WealthDesign

June 2016 is fast approaching, so ensure you don’t miss out on the full $521.43 government contribution by confirming you have paid the minimum $1,042.86, for the previous 12 months.  If you have fallen short of the minimum contribution, you can top up prior to the end of June, to make certain you receive your government contribution.

IMPORTANT:  Please top up your KiwiSaver at the beginning of June, as it can take a while for your KiwiSaver provider to process the payment – we don’t want you missing out on what you’re entitled to!

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I bet within your insurance policy there are hidden benefits you don’t know you have. 

Here’s a quick snapshot:

• The right to increase your cover under special conditions without piles of health forms
• Free trauma cover on your kids and also the right for your kids to increase their cover (without proof of good health) over time
• Grief or anxiety counselling support payments for grieving families
• Premium holidays in the event of financial hardship
• Career counselling
• Business counselling and budget advice
• Option to convert to level premiums at any time
• Financial planning payments to help get quality advice around claims and money.

Your greatest hidden benefit is us!  Yes, we know which companies have the best policy wording and the most competitive pricing.  If you have to claim, you can have at least 10 hours of our time at no cost.  This can be hugely supportive at a very stressful time as the following quote from a client shows:

“Thank you so much. That’s a huge weight lifted off our shoulders re: income protection. We have got so much on our plate at the moment. We appreciate your on-going help and support.”

We know the insurance companies and their people and we know the questions to ask, when to smile and when to jump up and down! We work for our people, not the insurance company.  We stand beside our clients – in good times and in bad (sounds a bit like a marriage vow really, doesn’t it?).

John Barber
WealthDesign – a life well planned

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Captain Sully Sullenberger landed the plane, as a result of training, skill and expertise. It was an amazing display of skilful flying.  If you Google Sully, you find a picture of a grey-haired guy. That is what comes with experience. You can’t beat ‘time in the chair’ to teach you life’s lessons.

Financial Planning is no different. Time brings experience and experience saves you from disasters.

Blue-eyed enthusiasm is great for some things, but not when it comes to investing.  The scary thing is that the big guys are desperately trying to corner the advice market. The problem is, a bank teller or the bank’s investment advisor, is paid by the bank and therefore, must follow the party line.

Do you want someone with training and experience, who is in your corner, not someone working for a fund manager or a bank? Someone who will work on your behalf, someone with total transparency, and someone who will stand beside you, for the long haul? 

Do you want some ‘grey-haired experience’ when it comes to your investments?  Look no further! (Okay, if there was hair there, it would be grey!)  I’ve been in the game for long enough to get grey hair, but more importantly, I’ve got the skill and experience to get the outcomes my clients are looking for.  Paradoxically, I’m also about thinking outside the box, and ensuring that I’m abreast of the leading trends and forecasts.  By marrying sound investment wisdom with leading edge thinking, you end up with a successful investment portfolio.

Call me today, and let’s get you on the road to financial success – in a way that’s right for you.

John Barber
WealthDesign – a life well planned

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They grow up so fast!  I visited a few clients recently who have been with me for a decade or so.  Some, when I first met them, had kids that were school age.  Now we are giving the kids their first policies as they head off to their first jobs, university, or overseas.   Several clients started with me as young fellas a similar age to me, single, renting, and working.  Now we’re all married house owners with kids.  Some have moved to their second or third houses, and at our age, the mortgages seem to be getting bigger, rather than smaller.  And it got me to thinking.  Some businesses are highly transactional, such as real estate or car sales.  At WealthDesign we are a relationship business – we actually care about being a helpful and valuable part of our clients’ lives.  

Change is one constant in all of our lives.  There is a valuable feature hidden in your policy which is all about helping at times of change – the ‘special events increase’.  Having a baby, buying a house, getting married and several other changes count as a ‘special event’ which means you can increase your life insurance with no medical questions.  For some this is a convenient and efficient way of changing their policy, but for others this is a great way of getting more cover without telling the insurer about that operation you had recently, or your current height/weight, or the little pills you’re now taking every day!   Some terms and conditions apply, but it’s worth looking into.

Insurance is not a set-and-forget product – it needs to change as your needs change.  And they will keep changing until you die.   If we haven’t seen each other for a while, or you’ve had a change in your life circumstances, please call us.  We’d love to catch up –  we’re here to help.

Regan Thomas
WealthDesign – a life well planned

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But it’s not a list we’re boasting about!  Along with our Australian mates across the ditch, we have the highest melanoma rate, of any population in the world! 

So here we are in Melanoma March – and Melanoma New Zealand is focusing on getting kiwis to be proactive in looking out for the early stages of this deadly skin cancer.

Melanoma New Zealand has teamed up with our Olympic and America’s Cup sailors to raise awareness for melanoma, which is a real risk for New Zealanders (that ozone layer isn’t helping matters).

Recently, the media has honed in on melanoma treatments, and specifically, why the drug Keytruda is not funded by PHARMAC.  The argument goes, if Keytruda is more effective, why are we not funding it?  There is uncertainty about the size and duration of any benefit, along with what PHARMAC is describing as the drug’s ‘extremely high cost.’  So it seems obvious that it won’t be funded anytime soon, despite the 54,000 signatures that have been collected on various petitions.

So how can the general public get access to this drug?  Medical insurance, of course!  Medical insurers nowadays have policies that include access to non-PHARMAC funded medicines.  This means that you’re going to get access to Keytruda and the countless other treatments that are proven to be effective, yet aren’t funded due to the high treatment costs.

Medical insurance is vital and with medical insurers paying out over $1,000,000,000 last year, you know it pays.

Our health is so important, and if you have medical insurance, you get access to tools that can complement your health journey. 

Give us a call at WealthDesign to discover how medical insurance will give you peace of mind, when it comes to your health.

And if you feel like donating to Melanoma New Zealand, text MELANOMA to 5464 – it’s a great cause! 

Melanoma New Zealand

Wilson O’Fee
WealthDesign – a life well lived

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