commission

1. 25 February 2022

   When Consumer is anti-consumer

   Consumer NZ is paving a road to hell with good intentions in the way it talks about personal insurance, and especially personal insurance advice. I'm a paying member and a fan — which is why it's so f…

2. 5 April 2019

   Insurance, commission, and the separation of church and state

   I'm very sensitive to conflicts of interest — I've built my own business specifically to avoid them. Which is why it might surprise you that I'm a strong advocate for commission as the way insurance a…

3. 11 March 2018

   The absurdity of asset-based fees

   Most investment advisers in New Zealand charge asset-based fees — a percentage of your portfolio. On $1 million, that's typically around $9,000 a year, every year, with no obvious link to the work bei…

4. 15 December 2017

   If you’re getting personal insurance, don’t go direct

   If you need personal insurance, it's tempting to go direct to an insurer or use a comparator like Life Direct. I don't recommend it. Policies look similar but differ in ways that matter: wording, excl…