Retirement & decumulation
Planning the move from saving to spending — NZ Super, drawing down KiwiSaver at 65, working past 65, and the questions that decide how long your money lasts.
20 Jan 2026 · 12 min read
Are There Annuities in New Zealand? Guaranteed Retirement Income Options in 2026
Can you still buy an annuity in NZ in 2026? We explain why the traditional market closed, the annuity-style products that remain, and how to build a guaranteed income floor for retirement.
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Australia–NZ Super Agreement: How Pensions Work When You've Lived in Both (NZ)
If you have lived on both sides of the Tasman, a social security agreement decides whether your Australian years count for NZ Super, which country pays, and how the Australian Age Pension interacts with the Section 70 deduction. Here is how it fits together.
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The Bucket Strategy for Retirement in NZ (2026): Cash, Income and Growth Buckets Explained
How to split your KiwiSaver, savings and term deposits into cash, income and growth buckets so a market drop never forces you to sell at the wrong time. A plain NZ adviser guide.
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Selling Your Business as a Retirement Plan in NZ: Why Owners Need KiwiSaver Too (NZ, 2026)
A business sale is a fragile retirement plan: 74% of NZ enterprises have no employees and may not sell. Why owners need KiwiSaver and investments alongside, with a diversification plan and checklist.
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Combining KiwiSaver With Your Other Savings in Retirement (NZ, 2026): A Withdrawal Order That Works
How to coordinate KiwiSaver, term deposits, shares and rental income in retirement: which pot to draw from first, PIE tax efficiency, and keeping your risk level right across every account.
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Downsizing the Family Home to Fund Retirement in NZ (2026): The Numbers and the Traps
Downsizing is the most common way New Zealanders release home equity, but selling costs, retirement-village ORA deductions and the care-subsidy test all eat into what you actually free up. Here is the net picture.
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FIRE in New Zealand (2025): Can You Really Retire Early With KiwiSaver Locked Until 65?
The FIRE movement works differently in NZ because KiwiSaver is locked until 65. Early retirement here relies on accessible, non-KiwiSaver investments to bridge the gap. A plain NZ adviser guide.
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Will NZ Super Still Exist When You Retire? The Affordability Debate and Your Plan B (NZ)
NZ Super is one of the government's largest costs, and it is set to grow as the population ages. Here is what the affordability debate really says, what has actually changed, and how to build a retirement plan that does not depend on it.
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Building a Guaranteed Income Floor in Retirement (NZ, 2026): NZ Super, Term Deposits and Beyond
How to build a retirement income floor in NZ: use NZ Super, a term-deposit ladder and managed income to cover your essentials, and keep KiwiSaver for growth. A plain adviser guide.
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How Long Will Your KiwiSaver Last in Retirement? Making a Balance Stretch to 90 in NZ
Worried about outliving your savings? How long a KiwiSaver balance lasts at different withdrawal rates, how NZ Super carries most of the load, and how to plan to age 90 and beyond.
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How Much Do You Need to Retire in NZ? (2026)
There is no single retirement number. Massey's 2025 data shows the lump sum you need above NZ Super ranges from $46,000 to $1.03 million. Here is how to find yours.
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How Much Do You Need to Retire in NZ in 2026, and Is Your KiwiSaver on Track?
NZ Super pays a single person about $28,868 a year, well short of a comfortable retirement. Here is what you need, the balance-by-age benchmarks, and how to tell if your KiwiSaver is on track.
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How Is NZ Super Taxed? Tax Codes, M vs S, and Avoiding an End-of-Year Bill (NZ)
NZ Super is taxable income and tax comes out before it reaches you. Here is how it is taxed, which tax code applies (M vs S, SH, ST), how a second income changes things, and how to avoid an end-of-year bill.
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What Happens to a Couple's Income When One Partner Dies (NZ, 2026): The Retirement Income Drop
When one partner dies, household NZ Super drops to a single rate and their KiwiSaver goes to the estate, not automatically to the survivor. A plain NZ adviser guide to the income drop and how to protect against it.
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Inflation and Retirement in NZ (2026): Why Your Nest Egg Has to Keep Growing
Inflation erodes a 25-year retirement. At 4% a year, a fixed $50,000 income buys roughly half as much by year 18. Here is why all-cash at 65 is risky and how to keep your KiwiSaver growing.
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How Rising and Falling Interest Rates Change Your Retirement Income (NZ)
Term deposit income rises and falls with the OCR. We explain reinvestment risk, why an all-cash retirement is more fragile than it feels when rates drop, and how to ladder term deposits alongside KiwiSaver and growth.
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KiwiSaver Drawdown in Retirement 2026: Lump Sum or Leave It Invested? (NZ)
At 65 you can take the lot as a lump sum, or leave it invested and draw a regular income. For most New Zealanders, leaving it invested and drawing steadily makes the money last longer. Here is how to plan it.
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Withdrawing Your KiwiSaver at 65 in NZ (2026): What Actually Happens to Your Money
At 65 your KiwiSaver unlocks, but you do not have to take it. Here is exactly what happens to your money, your contributions and your tax, and how it works alongside NZ Super.
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NZ Super Living Overseas: Can You Keep Getting It Abroad? (NZ)
Most people can keep NZ Super while living overseas, but how much you receive depends on where you go. General portability pays a slice based on your NZ residence, the Pacific has its own arrangement, and Australia and other agreement countries work differently again. Here is how each path works.
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Lump Sum vs Dollar-Cost Averaging NZ: Invest It All at Once or Drip It In?
Got a windfall, inheritance or house-sale money to invest? The evidence usually favours investing a lump sum all at once, but drip-feeding it in can lower regret. How both work, how they apply to KiwiSaver, and how to decide.
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No-Frills vs Choices Retirement in NZ (2026): What Each Lifestyle Actually Costs
No-frills and choices are NZ's two retirement lifestyle benchmarks from Massey. Here is what each costs per week (latest 2025 Massey edition, read in 2026), why provincial isn't always cheaper, and how to turn a lifestyle goal into a fundable KiwiSaver plan.
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NZ Super Rates and Eligibility 2026
The exact 2026 NZ Super rates, the residency rule rising from 10 to 20 years, how your tax code changes what you bank, and why the pension alone won't fund most retirements.
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NZ Super Residency Rules in 2026: The 10-Year and 20-Year Requirements Explained
How many years you need to have lived in NZ to get Super, why the minimum is rising from 10 to 20 years, the 'after age 50' rule, agreement countries, and a birth-date table to find your number.
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Can You Live on NZ Super Alone? Super vs the 2026 Cost of Living
NZ Super pays a single living alone about $538 a week after tax. A no-frills metro single spends about $705. This puts Super line-by-line against real 2026 living costs for homeowners and renters, and shows how much extra you actually need.
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