ah—the holidays! Time to get away for a bit. Relax. Unwind. Catch up with friends and family.</div><div>But, will your home be safe and secure while you’re away? The last thing you want putting a damper on your holiday is finding out you’ve been burgled or vandalised.</div><div>That’s why we’ve asked security experts <a href="http://bealarmed.co.nz/">Be Alarmed</a> to provide a list of security tips to help keep your home and property safe this Christmas. After all, security is very much an insurance of types mitigating a risk and protecting assets. Have a read, take some action if needed, and enjoy your holiday</div><div><div>Ask your neighbour or friend to put your bins out and bring them back in.</div><div><div>Arm your alarm Again, obvious but you’d be amazed how many people forget in their rush to get out the door! If it’s not on, your alarm won’t help much</div><div>Make your security visible. Place security cameras in plain sight, make sure your alarm is easily visible. Put up security signage, inform intruders that you have a security monitoring system in place. Warn them off!</div></div><div>water your pot plants. This won’t just keep them healthy for your return but will stop them appearing wilted and indicating an absent owner.</div><div>Leave curtains and blinds open – nothing reveals that a house is unoccupied so much as curtains drawn during the day.</div><div>Bring in washing from the line, and from drying racks that can be seen through windows.</div><div>Mow the lawn before you leave so that it doesn’t look like a meadow by the time you get back.</div><div>If you want to go the extra step you can Install a light on a timer switch that comes on at different times in the evening. You can also get photosensitive bulbs that switch on when a certain level of darkness is reached. If you are using a light on a timer, don’t use it with a table lamp that can be viewed through a window – a dead giveaway.</div><div>Don't tell everyone you're on holidaytell your immediate friends and family that you are going away but be careful telling the world on social media like Facebook or twitter as you don’t know who can read those comments. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to show off your tan or tell your fisherman’s tales when you get back.</div></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Grand opening with the Mayor</title><description><![CDATA[What once was a pile of an old building at 51 The Strand, now stands a new modern structure.The previous building housed a range of businesses including William Lamberts Restaurants and Oyster Saloon in the 1880s, The Peoples Refreshment Rooms and Wayte’s Fancy Foods Depot in the 1910s, and more recently Lone Star Restaurant and Bar.Read more...<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_a80b16ab8a454205a66d76dfdb8590bc%7Emv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_363%2Ch_273/6bbae9_a80b16ab8a454205a66d76dfdb8590bc%7Emv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.jpg"/>]]></description><dc:creator>Alana Collinson</dc:creator><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2018/10/25/Grand-opening-with-the-Mayor</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2018/10/25/Grand-opening-with-the-Mayor</guid><pubDate>Thu, 25 Oct 2018 02:46:24 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_a80b16ab8a454205a66d76dfdb8590bc~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.jpg"/><div><a href="https://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/191519-grand-opening-51-the-strand.html">What once was a pile of an old building at 51 The Strand, now stands a new modern structure.The previous building housed a range of businesses including William Lamberts Restaurants and Oyster Saloon in the 1880s, The Peoples Refreshment Rooms and Wayte’s Fancy Foods Depot in the 1910s, and more recently Lone Star Restaurant and Bar.</a></div><div><a href="https://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/191519-grand-opening-51-the-strand.html">Read more...</a></div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_8f7e0ea852a8420d8e282e425f621483~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.jpg"/><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_65e07d9f038340ca89ba25f73d1880f8~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.jpg"/><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_3fb0d04965a842e68ffc851147531de4~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.jpg"/><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_d1d745f4c7c74c8ebce7a9905bcbf31a~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.jpg"/></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>All the 'little things' that you can claim!</title><description><![CDATA[Need to make a claim? Not sure if you have a claim? We tell our clients all the time ‘call us if you even think you have claim, but you’re not sure’.Here is a reminder of some of the ‘little’ things that you may be able to claim on. Hospital cash grant: If you have a medical policy it is highly likely that you would be entitled to a sum of money for each night that you spend in a public hospital. OnePath Member benefits: If you have a OnePath policy (or an ex OnePath medical policy with NIB),<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_9a64a7545f9243338072e4025f9ed53e%7Emv2.png"/>]]></description><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2018/10/16/All-the-little-things-that-you-can-claim</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2018/10/16/All-the-little-things-that-you-can-claim</guid><pubDate>Tue, 16 Oct 2018 00:59:49 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_9a64a7545f9243338072e4025f9ed53e~mv2.png"/><div>Need to make a claim? Not sure if you have a claim? We tell our clients all the time ‘call us if you even think you have claim, but you’re not sure’.</div><div>Here is a reminder of some of the ‘little’ things that you may be able to claim on.</div><div>Hospital cash grant: If you have a medical policy it is highly likely that you would be entitled to a sum of money for each night that you spend in a public hospital.</div><div>OnePath Member benefits: If you have a OnePath policy (or an ex OnePath medical policy with NIB), you are entitled to 'client membership benefits'. This can be budgeting advice, career counselling, health management, along with general counselling. This is applied for and agreed at the discretion of OnePath/nib, but from our experience this has been a timely and helpful benefit.</div><div>Cover while on ACC: Not all income protection policies are offset by ACC, so even if you are being paid by ACC for an injury it is worth calling us to see if you are able to claim under your policy with us.</div><div>Fractured bones: Some Income protection and Mortgage protection policies will pay out a lump sum if you fracture certain bones, and can be paid regardless of your wait period.</div><div>Funeral benefits: Built into some health and disability covers is a funeral benefit that many don’t realise is available. For example, most Medical policies have a built in funeral fund for the lives assured.</div><div>Premium cover: Certain companies cover the cost of your premiums if you are made redundant. Or they cover the cost of a surviving spouse and children if one of the lives assured passes away.</div><div>Grief support: Some insurers offer extra funds for clients to get grief support.</div><div>Financial Planning: If someone has received a lump sum pay out, some companies offer funds for a financial planner above the insured amount.</div><div>Help inside your wait period: At times companies start to help out with medical needs or counselling before they are even eligible to pay a claim. Prevention can help clients return to work and carry on with their lives without the disruption of a long claim.</div><div>Landlord cover: Not only can this cover Malicious damage but it can also cover loss of rent in some situations and damage or contamination from an unlawful substance.</div><div>Roadside rescue: Some car insurance policies include roadside assistance.</div><div>Hidden gradual damage: Some insurers have started to include water damage from baths, sinks and showers.</div><div>Windscreen cover: Provided you have full insurance on your car then you can take your car straight to the windscreen place for repair with your policy number. No need for prior approval or even to pay an excess.</div><div>Eco friendly replacements: Certain companies will replace your damaged product with the eco-friendliest model on the market....the list goes on and on and on, so we do encourage you to call us if something goes wrong. 'little things' in action: I recently visited Mr Jones, to review his cover. I walked in to find him scooting around on a knee scooter as he had broken his foot which had resulted in some pretty hefty surgery. ACC had covered the operation and was paying 80% of his income. But I was still able to get him a $900 pay out for his public hospital cash grant and a 2-month payment from his Mortgage protection policy as it had no ACC offsets, of a further $4,228. You can imagine Mr Jones was very grateful for the visit and the extra $5,000 odd dollars to aid in his recovery and to help top up the 20% decrease in his normal wages while on ACC.</div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>What can Financial Independence do for you?</title><description><![CDATA[<img src="http://img.youtube.com/vi/sImlHMJbaBI/mqdefault.jpg"/>]]></description><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2018/10/02/What-can-Financial-Independence-do-for-you</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2018/10/02/What-can-Financial-Independence-do-for-you</guid><pubDate>Mon, 01 Oct 2018 21:10:10 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sImlHMJbaBI"/></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>We have moved!</title><description><![CDATA[We are very happy to announce Financial Independence has moved from Bay Central Shopping Centre 3/65 Chapel Street to our very own building! Financial Independence House 51 The Strand Tauranga 3143.We look forward to seeing you soon in our new premise.Have you got any changes we need to know about? Click here and we will do the rest.<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_689c4e613b584429b2acab5c73406c85%7Emv2_d_1890_1417_s_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_626%2Ch_469/6bbae9_689c4e613b584429b2acab5c73406c85%7Emv2_d_1890_1417_s_2.jpg"/>]]></description><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2018/09/10/Change-is-good</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2018/09/10/Change-is-good</guid><pubDate>Mon, 10 Sep 2018 03:04:24 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_689c4e613b584429b2acab5c73406c85~mv2_d_1890_1417_s_2.jpg"/><div>We are very happy to announce Financial Independence has moved from Bay Central Shopping Centre 3/65 Chapel Street to our very own building! Financial Independence House 51 The Strand Tauranga 3143.</div><div>We look forward to seeing you soon in our new premise.</div><div>Have you got any changes we need to know about? <a href="http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/copy-of-contact">Click here</a> and we will do the rest. </div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Mental health - what it means to you and to insurance claims</title><description><![CDATA[Mental health has a significant effect on society and many of our clients, and just like a claim for cancer, the symptoms are not always easily fixed. Neither are they something that someone can put down and walk away from. Like any other disease the symptoms can sneak up on you and it can be just as scary when diagnosed. Likewise, the treatments are important to get onto early and for many, can take time and effort.Claims for mental health and the care that goes into helping those suffering<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_3cef5d72f66641c38a724d91d1b0ff8f%7Emv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_539%2Ch_231/6bbae9_3cef5d72f66641c38a724d91d1b0ff8f%7Emv2.jpg"/>]]></description><dc:creator>Alana Collinson</dc:creator><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2018/04/13/Mental-health---what-it-means-to-you-and-to-insurance-claims</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2018/04/13/Mental-health---what-it-means-to-you-and-to-insurance-claims</guid><pubDate>Fri, 13 Apr 2018 03:20:18 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_3cef5d72f66641c38a724d91d1b0ff8f~mv2.jpg"/><div>Mental health has a significant effect on society and many of our clients, and just like a claim for cancer, the symptoms are not always easily fixed. Neither are they something that someone can put down and walk away from. Like any other disease the symptoms can sneak up on you and it can be just as scary when diagnosed. Likewise, the treatments are important to get onto early and for many, can take time and effort.</div><div>Claims for mental health and the care that goes into helping those suffering from mental health are important to both Financial Independence, as advisers, and the insurers. We would like to share with you 3 stories of claims from our clients that were affected by the illness. The identities of the clients are not disclosed in these stories.</div><div>1.</div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_ded7a3e7eb384a7899bfe74649eddd4c~mv2.png"/><div>These were the exact words I used when talking to one of my clients last year after she had suffered a sudden and tragic loss. The answer I got was, &quot;not that great&quot;. This client was struggling to leave the house without panic attacks and was finding it increasingly hard to get to work and last the whole day. I suggested she go to see her doctor and be very honest about how she was feeling and coping. Having been a strong independent and capable lady, these things did not come easily, but opening up to her doctor triggered a series of events that saw her receive the help she needed to get through this time. This client was diagnosed with a mental health condition and it was advised by her doctor that she take some time off and seek help to work through this. Financial Independence was able to trigger a claim with her insurer under her Mortgage Protection policy, and after her stand down period she was paid a monthly amount which meant she was able to pay her mortgage. Not only did she receive her monthly amount from the insurer, but they also paid for the counselling she required until she was well enough to find herself employment again. This client is successfully working again and speaks very highly about the support she received during this time in her life.</div><div>2.</div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_2641993bfec04f2f8ba2cb191fc7304d~mv2.jpeg"/><div>Last year I had a call from a young client, a 24 year old male, who bought a new business and ended up struggling to maintain the high commitments to do the job week in week out. Initially this client was unable to perform 50% of his role due to depression and was able to go on a partial claim with his insurer under his Mortgage and Income Protection policy. He also received the counselling and treatment he needed. </div><div>Over time, sadly, he was not able to perform his role at all and progressed to a full claim. This client had a new Mortgage and would have struggled to maintain these payments if he did not have this cover. He is still on claim and receiving the help he needs to return to work. I ring this client regularly and am always so pleased to hear of his progress, he truly appreciates having the policy in place and the support that he has received so far.</div><div>3.</div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_a2906459f2174432be0ca3df6bdd1a97~mv2.jpg"/><div>This Client is a young man, 26 years old, who was having increasingly severe panic attacks, that were affecting his day to day life and creeping into his work day. He had a Mortgage and Income Protection policy, so I suggested to him that I call the insurer where his cover was placed and see if they would work with him to avoid a claim situation. The insurer agreed to pay for 10 sessions with a psychologist to help the client avoid a situation where the panic attacks took over. This client is doing great and it shows that early treatment can go a long way to avoid a more serious situation just like any illness.</div><div>Our role as your Insurance adviser:</div><div>We are here to help if you need to make a claim, whatever the reason.</div><div>If you do not have Mortgage or Income Protection and would like to know more, please let us know. <a href="mailto:customersupport@youradviser.co.nz?subject=Mortgage and Income protection info">customersupport@youradviser.co.nz</a></div><div>We know without a shadow of a doubt that the above clients did not think they would ever really need their cover, and we also know that they are enormously grateful for the support.</div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Fire on Board - What it can mean to NZ exporters</title><description><![CDATA[On 6 March the MAERSK HONAM vessel suffered an explosion followed by a large fire while it was 340 nautical miles off Agatti Island in the Indian Ocean. Firefighting efforts by the crew failed and they had to abandon ship. It was on its way from Singapore, a major transshipment port for NZ exports, to Europe at the time. While the fire hasn’t been fully extinguished it has been brought under control. The vessel has suffered extensive fire damage, so the cargo is likely to be either declared a<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_82c96779893c44bf93520ffdecce0503%7Emv2.png/v1/fill/w_626%2Ch_404/6bbae9_82c96779893c44bf93520ffdecce0503%7Emv2.png"/>]]></description><dc:creator>Ben Ruthe</dc:creator><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2018/03/14/Fire-on-Board---What-it-can-mean-to-NZ-exporters</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2018/03/14/Fire-on-Board---What-it-can-mean-to-NZ-exporters</guid><pubDate>Wed, 14 Mar 2018 03:30:53 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_82c96779893c44bf93520ffdecce0503~mv2.png"/><div>On 6 March the MAERSK HONAM vessel suffered an explosion followed by a large fire while it was 340 nautical miles off Agatti Island in the Indian Ocean. Firefighting efforts by the crew failed and they had to abandon ship. It was on its way from Singapore, a major transshipment port for NZ exports, to Europe at the time. While the fire hasn’t been fully extinguished it has been brought under control. The vessel has suffered extensive fire damage, so the cargo is likely to be either declared a total loss or have have suffered fire, heat, smoke and water damage. </div><div>General average has been declared. What this means is that even in the event that the items a business was importing weren’t damaged, all businesses must contribute to the loss suffered by those on board that do suffer a loss. This is why it is so important to have cargo coverage as you can suffer a major financial loss even if your own goods aren’t damaged once General Average has been declared. </div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Health Insurance to cover pre-existing conditions.</title><description><![CDATA[Until the end of March 2018, NIB are offering cover for pre-existing medical conditions after either 2 or 3 years*This is an incredible opportunity to have health insurance that covers the pre-existing medical conditions that might elsewhere be excluded for the life of the policy.To take advantage of this awesome offer or ask if this is the best option for you please email our friendly team at customersupport@youradviser.co.nz or get in touch with your adviser.Call us on 07 578 4414or get in<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_78ab224084bb48bca697867aca790a83%7Emv2.jpg"/>]]></description><dc:creator>Financial Independence</dc:creator><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2018/01/19/Health-Insurance-to-cover-pre-existing-conditions</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2018/01/19/Health-Insurance-to-cover-pre-existing-conditions</guid><pubDate>Fri, 19 Jan 2018 03:25:43 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_78ab224084bb48bca697867aca790a83~mv2.jpg"/><div>Until the end of March 2018, NIB are offering cover for pre-existing medical conditions after either 2 or 3 years*</div><div>This is an incredible opportunity to have health insurance that covers the pre-existing medical conditions that might elsewhere be excluded for the life of the policy.</div><div>To take advantage of this awesome offer or ask if this is the best option for you please email our friendly team at <a href="mailto:customersupport@youradviser.co.nz?subject=NIB May offer">customersupport@youradviser.co.nz</a> or get in touch with your adviser.</div><div>Call us on 07 578 4414</div><div>or get in touch with your adviser:</div><div>*terms and conditions apply</div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Toot if you see our car</title><description><![CDATA[You may have noticed a Financial Independence branded car busy working all over town and thought, "man that person works hard". But in fact, we have recently increased our fleet of Financial Independence cars from 2 to 8 to help us reach customers all over the North Island.2017 has seen our team grow again with the addition of Neil Boyes, Joyce McInally, Jude Stowe, James Jenkin and Sarah Morris.All of our team members have been busy this year: Helping many of our clients with claims for assets<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_523ccba099914294af6029f08cfd3be1%7Emv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_553%2Ch_314/6bbae9_523ccba099914294af6029f08cfd3be1%7Emv2.jpg"/>]]></description><dc:creator>James Jenkin</dc:creator><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2017/12/18/Toot-if-you-see-our-car</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2017/12/18/Toot-if-you-see-our-car</guid><pubDate>Sun, 17 Dec 2017 22:50:52 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_523ccba099914294af6029f08cfd3be1~mv2.jpg"/><div>You may have noticed a Financial Independence branded car busy working all over town and thought, &quot;man that person works hard&quot;. But in fact, we have recently increased our fleet of Financial Independence cars from 2 to 8 to help us reach customers all over the North Island.</div><div>2017 has seen our team grow again with the addition of Neil Boyes, Joyce McInally, Jude Stowe, James Jenkin and Sarah Morris.</div><div>All of our team members have been busy this year:</div><div>Helping many of our clients with claims for assets and business, plus health and disabilityOur team has been advising current and new clients on the best Insurance policies<div>And we raised some serious funds for charity by:Continuing to support the Cambodia Charitable Trust, donating to the Tauranga Food Bank and having a charity dinner and auction for Breast Cancer Support Service Tauranga Trust.</div></div><div>We would like to say thanks for the increasing number of referrals coming off the back of our great service.</div><div>And please, if you see our team somewhere in the community, be sure to toot to let us know you’ve seen us.</div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Last minute gift ideas</title><description><![CDATA[How many times have you found yourself scrambling to purchase a gift at the last minute? Christmas is literally around the corner, but you still have a handful of names to cross off your Santa’s list?Check out these handy Christmas gift ideas – there’s something for everyone (you can thank us later, of course). A Red Balloon experience (https://www.redballoon.co.nz/) If you’re looking for gift ideas, Red Balloon is a safe bet. The website sells a wide range of experiences, including summer<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_453511c818534c7cafdc060a88b58397%7Emv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_626%2Ch_243/6bbae9_453511c818534c7cafdc060a88b58397%7Emv2.jpg"/>]]></description><dc:creator>Financial Independence</dc:creator><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2017/12/12/Last-minute-gift-ideas</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2017/12/12/Last-minute-gift-ideas</guid><pubDate>Mon, 11 Dec 2017 21:56:29 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_453511c818534c7cafdc060a88b58397~mv2.jpg"/><div>How many times have you found yourself scrambling to purchase a gift at the last minute? Christmas is literally around the corner, but you still have a handful of names to cross off your Santa’s list?</div><div>Check out these handy Christmas gift ideas – there’s something for everyone (you can thank us later, of course).</div><div>A Red Balloon experience (<a href="https://www.redballoon.co.nz/">https://www.redballoon.co.nz</a>/)</div><div>If you’re looking for gift ideas, Red Balloon is a safe bet. The website sells a wide range of experiences, including summer activities, outdoor adventures and extreme thrills as well as spa treatments, cooking classes and tastings. To facilitate browsing, the items have been arranged based on price range, occasions and recipient types. But if you’d rather let your friends pick out something awesome for themselves, you can also buy a gift voucher or card.</div><div>2. <div>Gift vouchers: the perfect quick gift (<a href="https://www.giftstation.co.nz/">https://www.giftstation.co.nz/gift-cards</a>)</div></div><div>With a huge range of gift cards from leading retailers and well-known brands, Giftstation.co.nz is the ultimate in convenience. In a few clicks, you can purchase a gift card online and have it couriered to any location in New Zealand, along with a personalised message.</div><div>3. <div>They say it’s the best beauty box ever (<a href="https://www.bestbeautyboxever.co.nz/">https://www.bestbeautyboxever.co.nz/</a>products/gift-card)</div></div><div>On the theme of gift cards, this one has good chances of winning beauty lovers’ hearts. The Best Beauty Box Ever gift cards range from $25 to $100, and can be used towards the purchase of any of their themed boxes. Each box contains complimentary beauty products, with no ongoing or long-term subscription involved. Plus, to give your gift a more personal touch, you can customise over 150 gift card designs.</div><div>4. Anything but socks (http://www.notsocks.co.nz)</div><div>There’s a reason why Not Socks is New Zealand’s number-one ranked online gift wonderland. Unlike most of its competitors, Not Socks offers unique, creative, thoughtful gift ideas. With such a broad selection of fun and fresh gifts throughout New Zealand and beyond, you won’t be missing those long hours browsing the local mall.</div><div>5.<div> A year in coffee (<a href="https://onthegrind.co.nz/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjL6o4fGC2AIVDR4rCh3Iag_9EAAYASAAEgJ7OvD_BwE">https://onthegrind.co.nz</a>/)</div></div><div>Have a friend who’s always up for a coffee? With On the Grind, you can give them a new coffee experience each month. A brainchild of Kiwi couple Sarah and Ed, the service is teaming up with some of the best artisan roasters that our country has to offer. Subscribers can choose a coffee style and set up a monthly order, or ask to be sent a one-off box to try. As a Christmas special, On the Grind is selling three-month subscriptions featuring a hand-written message of your choice.</div><div>6.<div>Let the boxes roll in (<a href="https://iamco.co.nz/iamco-shop/">https://iamco.co.nz/iamco-shop</a>/)</div></div><div>Let it be Christmas every day with these clever subscription boxes. I Am Co is a great option for health-conscious people and foodies: boxes change monthly and contain up to 10 health food and natural beauty products, all hand-selected according to strict criteria. Your friend can also review their products anonymously to gain points and redeem a bonus gift.</div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Cover Your Breasts</title><description><![CDATA[Financial Independence would like to invite you to a wonderful charity event!Thursday 12th October 2017, 6pm - 10 pm at Elizabeth Cafe & Larder.$135 per ticketCLICK HERE TO BOOK Our event has been organised to raise funds to support our local Breast Cancer Support Service Trust,who provide muchneeded help for those with Breast Cancer in our community.Join us for a fabulous night of food, fun and inspiring information for women.MC for the evening will be Will Johnston from The Hits.Wine on<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_0c0dacdf4134480597fd07ad865e1e9e%7Emv2_d_15118_4016_s_3_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_626%2Ch_166/6bbae9_0c0dacdf4134480597fd07ad865e1e9e%7Emv2_d_15118_4016_s_3_2.jpg"/>]]></description><dc:creator>Alana Collinson</dc:creator><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2017/08/21/Cover-Your-Breasts</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2017/08/21/Cover-Your-Breasts</guid><pubDate>Sun, 20 Aug 2017 22:33:57 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_0c0dacdf4134480597fd07ad865e1e9e~mv2_d_15118_4016_s_3_2.jpg"/><div>Financial Independence would like to invite you to a wonderful charity event!</div><div>Thursday 12th October 2017, 6pm - 10 pm at Elizabeth Cafe &amp; Larder.</div><div>$135 per ticket</div><div><a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/cover-your-breasts-tickets-36990185641?aff=es2">CLICK HERE TO BOOK</a></div><div>Our event has been organised to raise funds to support our </div><div>local <a href="https://www.breastcancerbop.org.nz/">Breast Cancer Support Service Trust,</a>who provide much</div><div>needed help for those with Breast Cancer in our community.</div><div>Join us for a fabulous night of food, fun and inspiring information for women.</div><div>MC for the evening will be Will Johnston from The Hits.</div><div>Wine on arrival and a 4 course degustation* menu that will satisfy the taste buds.</div><div>Some fantastic speakers on women's health, to help inspire your wellbeing.</div><div>Desiree De Spong from <a href="http://www.aetiology.co.nz/">Aetiology</a></div><div><div>Rachael Van der Gugten (TEDx speaker) from <a href="http://www.puresante.com/">Pure Sante</a></div><div>Jenny Mills from <a href="https://www.nzcih.co.nz/breathing-therapy">Breathe</a></div></div><div>An auction will be held during the evening with some fabulous items to bid for.</div><div>Live music and lots of laughs are included.</div><div>All profits from the evening will go to the this wonderful local charity.</div><div>* (please inform us of specific dietary requirements when booking)</div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_d58f16e39351464bae3c2fbb1caf3ac8~mv2.png"/><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_402d77c90b764d8a94e04a823eb4c730~mv2.png"/><div>Some of the Auction/Raffle items:</div><div>1.<div>Acustomised 3 month skincare programme from Caci Clinic Tauranga</div></div><div>(Valued at $700)</div><div>2. One nights accommodation for 2 at the Oceanside Resort and Twin Towers</div><div>3. $300 Moochi Voucher</div><div>4. Dinner at Post Bank restaurant for 2</div><div>5. $150 Voucher form Style X Lab </div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_364acb68021e4279b8e06745d304b93a~mv2.jpg"/><div>6. 2 nights for 2 couples at Lake Rotoma</div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_b964d8ef4bd847ccb4b473c9e7b75e00~mv2_d_3024_4032_s_4_2.jpg"/><div>7.A fine art Giclee reproduction &quot;I Didn't Hear you Leave&quot;? Valued at $1000 </div><div>by <a href="http://www.susanart.com/">Susan Harrison-Tustain</a></div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_5f2f45d438154471957c4bee9f8f19cf~mv2.jpg"/><div>8.A $100 Temptations voucher</div><div>9. A Financial Independence 'Client Care Package' full of goodies</div><div>10.A <a href="https://shuzi.co.nz/">Shuzi</a> Bracelet valued at $250</div><div>11. Breakfast at Deck Chair Mount Maunganui</div><div>Plus more....</div><div>Our generous sponsors </div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6bbae9_108b1958dbca4bf0803c515f68693bbe~mv2.jpg"/></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Fire &amp; General premium increases explained</title><description><![CDATA[You may have noticed that this year your total insurance cost has increased, we wanted to give you some information to understand why that is.Part of the increase is directly due to Insurers honouring their policies and paying more and higher value claims, with Insurers covering meth contamination, increased building repair costs, major earthquake damage from Kaikoura, increases to vehicle repair costs etc. The other part of the increase is from insurers having to collect government levies for]]></description><dc:creator>Ben Ruthe</dc:creator><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2017/06/07/Fire-General-premium-increases-explained</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2017/06/07/Fire-General-premium-increases-explained</guid><pubDate>Wed, 07 Jun 2017 01:57:27 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><div>You may have noticed that this year your total insurance cost has increased, we wanted to give you some information to understand why that is.</div><div>Part of the increase is directly due to Insurers honouring their policies and paying more and higher value claims, with Insurers covering meth contamination, increased building repair costs, major earthquake damage from Kaikoura, increases to vehicle repair costs etc. The other part of the increase is from insurers having to collect government levies for the Earthquake Commission and the Fire Service.</div><div>There are many components that have compounded to create this jump in total cost, not least of which is changes to Government Earthquake Commission Levies (on domestic properties) and Fire Service Levies on all commercial and domestic property and vehicles.</div><div>All Insurers must charge these increased Government Levies and pass them straight on to the Government and of course GST also applies on top.</div><div>We will always do our best to ensure that you have an excellent cover protecting your assets. If you were to take an inferior cover, you would still be obliged to pay all the Government Levies so the small saving between the cost of an excellent cover versus an inferior cover makes it even more valuable to have the right cover protecting your assets.</div><div>What is the overall impact of Government Levy changes:</div><div>On an Owner-Occupied Dwelling: $92 per year</div><div>Personal Contents: $18.40 per year</div><div>Rental Property: $110.40 per year + Additional Cost of Methamphetamine Contamination as below</div><div>Vehicle (Personal or Business) $2.73 per vehicle per year</div><div>Commercial Property: $3 per $10,000 per year ($300+GST for a $1m Building)</div><div>Methamphetamine contamination on rental properties - Depending on the insurer and quality of cover, this adds approximately an additional $207 per year per rental property depending on the extent of coverage.</div><div>Below we have outlined the impact of increases in Government charges and claims events and how this alters your total insurance cost this year.</div><div>Compulsory Government Fire Service Levies – Up 40%</div><div>From 1 July 2017, the Government will increase the levy collected to fund the Fire Service by 40%. Unfortunately, the method of collection for funding the Fire service is through levies charged on Insurance policies on all property, commercial and domestic and all vehicles. The amount of the levy is legislated and is unavoidable. The reason for the levy is to fund all the changes and services within the Fire Service and will result in increased funding to the Fire Service of $80m per year.</div><div>Compulsory Government Earthquake Commission Levies – Up 33%</div><div>From 1 November 2017, the Government has increased the levies charged by the Earthquake Commission by 33%. The Earthquake Commission provides coverage for the first $100,000 of damage sustained to domestic dwellings due to an Earthquake, Volcanic or Slip Event. This increase in the levy means the total levy is now 4 times higher than it was prior to 2012. The Government has Reinsurance Cover and the excess is $1.75b. The current charges would have taken 30 years to build the fund back up to be enough to cover one major event which is why the rate had to increase.</div><div>Increase in Insurance Costs following last years $3b Single Event - Kaikoura Earthquake</div><div>Kaikoura was a much costlier event than most people would expect. In fact, it was the 7th biggest loss event for Insurers anywhere in the world in 2016 with over $3b in Insurance Claims (over 30,000)</div><div>Increase in Insurer Claims Costs for Vehicles – Up 20%</div><div>While cars are getting “smarter”, much of the technology is designed to protect the safety of the drivers rather than to reduce the cost of accidents. In fact, now many of the safety features such as reversing cameras, sensors and air bags add considerably to the repair costs of vehicles and even if you don’t have those features the costs for hitting a vehicle that does is significant. Insurers are seeing 20% increases in Claims Costs due to these new technologies and added congestion on our roads.</div><div>Other Influences Affecting Claims Costs</div><div>The damage caused by use of methamphetamine and resulting contamination resulted in approximately $25m of damage in NZ last year.</div><div>Construction Inflation is another significant factor in repair and rebuilding costs, with a tight construction sector causing the cost of building the same property this year to be approximately 7% more than last year.</div><div>A change to the Health and Safety Legislation has also increased costs. As an example, it may mean that scaffolding must be used where previously a ladder would suffice.</div><div>While there are unfortunately a current set of factors conspiring to increase the total cost of your insurance cover, we will always do our best to ensure that you get the best value you can in the market from any money you spend on protecting your assets and business.</div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Creating Financially Independent Kids</title><description><![CDATA[<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/cf6ab9_5dc16c02bfab44b2ab08b077df46f630%7Emv2_d_2329_3278_s_2.jpg"/>]]></description><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2017/06/06/Creating-Financially-Independent-Kids</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2017/06/06/Creating-Financially-Independent-Kids</guid><pubDate>Tue, 06 Jun 2017 01:52:33 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/cf6ab9_5dc16c02bfab44b2ab08b077df46f630~mv2_d_2329_3278_s_2.jpg"/></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Squeeze your Insurance for all it's worth</title><description><![CDATA[Don’t set and forgetMaking your insurance work for you isn’t just about signing on the dotted line. It can be all too easy to ‘set-and-forget’ your insurance unless something happens and you need to claim. But if there is one thing you take out of this quick read, let it be this: make your insurance part of a regular ‘financial health check’.Understand your policy (really understand it)The ‘set-and-forget’ approach to insurance (which is, by the way, completely understandable), has a couple of<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/cf6ab9_bf21c133f3f042f98d574ebcc0a39f99%7Emv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_282%2Ch_211/cf6ab9_bf21c133f3f042f98d574ebcc0a39f99%7Emv2.jpg"/>]]></description><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2017/06/01/Squeeze-your-Insurance-for-all-its-worth</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2017/06/01/Squeeze-your-Insurance-for-all-its-worth</guid><pubDate>Thu, 01 Jun 2017 03:46:49 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/cf6ab9_bf21c133f3f042f98d574ebcc0a39f99~mv2.jpg"/><div>Don’t set and forget</div><div>Making your insurance work for you isn’t just about signing on the dotted line. It can be all too easy to ‘set-and-forget’ your insurance unless something happens and you need to claim. But if there is one thing you take out of this quick read, let it be this: make your insurance part of a regular ‘financial health check’.</div><div>Understand your policy (really understand it)</div><div>The ‘set-and-forget’ approach to insurance (which is, by the way, completely understandable), has a couple of key downsides. First, it can mean that you forget about benefits of your policy and potentially miss out on a valid claim. And second, without reviewing your cover on a regular basis as your life and situation change, you can unwittingly expose yourself to the risk of being under-insured or having an outdated policy.</div><div>The good news is that with us in your corner you don’t need to wade through policy wording for a refresher on the benefits your insurance offers (and what you can claim on). All you have to do is pick up the phone or send an email and we’ll happily talk through the detail with you. And of course, we’ll remind you when it’s time to check-in on whether your insurance needs a tweak or two, which brings us to the next point…</div><div>Make the most of the review process</div><div>As you know, your insurance policy renews annually. A year may not seem like a long time, but when you sit down and talk through where you are at today, it can be amazing how much has changed. And it’s that change that we, as your adviser, need to know about so that we can assess whether your insurance is still in line with your life and needs. Think of it as an opportunity to take stock and move forward with confidence that you have the right protection in place (even if no change to your insurance is needed).</div><div>Put us to work at claim time</div><div>Perhaps an obvious one, but never hesitate to contact us if: (1) you want to know whether you can claim on your insurance, or (2) you know you can claim and need to lodge it with the insurer. We’ll help you understand what you can claim on, work through the claim documentation with you and facilitate the claim process with your insurer. As we said – put us to work at claim time; we’re in your corner.</div><div>We look forward to seeing you at your next insurance review. As always, if you have any queries in the meantime, we welcome you to get in touch.</div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The 4 Steve's</title><description><![CDATA[Lots of people like to collect things, my mum had an elephant collection when I was a child, it happened accidentally, with people continuing to supply cute elephants, little blue glass elephants or hand carved wood elephants. Not sure that mum had intended this collection, but each one was special because it was a gift. Financial Independence has also ‘accidentally’ started a collection of its own. We just seem to love our Steve’s. We started with one and just kept adding until we had the<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/cf6ab9_0ccc89cf4a004c67ab348bde526cb685%7Emv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_626%2Ch_202/cf6ab9_0ccc89cf4a004c67ab348bde526cb685%7Emv2.jpg"/>]]></description><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2017/05/29/Steve-x-4</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2017/05/29/Steve-x-4</guid><pubDate>Mon, 29 May 2017 03:05:23 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/cf6ab9_0ccc89cf4a004c67ab348bde526cb685~mv2.jpg"/><div>Lots of people like to collect things, my mum had an elephant collection when I was a child, it happened accidentally, with people continuing to supply cute elephants, little blue glass elephants or hand carved wood elephants. Not sure that mum had intended this collection, but each one was special because it was a gift. Financial Independence has also ‘accidentally’ started a collection of its own. We just seem to love our Steve’s. We started with one and just kept adding until we had the perfect mix of Steve’s that love what they do.</div><div>How to tell our Steve’s apart:</div><div>Steve Freeman is both our original Steve and company director. He specialises in working with Medical professionals and travels the country to make sure that he can spread his experience in this industry to all from that field. Find out more about Steve Freeman…….</div><div>Steve Hart is one of our Life advisers who uses his years of experience to help all types of people in Tauranga and beyond. He also specialises in those that work on the land, from farmers to orchard owners. Find out more about Steve Hart……..</div><div>Steve Morgan is another one of our Life advisers who not only visits Families and Individuals for their insurance needs, but also specialises in giving advice to business owners. He works with both small and large companies, he also gives advice on Group insurance for their employees. Find out more about Steve Morgan……..</div><div>Steve Rogers, last but not least, we collected Steve at the end of 2016 to add a very valuable senior adviser to our growing Fire and General team. Steve has a wealth of experience and we could not help but add him to our collection of Steve’s. Find out more about Steve Rogers……</div><div>So, feel free to ring and talk to a Steve, we’ll help find the right Steve for you.</div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Steve Rogers &amp; Ben Ruthe feature in UNO</title><description><![CDATA[Steve Rogers and Ben Ruthe met with Talia Walgrave of UNO magazine to have a chat about Steve joining the team at Financial Independence. We are happy to welcome Steve and hope you enjoy learning more about him in the UNO article below.See the article here: http://www.unomagazine.co.nz/living/financial-independence/<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_6ae2c73b40054a2680bd958082b1a9a6%7Emv2.png/v1/fill/w_132%2Ch_194/7e8d40_6ae2c73b40054a2680bd958082b1a9a6%7Emv2.png"/>]]></description><dc:creator>Ben Ruthe</dc:creator><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/UNO-feature</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/UNO-feature</guid><pubDate>Thu, 02 Mar 2017 03:33:55 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_6ae2c73b40054a2680bd958082b1a9a6~mv2.png"/><div>Steve Rogers and Ben Ruthe met with Talia Walgrave of UNO magazine to have a chat about Steve joining the team at Financial Independence. We are happy to welcome Steve and hope you enjoy learning more about him in the UNO article below.</div><div>See the article here: <a href="http://www.unomagazine.co.nz/living/financial-independence/">http://www.unomagazine.co.nz/living/financial-independence/</a></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Your hindsight is someone else's best advice</title><description><![CDATA[My favourite thing about getting older is getting wiser, I figure that we have some clients that understand the beauty of this too. We can look back on the past and have hindsight which means we know some things that weren’t so clear when we were young. Wishing you had leveled your Life Insurance premiums when you were young, so that they don’t continue to go up each year, may not be the most interesting hindsight you can boast, but it is an important one to share. Maybe you have done this and<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_f0be656f99df4ea8bbd093f5eb3b2021%7Emv2_d_1502_1332_s_2.png/v1/fill/w_282%2Ch_250/7e8d40_f0be656f99df4ea8bbd093f5eb3b2021%7Emv2_d_1502_1332_s_2.png"/>]]></description><dc:creator>Alana Collinson</dc:creator><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2016/11/23/Your-hindsight-is-someone-elses-best-advice</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2016/11/23/Your-hindsight-is-someone-elses-best-advice</guid><pubDate>Tue, 22 Nov 2016 20:35:00 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_f0be656f99df4ea8bbd093f5eb3b2021~mv2_d_1502_1332_s_2.png"/><div>My favourite thing about getting older is getting wiser, I figure that we have some clients that understand the beauty of this too. We can look back on the past and have hindsight which means we know some things that weren’t so clear when we were young. Wishing you had leveled your Life Insurance premiums when you were young, so that they don’t continue to go up each year, may not be the most interesting hindsight you can boast, but it is an important one to share. Maybe you have done this and are grateful that you did? I met with a client recently, who had leveled some Life Insurance premiums when she was only 16. She said she remembers her Father “marching” her into the Insurance Brokers office and she was thinking, &quot;what on earth do I need life cover for?&quot;. But out of respect for her Dad she put in place $300,000 of life cover for $5.45 per month. She’s 35 now, with children and a mortgage and is laughing that her life cover is so cheap compared to what she would have to pay now. Her advice is, just do it - and tell your kids to do it. This leads me to think that there are probably some people in your life that you could impart this hindsight and wisdom to. It’s important to us that people understand their options and that there are ways to avoid escalating premiums. We can work with anyone to level their premiums, but the very best time to do this is when you are young. You may know someone that this advice and your hindsight could help.</div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>When do we NEED Life Insurance?</title><description><![CDATA[The answer varies for everyone; at times, we need a lot and at the best price we can get and at others times of life we don’t need it at all. So, when do we need it? The answer to this question, is that we need the cover when we are at some sort of ‘risk’. Let’s explore that further because I’m not talking about the ‘risk’ of dying, which we all have at any age, but instead I’m talking about the ‘risk’ of leaving those we have around us behind with any sort of burden. As advisers when we meet<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_165af64fce634955aebac0ee4596fef3%7Emv2.png/v1/fill/w_626%2Ch_225/7e8d40_165af64fce634955aebac0ee4596fef3%7Emv2.png"/>]]></description><dc:creator>Alana Collinson</dc:creator><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2016/11/17/When-do-we-NEED-Life-Insurance</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2016/11/17/When-do-we-NEED-Life-Insurance</guid><pubDate>Tue, 22 Nov 2016 03:30:00 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><div>The answer varies for everyone; at times, we need a lot and at the best price we can get and at others times of life we don’t need it at all. So, when do we need it?</div><div> The answer to this question, is that we need the cover when we are at some sort of ‘risk’. Let’s explore that further because I’m not talking about the ‘risk’ of dying, which we all have at any age, but instead I’m talking about the ‘risk’ of leaving those we have around us behind with any sort of burden.</div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_165af64fce634955aebac0ee4596fef3~mv2.png"/><div> As advisers when we meet with our clients we ask many questions to work out, firstly, do you need life cover and secondly how much is enough? Things that affect this answer are:</div><div> • Do you have small children that rely on you for their upbringing and ongoing education?</div><div> • Do you have a mortgage at the bank, that the bank would expect to be paid should you pass away? </div><div> • Are you the income earner in the household and if you were to die, how would the family carry on and pay the bills?</div><div> • Does your Income need to be replaced for several years should you die, so that your immediate family can continue their current lifestyle?</div><div> • Do you need to leave provision for your final expenses, so that family do not have to worry about this?</div><div> • If you have a business partner, do you need Life Insurance that provides funds to pay out your shareholding to your family?</div><div> • Do you have business debt that would need to be paid back should you die?</div><div>You will notice none of these questions revolve around how old are you? Which makes me think that making the statement, “your Life Insurance is likely to be too expensive right when you might need it”, when you are elderly, is not entirely correct.</div><div> Although not always the case, we find that clients are at their largest risk, when they have high mortgages, dependents and each pay check is used to its full. Your risk is high when you are in the middle of building your wealth whether by purchasing property or building a business, during this time your debts are high. As life goes on and the children have left and are self-sufficient your ‘risks’ have decreased. The level of Life Insurance at this point may change as your responsibilities have. As life goes on further still, you ‘eventually’ pay off your mortgage and or business debt, and again your need for Life Insurance decreases.</div><div> Let me put it another way, if you own a $100,000 Range Rover, then you would insure it for $100,000, if you sell the Range Rover and purchase a Toyota worth $20,000, you would not continue to pay for the insurance on the Range Rover, as this is no longer a ‘risk’ for you.</div><div>Life Insurance is there to pay a lump sum should you die unexpectedly; it is not necessarily there for when you die of old age. Just like the Range Rover example, when the risks are not there, then your need to pay for the insurance should also disappear.</div><div> Having said that, we have a lot of clients in their older years convert their Life Insurance to a funeral fund policy, or convert it to a  so that they can keep it for life and leave these funds to their children. You can even leave your Life Insurance to a charity, which may be a decision once your own risks and need for it has disappeared.</div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The hindsight of setting your building's value correctly.</title><description><![CDATA[The recent earthquakes we have had across NZ has given us a hindsight view of insurance cover, how it works and sometimes how it doesn’t work perfectly.After the Christchurch earthquakes, I became involved in assisting a building owner who had a damaged building and was having some trouble with their previous Broker. One of the issues that quickly became apparent to me, was that unfortunately the clients building was under insured from the outset. Over time the building was written off as a<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_06f7c9adcde54b19bfa6b7ba6b1d2d52%7Emv2.png"/>]]></description><dc:creator>Ben Ruthe</dc:creator><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2016/11/18/The-hindsight-of-setting-your-buildings-value</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2016/11/18/The-hindsight-of-setting-your-buildings-value</guid><pubDate>Tue, 15 Nov 2016 21:46:00 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><div>The recent earthquakes we have had across NZ has given us a hindsight view of insurance cover, how it works and sometimes how it doesn’t work perfectly.</div><div>After the Christchurch earthquakes, I became involved in assisting a building owner who had a damaged building and was having some trouble with their previous Broker. One of the issues that quickly became apparent to me, was that unfortunately the clients building was under insured from the outset. Over time the building was written off as a total loss and the insurer paid out the full value that the building was insured for under the policy. But, the rebuilding costs were far greater than the amount of cover that had been arranged on her building.</div><div>What can we take from this? Well, when insuring a building, whether commercial or domestic, it is important you carefully assess the full replacement cost. This should include the cost to demolish, remove and dump the damaged property and clear the site, as well as retaining, fencing, driveways, decks, consents, professional costs, labour and materials. Inflation should be factored in from the time the cover is arranged until whenever it may be that the building is fully rebuilt.</div><div>Be aware that the actual replacement cost of a building, can be far greater than the initial build cost or an advertised build cost. In a natural disaster, as you can imagine alongside such a great demand, replacement cost can skyrocket, including demolition costs. With the example I gave above, the demolition alone ended up costing $120,000, which were paid for by the insurer, but this figure came off the final settlement to the client.</div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_06f7c9adcde54b19bfa6b7ba6b1d2d52~mv2.png"/><div>For commercial property, it is recommended that you check the value insured by obtaining a valuation for insurance purposes from a registered valuer. You can use valuations from registered valuers on your own home too or you can use a cheaper but less comprehensive estimation tool such as the Cordell calculator on the attached link:</div><div><a href="http://homebuilding.cordell.co.nz/index.php?c=introduction&amp;profile=40&amp;restart=1">http://homebuilding.cordell.co.nz/index.php?c=introduction&amp;profile=40&amp;restart=1</a></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Are Trusts past their use-by date?</title><description><![CDATA[We've all heard stories where Trusts have been challenged through the courts, and everything has fallen apart. You might be tempted to think that Trusts aren’t worth having. The problem isn't that Trusts don’t work, but that they are often misused, misunderstood and not properly maintained. Trusts have been around for hundreds of years because they offer protection which can’t be achieved through any other structure. When Trusts are relevant?It’s important to consider your reasons for<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_c940a75566e34390b05c82fd004af6dd%7Emv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_626%2Ch_243/7e8d40_c940a75566e34390b05c82fd004af6dd%7Emv2.jpg"/>]]></description><dc:creator>Perpetual Guardian</dc:creator><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2016/06/08/Are-Trusts-past-their-useby-date</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2016/06/08/Are-Trusts-past-their-useby-date</guid><pubDate>Wed, 08 Jun 2016 04:24:57 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><div>We've all heard stories where Trusts have been challenged through the courts, and everything has fallen apart. You might be tempted to think that Trusts aren’t worth having. </div><div>The problem isn't that Trusts don’t work, but that they are often misused, misunderstood and not properly maintained. Trusts have been around for hundreds of years because they offer protection which can’t be achieved through any other structure.</div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_c940a75566e34390b05c82fd004af6dd~mv2.jpg"/><div>When Trusts are relevant?</div><div>It’s important to consider your reasons for establishing a Trust and whether these mean a Trust will be of real benefit.</div><div>Trusts are particularly useful for:</div><div>succession planning – passing wealth down through generations;providing for a family member with special needs;providing for charitable purposes;protection against legal action;preventing creditor claims in case of business failure; and,preventing claims on property when a relationship ends.</div><div>For a Trust to work effectively, it is crucial everyone involved understands their role and responsibilities. One of the most common reasons Trusts fail is a lack of discipline, for example:</div><div>no annual meetings;no minutes or record of decisions;mixing of personal assets with Trust assets;spouses acting as sole trustees; and,a lack of understanding of the Trust deed.</div><div>How can we help?</div><div>Contact us if you'd like to find out more about a suitable and effective structure to protect your assets, or if you'd like to have your existing Trust reviewed. We can point you in the right direction.</div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>What will your new house look like?</title><description><![CDATA[Back in 2013, house insurance changed a bit. A campaign was launched and we were all told to make sure that we had the figures right for our house insurance.Up until then, the insurance companies used one simple figure to calculate your sum insured - which was the floor area of your house. This was too variable and didn't allow for 'the extras' such as retaining walls, pathways etc. so they had to change things around.The insurance companies leave it to you to value your house and property<img src="http://img.youtube.com/vi/xLtZ76mr1Vw/mqdefault.jpg"/>]]></description><dc:creator>Ben Ruthe</dc:creator><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2016/05/18/What-will-your-new-house-look-like-1</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2016/05/18/What-will-your-new-house-look-like-1</guid><pubDate>Wed, 18 May 2016 04:09:56 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><div>Back in 2013, house insurance changed a bit. A campaign was launched and we were all told to make sure that we had the figures right for our house insurance.</div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xLtZ76mr1Vw"/><div>Up until then, the insurance companies used one simple figure to calculate your sum insured - which was the floor area of your house. This was too variable and didn't allow for 'the extras' such as retaining walls, pathways etc. so they had to change things around.</div><div>The insurance companies leave it to you to value your house and property correctly and fortunately there are a number of calculators online that you can use. </div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_d5b8e89073c74b92b817a15bd6f103ce.png"/><div>A recent New Zealand Treasury report shows us that <a href="http://www.insurancebusinessonline.co.nz/news/sum-insured-back-on-insurers-agenda-following-treasury-report-215756.aspx">New Zealanders are still under-insured</a> which means not all of us will have enough to adequately rebuild our house.</div><div>We don't want this to be you! So, if you haven't already, we encourage you to take a moment to calculate the replacement cost of your house so that you aren't left short. Our favorite calculator is at <a href="http://need2know.org.nz/what-you-need-to-do/what-you-need-to-do/">need2know.org.nz.</a></div><div>It wont take you too long and is fairly simple, but we're happy to run through it with you if you get stuck. </div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Keeping in touch</title><description><![CDATA[Hi, I'm Alana, Operations Manager and Insurance Adviser at Financial Independence. I have been an insurance adviser since 2005, and am enjoying working with the fantastic team at Financial Independence. I’m happy to say that we have been working on a lot of cool things that will make it easier for you to stay in touch with us, and for us to chat to you about things like: Your cover - is it right, does it still fit your needs, and is it too much or not enough? Also, other things that may be of<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_0a3818fa5aaa4f97bffe6d6539b7e981%7Emv2.jpg"/>]]></description><dc:creator>Alana Collinson</dc:creator><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2016/04/19/Keeping-in-touch-1</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2016/04/19/Keeping-in-touch-1</guid><pubDate>Sun, 01 May 2016 01:55:00 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><div>Hi, I'm Alana, Operations Manager and Insurance Adviser at Financial Independence. I have been an insurance adviser since 2005, and am enjoying working with the fantastic team at Financial Independence.</div><div>I’m happy to say that we have been working on a lot of cool things that will make it easier for you to stay in touch with us, and for us to chat to you about things like: Your cover - is it right, does it still fit your needs, and is it too much or not enough? Also, other things that may be of interest or benefit to you in the insurance industry, products or concepts.</div><div>With this in mind you may hear from us from time to time with informative and interesting newsletters, and the odd article that could benefit your insurance plan.</div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_0a3818fa5aaa4f97bffe6d6539b7e981~mv2.jpg"/><div>We want you to enjoy being informed and updated, and to know that we have your back in regard to anything to do with insurance. If you have any questions at all, please call either your broker, myself, or any of our friendly team. We really like hearing from you.</div><div>Alana Collinson</div><div> Operations Manager</div><iframe src="http://static.usrfiles.com/html/ef0cce_8a98f1583541484eb8c5e34c26421375.html"/></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Health Insurance to cover pre-existing conditions.</title><description><![CDATA[Until the end of July 2016, NIB are offering cover for pre-existing medical conditions after 2 years, along with that a fixed 20% premium discount.* This is an incredible opportunity to have health insurance that covers the pre-existing medical conditions that might elsewhere be excluded for the life of the policy. Click the links to discover more about NIB easy health.• Facts in the promotion • Easy health brochure To take advantage of this awesome offer or ask if this is the best option for<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_beeb15f872bc4c8f9e238d32d61d9bd8%7Emv2.png"/>]]></description><dc:creator>Financial Independence</dc:creator><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2016/05/11/Health-Insurance-to-cover-preexisting-conditions-1</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2016/05/11/Health-Insurance-to-cover-preexisting-conditions-1</guid><pubDate>Fri, 29 Apr 2016 02:57:00 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_beeb15f872bc4c8f9e238d32d61d9bd8~mv2.png"/><div>Until the end of July 2016, NIB are offering cover for pre-existing medical conditions after 2 years, along with that a fixed 20% premium discount.*</div><div>This is an incredible opportunity to have health insurance that covers the pre-existing medical conditions that might elsewhere be excluded for the life of the policy.</div><div> Click the links to discover more about NIB easy health.</div><div>•  • </div><div>To take advantage of this awesome offer or ask if this is the best option for you please email our friendly team at <a href="mailto:customersupport@youradviser.co.nz?subject=NIB May offer">customersupport@youradviser.co.nz</a> or get in touch with your adviser.</div><div>Call us on 07 578 4414</div><div>or get in touch with your adviser:</div><div>*terms and conditions apply</div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_88b611e771cf45f6a85d58332cf6239a.png"/><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_fa4e0ab17ae74fc69d8e1ccc13a51567.png"/><div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_e39f776285db47f8a332288109c238fa.png"/><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_32606f6238394736b7065ae88ac7e1f4.png"/></div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_410eb77cd29c457aae62b590378a7d3f.png"/><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_aef1ab928d5d4c6a8f227eb21bab19d6.png"/></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Lets talk about level premiums</title><description><![CDATA[You have no doubt heard about level premiums, whether from your adviser, a friend, the radio, or an annoying telemarketer. Most will know how this works, but you may wonder if it will work for you. Let’s quickly run through how it works.Level premiums do not increase each year due to your age or the current market rates. The premium is set at the time of application, and stays at that level month in, month out, until you no longer require the cover or make a claim. You can cancel it any time -<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_95de6fc5cf414062ad56c2d3c3025f37.jpg"/>]]></description><dc:creator>Alana Collinson</dc:creator><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2016/04/19/Lets-talk-about-level-premiums</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2016/04/19/Lets-talk-about-level-premiums</guid><pubDate>Tue, 19 Apr 2016 01:53:49 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><div>You have no doubt heard about level premiums, whether from your adviser, a friend, the radio, or an annoying telemarketer. Most will know how this works, but you may wonder if it will work for you. Let’s quickly run through how it works.</div><div>Level premiums do not increase each year due to your age or the current market rates. The premium is set at the time of application, and stays at that level month in, month out, until you no longer require the cover or make a claim.</div><div>You can cancel it any time - it is not a fixed contractYou can set the level of cover that you requireYou set the level of premium that you can afford</div><div>So, how could this benefit you?</div><div>You will have peace of mind - that what you are paying for today will result in a claim being paid when needed - because you did not have to cancel due to increasing cost.You will save money over the term of your life policyYou will know exactly how much to budget each month for your insurance.You will not get to a stage where you have to consider ditching your cover due to premiums becoming unmanageably high.</div><div><a href="mailto:alana@youradviser.co.nz?subject=Lets talk about Level premiums">Click here</a>to find out how much money you could save by switching to level premium.</div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_95de6fc5cf414062ad56c2d3c3025f37.jpg"/></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Di's Autumn Gardening Tips</title><description><![CDATA[Our very own Di Fox shares her pro-tips for autumn gardening. Autumn is a great season for knitting, reading and relaxing at home with family - but it's also great for gardening. Below are some of my favourite things about autumn gardening. 1. I love tulips, freesias and hyacinths. Now is the time to plant these so they bloom in spring! When buying your bulbs, avoid any that are soft or showing signs of mould. Small bulbs may not flower in their first year, so - big is better. 2. Sheep pellets<img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/cebb9f0e24012aa54b3d0c69f8c8acf7.jpg"/>]]></description><dc:creator>Diane Fox</dc:creator><link>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2016/1/19/What-should-you-tell-insurance-companies</link><guid>http://www.financialindependence.co.nz/single-post/2016/1/19/What-should-you-tell-insurance-companies</guid><pubDate>Fri, 01 Apr 2016 01:44:51 +0000</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/cebb9f0e24012aa54b3d0c69f8c8acf7.jpg"/><div>Our very own Di Fox shares her pro-tips for autumn gardening.</div><div>Autumn is a great season for knitting, reading and relaxing at home with family - but it's also great for gardening. Below are some of my favourite things about autumn gardening.</div><div>1. I love tulips, freesias and hyacinths. Now is the time to plant these so they bloom in spring! When buying your bulbs, avoid any that are soft or showing signs of mould. Small bulbs may not flower in their first year, so - big is better.</div><div>2. Sheep pellets are an inexpensive and natural way to add fertilize to your garden before you plant your autumn crops of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, beetroot, spinach and Chinese cabbages.</div><div>3. Pesky snails and slugs will be abundant in autumn. You can use crushed eggshells or sand as natural alternatives to store-bought bait.</div><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e8d40_c104baf5e7234a2e9c2304baa8bae22b.png"/><div> 4. Autumn is a great time for a bit of lawn TLC. I aerate my lawns by walking around in my spike shoes which is also a great workout for the calf muscles.</div><div>5. Now is the time for planting shrubs. The warm autumn soil will give your shrubs a chance to grow their roots before chilly winter kicks in. They will then be established and ready to grow beautifully in the spring. </div><div>Diane Fox is our Accounts Manager and part of our friendly Customer Care team. She is also a gardening enthusiast.</div></div>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>