retirement.org.nz

The Commission has awarded a PhD scholarship to Massey University student Jack Noone, worth $15,000 each year for up to three years, and a Masters scholarship to Victoria University student Gareth West of $5,000.

The Minister of State and Associate Minister of Social Development and Employment, Hon Mahara Okeroa met with the scholarship winners at a presentation session at the Retirement Commission in Wellington on Thursday, February 16.

Retirement Commissioner Diana Crossan said both theses would generate discussion among policy makers and analysts about the impact of New Zealand’s current retirement income policy on individuals.

Jack Noone’s PhD thesis is entitled “the influence of psychosocial factors on men and women’s planning for retirement”.

Mr Noone, who holds a Bachelor of Science from Canterbury University and is about to complete a Master of Science in Health Psychology from Massey, will look at the impact of health, social status, family relationships and expectations on how men and women prepare for retirement.

He will consider such issues as: does the role of homemaker and caregiver tend to exclude women from retirement planning and whether men’s resources approaching retirement are greater than women’s. His study will involve 4000 New Zealanders aged between 45 and 60 years old.

Gareth West holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Canterbury and is doing his Masters in Library and Information at Victoria.

His thesis is on the “financial information needs and information seeking in retirement villages”. Mr West will interview 120 residents from six retirement villages.

Ms Crossan said both theses took an unconventional approach to retirement research and would provide new data of interest to all those involved in retirement income policy.

“Very few studies have focused on the differences in men and women’s attitudes and behaviour towards retirement planning and their expectations of life after 65. Jack’s thesis will give specifics on the different gender approaches to retirement income.”

“Gareth’s research will help bring light to the ongoing financial information needs of those well into their retirement and how they actually spend their retirement funds. No personal finance research has explicitly focused on this group before.”

Ends

To interview the scholarship recipients contact:
Jack Noone
Massey University School of Psychology
DDI: 06 356 9099 x 2049
Email: jacknoone@slingshot.co.nz

Gareth West
Ph: 04 977 3448
Mobile: 021 107 7604
Email: westgare@student.vuw.ac.nz

For more information on the scholarship programme please contact:
Robyn Cormack
Retirement Commission
DDI: 04-494 6243
Email : robyn.cormack@retirement.org.nz

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Retirement Commission awards scholars for retirement income research