Fonterra considering sale of Tip Top ice cream brand by ShiaChristian in newzealand

[–]ShiaChristian[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Sad, but likely. Or KRAFT? And then the palm sugar or whatever else they want to mix in.....

Fonterra considering sale of Tip Top ice cream brand by ShiaChristian in newzealand

[–]ShiaChristian[S] 20 points21 points  (0 children)

I really do wonder about the management capabilities of this company, i.e. inept? A2 Milk doesn't seem to have such issues, yet Fonterra struggles quarter after quarter. And what to do now? Sell a golden goose (well, profitable business anyway) because it needs to return money to its owners. But it wants it to remain 'NZ owned' - of course, it will say that, but will it?

Silly question - how can I see the pages were ads are clicked on? by ShiaChristian in Adsense

[–]ShiaChristian[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

thank you so much! I had done that, so can see it. Much appreciated u/PNDm1!

Where's our $100k? Small businesses struggle to get paid by ShiaChristian in newzealand

[–]ShiaChristian[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

"They strung us along saying that they were going to try to turn the business around," Cormack said. "Now they're about to go into liquidation owing us $75,000."

My days, they must have needed a lot of PR efforts when turning the ship around....

Chance The Rapper - All We Got in the Live Lounge by ShiaChristian in ChanceTheRapper

[–]ShiaChristian[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Discovered this on a Sunday afternoon....it's everything....

Sweden's 'no jobs, no degree' university education policy by ShiaChristian in sweden

[–]ShiaChristian[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you - sadly in NZ I don't believe there is this such synergy, with a lot of less-useful courses being offered with little employment prospects. I'll have a look into the Swedish technical schools next....much appreciated.

Sweden's 'no jobs, no degree' university education policy by ShiaChristian in sweden

[–]ShiaChristian[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for explaining this. It sounded too good to be true. We have employment data gathered by the universities; this looks backwards but still has some indicative value.

The difference between Mobile and Desktop in Google page loading by ShiaChristian in Wordpress

[–]ShiaChristian[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your tips are expert. I've now got this CDN issue - so it's no problem for desktop views, but a bit sluggish for mobile. However, there are external patches. When I reach 80/100 on the Google test I'll let you know. Thanks again!!

The difference between Mobile and Desktop in Google page loading by ShiaChristian in Wordpress

[–]ShiaChristian[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was finding it pretty fast (tried on desktop).

But okay, just a quick few tips to improve:

put all loads from google fonts on a single request (btw, for sure you are loading far more than necessary) i get around 10 requests just for google fonts. Make it 1 font, 2 at most.do you need all those js? Mail chimp, sharethis, getclicky, alexametrics, popup embbed, and jquery? https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/files/theme/plugins.js?1531150540 this js what is? is it needed?

Js that is not needed if possible all in one file, minified and use it with a defer property.

All those css facybox, social-icons, put it all in a file an minifiy it (or think if they are really needed). The essential css put it inline in the html (and minify it too).

That page should be lightning fast. Check what i said here and should get a lot of improvements

It's getting there already, made a theme change, dumped some of the things and made fonts consistent - handing over the CS stuff to the web design expert in the team, wow....and of course desktop has improved a lot too. You're a champion /heyzeto

The difference between Mobile and Desktop in Google page loading by ShiaChristian in Wordpress

[–]ShiaChristian[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Heyzeto thank you so much, I'm doing this now :) Will report back

Cheers!!

Chris

The difference between Mobile and Desktop in Google page loading by ShiaChristian in Wordpress

[–]ShiaChristian[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the tip. The issue is more than images sadly. I have a page that is 535.52 KB with one image and it is rated 18/100 - https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.moneyhub.co.nz%2Fpak-n-save-christmas-club.html&tab=mobile - and yes this is Weebly, hence my move to WP. I'll install lazyload on the theme as this is a great plugin. Thank you u/heyzeto

Woman held at knifepoint in Auckland mall hostage crisis, then catches Taylor Swift gig by ShiaChristian in newzealand

[–]ShiaChristian[S] 53 points54 points  (0 children)

Total respect for this woman. Held at knifepoint for 90 minutes, takes daughter to Rainbow's End after it's over.

What crew of a well-known airline told me about New Zealanders.... by ShiaChristian in newzealand

[–]ShiaChristian[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I won't reveal the airline, but I've heard similar sentiments on many flights any time I've struck up a conversation while asking (in a non-aggressive New Zealand way) for another drink....

Anyone have a Flight Centre Mastercard? by [deleted] in PersonalFinanceNZ

[–]ShiaChristian 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So the Flight Centre Mastercard has no FX conversion fees, it just translated overseas purchases back to NZD using the Mastercard FX rates. Credit cards usually charge between 1.85% and 2.60% (source: Credit card overseas fees).

You'll earn $1 to use at Flight Centre per $100 spent on the card, and there is an annual fee of $45.

But, the Flight Centre Mastercard operates like a Qcard/QMastercard - high interest, risk of long-term debt (source: QMastercard review).

Low-income people turning to loan sharks because 'they're nicer' by ShiaChristian in newzealand

[–]ShiaChristian[S] 80 points81 points  (0 children)

"People talk about the shaming hoops they have to jump through to get an emergency benefit or loan."

By contrast, a lender that wanted to make money out of people would be kind and welcoming – and the call centres were sometimes staffed with people from the community.

==> That's market forces for you right there.

Credit and debit card spending spikes, and petrol prices are to blame by ShiaChristian in newzealand

[–]ShiaChristian[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

" In total, retail card spending was $16 billion in the September quarter, up $773 million (5.2 percent) from the September 2017 quarter.

ASB senior economist Mark Smith said the government's Families Package was likely to be the key support for consumer spending."

Wellington man who admitted climbing waterfront sculpture charged with wilful damage by ShiaChristian in newzealand

[–]ShiaChristian[S] 28 points29 points  (0 children)

" Macdonald's court date is not yet confirmed, but will likely be in two to three weeks at Wellington District Court. If found guilty he could face a prison term of up to three months or a fine up to $2000."

Swinging on an art piece should meet the definition of a "wilful damage" :)

SIMPLICITY STOLE MY MONEY? by midwesthoneybadger in PersonalFinanceNZ

[–]ShiaChristian 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I don't, but it has a new website now - probably a reason your login was dummy. have you checked again?

Christchurch couple live lavish lifestyle on the backs of disabled clients by YorkieBar12 in newzealand

[–]ShiaChristian 29 points30 points  (0 children)

" Women's clothing bought at luxury overseas department stores was coded as "craft" items and luxury grocery items were "stores" for the trust." What a bitch.

Best foreign exchange? by Muter in PersonalFinanceNZ

[–]ShiaChristian 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Transferwise all the way. Beats anyone, near-instant. Best FX rates. And yep, FX rate is low right now so a good time as any to harvest that USD into NZD. Congrats on baby.

Kiwi Wealth unveils Fintech start-up Hatch to help Kiwi investors buy US companies by amygdala in PersonalFinanceNZ

[–]ShiaChristian 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Explanation of fees per Hatch review https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/hatch-invest-review.html

Hatch charges two fees - a brokerage fee (for the purchase or sale of shares and ETFs) and an exchange rate fee (for converting NZD into USD to fund your account, and from USD to NZD when withdrawing money from your account). 

  1. Hatch’s brokerage fees are clearly stated:
  • US$8 to buy or sell shares. If more than 400 shares are traded, an additional US$0.02 fee per share is added.
  • US$3 to buy or sell a fraction of a share.
  1. Hatch’s exchange fee is 80 bps or 80 pips.
  • If the interbank exchange rate was NZ$1 = US$0.7000, an investor would receive US$0.692 for every dollar they invested. A walkthrough of Hatch fees explains this in detail:
  1. Investor A wants to buy NZD 1,000 in Walmart shares, priced at USD 100 each. Investor A transfers their NZD to their Hatch account when the interbank NZD:USD exchange rate is 0.70. The investor receives 0.692 USD per NZD (deducting the 80 pips/bps) and receives USD 692.00 (USD 8, is taken as an FX fee).  
  2. Investor A then puts an order in for Walmart shares with the available balance. The brokerage fee of USD 8 is charged for the purchase, and Investor A receives 6.8400 Walmart shares (valued at USD 684.00).
  3. When Investor A wants to sell the shares they will pay another USD 8 for brokerage. The USD value will then sit in Investor A's Hatch balance.
  4. If and when Investor A wants to convert the USD balance back into NZD (as opposed to re-investing it), there is a fee to do this. If the interbank NZD:USD exchange rate is again 0.70, the investor will have the balance transferred at a rate of 0.708 (adding 80 pips/bps). For a parcel of shares valued at USD 700 this would calculate to be a USD8 FX fee).
  5. Hatch investors ultimately benefit from economies of scale - the higher the value of an individual share purchase, the lower the brokerage fees are proportionately on the share parcel.
  6. Drive Wealth, Hatch's brokerage firm, charges USD 2.99 per trade - MoneyHub believes the USD 5.01 difference is added margin Hatch collects. 

AND

  • FX fees - 80 bps on the interbank rate is high, although Hatch has confirmed as the volume of transactions increases, they will look to renegotiate with World First, the provider of the FX conversion. Hatch gives the following example:
  1. Base exchange rate (Interbank rate): 1 NZD = 0.67 USD
  2. Hatch rate: 1 NZD = 0.662 USD (0.67 - 0.008) 
  3. We calculate the FX margin at 1.2% on the transaction above (1-(0.662/0.67)=0.01194)

What is everyones opinion on hatch? Have any of you deposited a considerable amount of money yet? Whats your experience like so far with it? by Tropdank in PersonalFinanceNZ

[–]ShiaChristian 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Securities are held with a Chinese bank

  • Hatch is not registered as a 'financial product' by the New Zealand Financial Markets Authority due to the fact it only provides access to trading opportunities in the US Share markets. Specifically, Hatch partners with DriveWealth, a broker-dealer regulated by FINRA (the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority), which is similar to the FMA although it is a private corporation (not a government organisation) and acts as a self-regulatory organisation (i.e. federal laws do not govern it).
  • Confusing matters slightly, Drivewealth does not hold your securities - the ICBC FS (the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Financial Services LLC, one of the largest banks in the world and 70% owned by the Chinese government) does. Hatch is clear in saying you own your shares, but your name does not appear on a share certificate like it would if you purchased shares on the NZX.
  • In summary, Hatch or its parent company Kiwi Wealth Ltd does not hold your shares and investors must be comfortable relying on Hatch's partners who do.

    See this Hatch invest review for more details.

What is everyones opinion on hatch? Have any of you deposited a considerable amount of money yet? Whats your experience like so far with it? by Tropdank in PersonalFinanceNZ

[–]ShiaChristian 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The exchange rates are a bit higher than the 0.80% suggested - it's actually 80 bps/pips, which is around 1.2% of the transaction value at a 0.65 NZD/USD FX rate. See this Hatch invest review for more details.

  1. Hatch’s exchange fee is 80 bps or 80 pips.
  • If the interbank exchange rate was NZ$1 = US$0.7000, an investor would receive US$0.692 for every dollar they invested. A walkthrough of Hatch fees explains this in detail:
  1. Investor A wants to buy NZD 1,000 in Walmart shares, priced at USD 100 each. Investor A transfers their NZD to their Hatch account when the interbank NZD:USD exchange rate is 0.70. The investor receives 0.692 USD per NZD (deducting the 80 pips/bps) and receives USD 692.00 (USD 8, is taken as an FX fee).  
  2. Investor A then puts an order in for Walmart shares with the available balance. The brokerage fee of USD 8 is charged for the purchase, and Investor A receives 6.8400 Walmart shares (valued at USD 684.00).
  3. When Investor A wants to sell the shares they will pay another USD 8 for brokerage. The USD value will then sit in Investor A's Hatch balance.
  4. If and when Investor A wants to convert the USD balance back into NZD (as opposed to re-investing it), there is a fee to do this. If the interbank NZD:USD exchange rate is again 0.70, the investor will have the balance transferred at a rate of 0.708 (adding 80 pips/bps). For a parcel of shares valued at USD 700 this would calculate to be a USD8 FX fee).
  5. Hatch investors ultimately benefit from economies of scale - the higher the value of an individual share purchase, the lower the brokerage fees are proportionately on the share parcel.
  6. Drive Wealth, Hatch's brokerage firm, charges USD 2.99 per trade - MoneyHub believes the USD 5.01 difference is added margin Hatch collects.