Blog
Ancient Greek money lessons
Posted in Retirement, Savings on
OPINION: Let me tell you a story about an ancient Greek hero who can help you get richer. It's Ulysses, a kind of Greek Maui, though without Maui's ambition, and with a much worse sense of direction. Ulysses was one of the Greeks who destroyed the ancient city of Troy, and then got hopelessly lost sailing home.
View more
How to save a first-home deposit
Posted in Savings on
The deposit required to buy a house in many parts of New Zealand looks more like a Lotto win than an amount you might save. In Auckland, the lower-quartile house price is about $680,000. That means, if you want a 20 per cent deposit, you will need $136,000. In Christchurch, first-home buyers need to save about $75,000 and in Wellington City, just under $100,000. So, how do you get there?
View moreWant to have a comfortable retirement? Here's how
Posted in Kiwisaver, Retirement, Savings on
Retirement - whether it's at 65, 67 or some other age entirely - probably seems a long way off. But if you can get on track now, your future self will thank you for it. Here's how to get sorted for retirement in five easy(ish) steps.
View more
Women fall further behind in retirement savings race
Posted in Kiwisaver, Retirement, Savings on
New Zealand's retirement savings gender gap just keeps getting bigger, new research shows. ANZ said, on current savings patterns, women were likely to retire with almost $80,000 less in their KiwiSaver accounts than men. General manager of wealth products and marketing Ana-Marie Lockyer said it was disappointing to see women falling further behind in their retirement savings. She said the average balances of women members of ANZ's KiwiSaver scheme, the largest in the country, were 19 per cent lower than men's. Women had an average $13,333 compared to $16,527 for men. A year ago, women were only 15 per cent behind.
View moreFee debate welcomed
Posted in Kiwisaver on
The Commission for Financial Capability has welcomed fresh debate on the touchy subject of KiwiSaver fees after a new report suggested there was an "unhealthy focus" on fees - rather than the overall outcome delivered by various schemes. The Australian-based SuperRatings research house says that substantial improvements have been made over the past year in terms of member engagement and servicing, but chief executive Adam Gee says that "the race to the bottom on fees remains particularly concerning."
View more
Perils of the passive strategy
Posted in Kiwisaver, Savings on
There has been a huge amount of media commentary on the relative merits of active versus passive investing, particularly in relation to KiwiSaver funds. Most media commentators, including Weekend Herald columnist Mary Holm, argue that passive KiwiSaver funds are better because they are cheaper. Holm maintains that active funds underperform passive managers on an after-fee basis, mainly based on United States research, and she repeatedly encourages individuals to invest through passive funds rather than active funds. But this debate should also include an assessment of fund managers as financial intermediaries. The argument should not be about fees only.
View more
SuperRatings Releases 2017 Kiwisaver Ratings
Posted in Kiwisaver on
SuperRatings has now released its formal 2017 ratings, awarding seven schemes its highest Platinum rating. Now in its fourth year of rating the KiwiSaver system, SuperRatings recognises that substantial improvements have been made over the year in terms of member engagement and servicing, albeit the challenging investment environment has resulted in subdued returns for many KiwiSaver members and the race to the bottom on fees remains particularly concerning.
View more
Members may lose the ‘race to the bottom’ on fees, researcher warns
Posted in Kiwisaver, Savings on
A new analysis has debunked the assumption that low fees inevitably equate with better outcomes for KiwiSaver investors. In fact, the study, released by Australian research house SuperRatings last week, found there was “often an inverse relationship between fees and investment outcomes achieved by members”.
View moreKiwiSaver relief for quake-affected
Posted in Kiwisaver on
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Paul Goldsmith has announced relief for KiwiSaver members who are suffering financial hardship following the November 14 earthquakes, by making it easier for them to withdraw their funds.
View moreDon't panic - your KiwiSaver will outlive Trump's presidency
Posted on
KiwiSaver investors are being urged not to panic in the face of wild swings on world financial markets, following Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election. Wall Street gained ground this morning, after yesterday's selloff on the New Zealand, Australian and Asian markets. But the experts say the volatility is likely to last for months. The Commission for Financial Capability says investors should not lose sight of their long-term savings goals.
View more