http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab There is no "One True Path" to emigrating. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:00:30 +0000 en hourly 1 http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/hifx-vs-asb-on-exchange-rates/ http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/hifx-vs-asb-on-exchange-rates/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:44:38 +0000 Avalon http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/?p=4843 So, having opened up our US$ account, we needed to put US$10,000 into it. For the past week, I have been watching the exchange rate, and using HiFX’s online system to check how much in NZ$ it would cost me to buy US$10,000. I decided this morning after an overnight rise to make the move. [...] Related posts:

1. Watching the exchange rates like a hawk.
2. Unimpressed with HiFX
3. What’s happening with NZ interest rates?

]]> http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/hifx-vs-asb-on-exchange-rates/feed/ 0 http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/opening-a-us-account-at-asb/ http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/opening-a-us-account-at-asb/#comments Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:30:50 +0000 Avalon http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/?p=4840 We have decided to open up a US$ account here in New Zealand. While our original UK accounts are still active, and based in the  UK, we really don’t need a UK£ account here. But the issue we have at the moment is that the shares we hold in IBM are in US$. And while [...] Related posts:

1. Avalon’s Money Thread: Revolving Credit Mortgages.
2. Avalon’s Money Thread: Moving your money to New Zealand
3. Avalon’s Money Thread: Am I a Big Spender?

]]> http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/opening-a-us-account-at-asb/feed/ 0 http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/the-47-rules-of-money/ http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/the-47-rules-of-money/#comments Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:00:23 +0000 Avalon http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/?p=4786 This appeared in the Herald on New Years Eve, written by Diana Clement. I really like her articles about personal finance, and shes well worth a read. Unlike Mary Holm, she writes about general finance and makes an awful lot of sense, rather than just bleating on about how wonderful Kiwisaver is and how bad [...] Related posts:

1. You don’t save when you have debts to pay.
2. Avalon’s Money Thread: Am I a Big Spender?
3. Paying off debt – still too hard for most people :(

]]> http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/01/the-47-rules-of-money/feed/ 0 http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/10/todays-good-news-interest-rates-arent-going-up/ http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/10/todays-good-news-interest-rates-arent-going-up/#comments Thu, 27 Oct 2011 05:35:03 +0000 Avalon http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/?p=4553 The reserve bank have done what all the economists said they would do and held the base rate. Well at least they said that this month – last year they swore blind it would be different and rates would be climbing by now. Wouldn’t it be lovely to have a job where you could be [...] Related posts:

1. Will New Zealand’s interest rates fall again this week?
2. What’s happening with NZ interest rates?
3. Why exactly should interest rates in New Zealand go up?

]]> http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/10/todays-good-news-interest-rates-arent-going-up/feed/ 0 http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/10/are-you-the-99-53-1-or-who-cares-what/ http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/10/are-you-the-99-53-1-or-who-cares-what/#comments Sat, 15 Oct 2011 04:56:14 +0000 Avalon http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/?p=4453 The “Occupy Wall St” protest has hit New Zealand this weekend – “occupying” Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. I have tried to get my head around this – and I have to say I am failing miserably. When I started seeing “We are the 99%” posts coming up on my Facebook feed – I took [...] Related posts:

1. Taking on more debt is not the way to deal with debt problems.
2. And New Zealand Interest rates come down yet again.
3. What do you do just in case things do go to hell in a hand basket?

]]> http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/10/are-you-the-99-53-1-or-who-cares-what/feed/ 1 http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/10/unimpressed-with-hifx/ http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/10/unimpressed-with-hifx/#comments Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:43:55 +0000 Avalon http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/?p=4426 Back at the end of July I started looking at making the absolute most of the dire exchange rate, and the possibility of moving some money back to the UK. This was made possible for me by the fact that HiFX – my number one money moving company, were allowing transfers on just $1000 without [...] Related posts:

1. HiFX vs ASB on Exchange rates.
2. New Money Transfer company.
3. Avalon’s Money Thread: Moving your money to New Zealand

]]> http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/10/unimpressed-with-hifx/feed/ 0 http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/09/why-are-visa-and-mastercard-forcing-you-to-have-contactless-credit-cards/ http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/09/why-are-visa-and-mastercard-forcing-you-to-have-contactless-credit-cards/#comments Thu, 22 Sep 2011 03:34:41 +0000 Avalon http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/?p=4351 ASB contactless credit cards are a faster and simpler way to pay for your purchases. Now you can fly through checkouts at participating stores, paying by just tapping your card on the terminal. This new technology sends payment data to the terminal at the checkout with just one quick tap to the terminal. Once your [...] Related posts:

1. Why are Credit Cards still charging such high interest rates in New Zealand?
2. Seriously- pay off your credits cards!
3. I’m a credit card tart and proud of it!

]]> http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/09/why-are-visa-and-mastercard-forcing-you-to-have-contactless-credit-cards/feed/ 6 http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/09/new-zealand-interest-rate-changes/ http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/09/new-zealand-interest-rate-changes/#comments Thu, 15 Sep 2011 02:09:06 +0000 Avalon http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/?p=4276 The reserve bank has held our base interest rate – and now it seems most of the “experts” how claimed the rate would be rising by the end of this year have changed their minds and now claim it will be march next year. Apparently they will have to go but then some say they [...] Related posts:

1. ASB Interest rate changes – humph!
2. NZ interests rate holds at 3%
3. Interest rate break fees – Labour is kicking up a stink.

]]> http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/09/new-zealand-interest-rate-changes/feed/ 0 http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/09/a-humourous-interlude-at-the-bank/ http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/09/a-humourous-interlude-at-the-bank/#comments Tue, 06 Sep 2011 04:15:51 +0000 Avalon http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/?p=4227 Much needed after the past few blogs. ASB advertise that they will change foreign currency notes commission free. Having just recently returned from Fiji with a small bit of cash left, I thought I would try it. So I toddled off to ASB on Lambton Quay clutching $6 FJD (three $2 notes) in my mitts [...] Related posts:

1. Christmas pressie from the Reserve Bank
2. Bank Charges when traveling to Australia.
3. Commonwealth Bank Of Australia lose the plot.

]]> http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/09/a-humourous-interlude-at-the-bank/feed/ 0 http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/07/the-new-zealand-art-show-wellington/ http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2011/07/the-new-zealand-art-show-wellington/#comments Thu, 28 Jul 2011 23:33:13 +0000 Avalon http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/?p=4038 Last night we popped along to the opening of the NZ Art Show in Wellington. Now this isn’t usually “our thing”. Neither of us are particularly “arty”, and I have a tendency to think of things like this as a little pretentious. Though I do quite love painting an drawing myself. But in this case [...] Related posts:

1. The Gluten free and allergy show in Wellington.
2. Should Wellington be Pedestrianised?
3. A moment of perfect beauty in Wellington city.

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