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Financial advice

How financial advice works in New Zealand, what a licensed adviser does, how advisers are paid, and how to get the most out of a review of your cover and savings.

Adviser KiwiSaver vs DIY (Sorted, InvestNow, Kernel) 2026: When Is Advice Worth Paying For in NZ?

Financial Advice · 12 May 2026

Adviser KiwiSaver vs DIY (Sorted, InvestNow, Kernel) 2026: When Is Advice Worth Paying For in NZ?

DIY KiwiSaver with Sorted, InvestNow and Kernel is good and cheap. So when is paying for advice worth it? A numbers-first comparison for New…

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Bank vs Independent Financial Adviser NZ 2026: Bank, Robo or Human?

Financial Advice · 22 Apr 2026

Bank vs Independent Financial Adviser NZ 2026: Bank, Robo or Human?

Bank, robo and independent advice compared for Kiwis in 2026: scope, cost, conflicts and what each channel can't do, plus which one suits wh…

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The Behavioural Mistakes That Quietly Cost KiwiSaver Investors the Most (NZ)

Financial Advice · 10 May 2025

The Behavioural Mistakes That Quietly Cost KiwiSaver Investors the Most (NZ)

Loss aversion, recency bias, herding, action bias and performance chasing are the behavioural mistakes that quietly cost KiwiSaver investors…

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Blended Family Estate Planning NZ: Protecting Children From a First Relationship

Financial Advice · 30 Jun 2025

Blended Family Estate Planning NZ: Protecting Children From a First Relationship

Re-partnering after children changes who inherits what. Here is how relationship property can override an old will, and the practical tools …

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The Cost of Not Getting Financial Advice in NZ 2026 (What 'Set and Forget' Really Costs You)

Financial Advice · 12 May 2026

The Cost of Not Getting Financial Advice in NZ 2026 (What 'Set and Forget' Really Costs You)

Skipping advice is not free. Advised Kiwis hold around 52% more in KiwiSaver. Here is what the wrong fund, the missed match, fee drag, and p…

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Estate Planning Documents Checklist NZ: Will, EPOA and KiwiSaver Nomination (2025)

Financial Advice · 20 Apr 2025

Estate Planning Documents Checklist NZ: Will, EPOA and KiwiSaver Nomination (2025)

The full NZ estate document checklist — a will, two enduring powers of attorney, and your KiwiSaver and life insurance nominations — and how…

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Fee-Only vs Commission Financial Advisers in NZ (2026): How Advisers Get Paid and Why It Matters

Financial Advice · 22 Apr 2026

Fee-Only vs Commission Financial Advisers in NZ (2026): How Advisers Get Paid and Why It Matters

Most NZ advisers are paid by the product provider, not you. Here is how fee-only, commission and hybrid models work, what the 2025 Code make…

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The Financial Advice Process in NZ: The 6 Steps From First Meeting to Written Plan

Financial Advice · 2 Aug 2025

The Financial Advice Process in NZ: The 6 Steps From First Meeting to Written Plan

What actually happens when you get financial advice in NZ: scope, fact-find, written recommendation, implementation and review, walked throu…

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Going Self-Employed in NZ: What Changes for Your KiwiSaver and Cover

Financial Advice · 1 Dec 2025

Going Self-Employed in NZ: What Changes for Your KiwiSaver and Cover

Leaving a salaried job means you lose the employer KiwiSaver match, sick leave and group cover, and ACC starts working differently. Here is …

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How Advisers Compare Insurers in NZ (2026): The 6 Things a Price-Comparison Site Can't Check

Financial Advice · 22 Apr 2026

How Advisers Compare Insurers in NZ (2026): The 6 Things a Price-Comparison Site Can't Check

A price-comparison site sorts on premium. An adviser reads the wordings, exclusions, future insurability, financial strength and claims reco…

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How Much Does a Financial Adviser Cost in NZ? Fees, Commissions and What You Actually Pay

Financial Advice · 5 Nov 2025

How Much Does a Financial Adviser Cost in NZ? Fees, Commissions and What You Actually Pay

Hourly fees, fixed plan fees, a percentage of your assets, or insurance commission, here is what financial advice really costs in New Zealan…

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How to Choose a Financial Adviser in NZ (2026): 9 Questions That Reveal a Good One

Financial Advice · 22 Apr 2026

How to Choose a Financial Adviser in NZ (2026): 9 Questions That Reveal a Good One

Nine questions that separate a good NZ financial adviser from a salesperson, plus the three checks that must pass before you sign anything: …

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Independent vs Tied Financial Adviser NZ: Why Where Advice Comes From Changes What You're Sold

Financial Advice · 13 Aug 2025

Independent vs Tied Financial Adviser NZ: Why Where Advice Comes From Changes What You're Sold

What 'independent' really means in NZ advice, how to spot a tied or bank adviser, and why an adviser's product range changes what you can be…

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Investment Scams NZ 2026: The Red Flags and How to Check Before You Invest

Financial Advice · 11 Sep 2025

Investment Scams NZ 2026: The Red Flags and How to Check Before You Invest

The most common NZ investment scams in 2026, the red flags to watch for, how to check the FMA warning list and FSPR, and what to do if you h…

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Questions to Ask a Financial Adviser in NZ (2026): The Disclosure Document Checklist

Financial Advice · 15 May 2026

Questions to Ask a Financial Adviser in NZ (2026): The Disclosure Document Checklist

The information an NZ adviser must disclose to you by law, how to check their licence on the FSPR, and the exact questions to ask before you…

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Recovery-Room and Fake-Adviser Scams in NZ: How Investors Get Targeted Twice

Financial Advice · 11 Jun 2026

Recovery-Room and Fake-Adviser Scams in NZ: How Investors Get Targeted Twice

Clone firms, impersonated advisers and fake fund-recovery services explained: how NZ scam victims get targeted a second time, the warning si…

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Made Redundant in NZ: A Financial Survival Plan for 2026

Financial Advice · 14 Feb 2025

Made Redundant in NZ: A Financial Survival Plan for 2026

Made redundant in NZ? A clear plan for what to do first: entitlements, Jobseeker Support and stand-downs, pausing or withdrawing KiwiSaver, …

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Replacing a Life Insurance Policy in NZ (2026): When Switching Insurers Helps and When It Backfires

Financial Advice · 29 Jan 2025

Replacing a Life Insurance Policy in NZ (2026): When Switching Insurers Helps and When It Backfires

A cheaper quote isn't always a better deal. Here is what you can lose when you replace a life, trauma or income-protection policy in NZ — re…

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Retirement Calculator NZ Accuracy 2026: Are Free Tools Like Sorted Enough?

Financial Advice · 12 May 2026

Retirement Calculator NZ Accuracy 2026: Are Free Tools Like Sorted Enough?

Free NZ retirement calculators give you a number in two minutes. But they bake in 2% inflation, a flat 2.5% post-65 return and a drawdown to…

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Reviewing an Old or Inherited Life Insurance Policy in NZ (2026): What to Check Before You Keep It

Financial Advice · 17 May 2026

Reviewing an Old or Inherited Life Insurance Policy in NZ (2026): What to Check Before You Keep It

An old or inherited life insurance policy can quietly stop matching your life. Here is an adviser's audit — sum insured, premium creep, date…

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Robo-Advice NZ 2026: What It Can and Can't Do, and Who It Suits

Financial Advice · 8 Apr 2026

Robo-Advice NZ 2026: What It Can and Can't Do, and Who It Suits

How robo-advice works in NZ, which platforms offer it, how it's regulated, what it can't do, and who it actually suits, an honest 2026 guide…

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A Second Opinion on Your Financial Plan NZ: When It's Worth Getting and What to Expect

Financial Advice · 15 Dec 2025

A Second Opinion on Your Financial Plan NZ: When It's Worth Getting and What to Expect

A second opinion checks your KiwiSaver, insurance and retirement plan against your goals, without locking you into switching anything. Here …

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The Self-Employed Financial Checklist for NZ 2026: KiwiSaver, ACC and Income Cover in One Plan

Financial Advice · 12 May 2026

The Self-Employed Financial Checklist for NZ 2026: KiwiSaver, ACC and Income Cover in One Plan

Self-employed in NZ? Here is the one-page money plan: contribute $1,042.86 to KiwiSaver by 30 June, set the right ACC cover, and fill the il…

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What Happens to Your Money in a Separation in NZ: The Full Financial Checklist Beyond KiwiSaver

Financial Advice · 11 Jun 2025

What Happens to Your Money in a Separation in NZ: The Full Financial Checklist Beyond KiwiSaver

Separating changes more than your KiwiSaver. Here is the full NZ money checklist - relationship property, joint debt, insurance beneficiarie…

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