Monday media round-up 16/08/10

This week's pick of personal finance stories from the last few days.
 

• Compulsory super in the wind?
  The idea of a compulsory superannuation scheme may not be such a hard sell as politicians have previously thought. (NZ Herald)
   
• The great credit card swindle
  New Zealanders are paying about $10 million a month more in interest on their credit cards than they would be if banks had passed on falls in the Official Cash Rate (OCR). (NZ Herald)
  
  Happy to allow debts to spiral
• Credit card debt and the subsequent interest fees are not something 23-year-old Lucy Metge loses sleep over. (NZ Herald)
   
• Paul Holmes: We had it all, then we spent it all 
  "Last week when I told you the economy was tanking, I expected a sound drubbing from people telling me I was talking the country down." (NZ Herald)
   
• Diana Clement: Going single can hit women in the pocket
  Death, divorce and other unexpected financial travesties wreak havoc on thousands of Kiwi women's lives each year. Sudden unexpected singleness hits women's finances hard. (NZ Herald)
   
• Mary Holm: KiwiSaver - If boss doesn't pay
  Mary answers readers' questions about KiwiSaver employer contributions, director accountability, recession forecasts, retirement locations and managed funds. (NZ Herald)
   
• Homework is essential for new investors
  When 30-year-old Phil Kavanagh decided to try his hand at share investing he got a bit of flak from older friends and family. (NZ Herald)
   
• How to get started on the market
  Share investing is a scary prospect for many New Zealanders. (NZ Herald)
   
• Bernard Hickey: A disconcerting state
  "This has certainly been the winter of our discontent." (NZ Herald)
   
• Govt eyes forced saving for old age
  Kiwis could soon be made to save for their old age, with compulsory savings back on the political agenda. (Stuff)
   
• Govt debt offers better returns than banks
  New Zealand government bonds are offering investors better returns than bank debt for only the second time since records began, as worldwide investors create financial market volatility by quitting liquid assets in droves. (Stuff)
   
• House sales plummet
  House sales fell to their lowest July in a decade but prices in the major centres were still up on last year. (Stuff)
   
• Bruce Sheppard: Investing in managed funds
  "The simplest way to think about managed funds is as equities and a business in their own right. They pool capital and manage it for profit." (Stuff - Stirring the pot blog)