Max Richards, who turns 89 next month, continues working at Pak'nSave Napier while paying rent, highlighting the financial pressures facing older New Zealanders. His story forms part of 1NEWS's 'Finances after 50' series examining the economic realities for seniors in the current cost-of-living environment.

Born in 1937 during the Depression era, Richards grew up in a state advances house in Christchurch where his parents worked multiple jobs to make ends meet - his father at Drayton Jones and his mother hand-sewing carpets. Despite the hardships of that era, he recalls never going hungry, with his mother ensuring there was always soup waiting for him after school and taking him mushrooming on Saturday mornings when the sun rose over Huntsbury Hill.

Richards' current situation of working well beyond traditional retirement age while still paying rent reflects broader challenges in New Zealand's housing affordability and retirement income adequacy. His continued employment in the retail sector at nearly 89 years old underscores questions about whether superannuation and savings are sufficient to support dignified retirement for many New Zealanders.