A survey by BNZ has lifted the lid on the financial DNA of New Zealanders and their underlying attitudes to money and finance.
Tuesday, August 23rd 2005, 8:24AM
by The Landlord
BNZ undertook the survey to find out more about how New Zealanders feel about their money, how they make big financial decisions, and from whom they take financial advice.
Overall, the majority of New Zealanders see themselves as financially conservative. The vast majority say we don't like high risk investments, we make our own decisions on major investments choosing not to take professional advice, we plan ahead carefully, and we prefer not to have debt.
Many of us regard money as a necessary evil. Based on the survey results, nearly 55 per cent of New Zealanders say they would prefer to watch television or do some exercise rather than sort out their finances. More than 10 per cent of people say they prefer visiting the dentist to concentrating on their finances.
The survey indicates that half of us barely look at our bank statements, preferring to put them away in case we need them later. A further 8 per cent of us say we glance at bank statements and then throw them out, 2 per cent of people throw the statement out without opening them, and 1 per cent of people say they are too scared to look at their statements.
