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Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver
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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.

Are There Annuities in New Zealand? Guaranteed Retirement Income Options in 2026

Retirement · 20 Jan 2026

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…

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Australia–NZ Super Agreement: How Pensions Work When You've Lived in Both (NZ)

Retirement · 11 Apr 2026

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 c…

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The Bucket Strategy for Retirement in NZ (2026): Cash, Income and Growth Buckets Explained

Retirement · 22 Dec 2025

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…

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Selling Your Business as a Retirement Plan in NZ: Why Owners Need KiwiSaver Too (NZ, 2026)

Retirement · 22 Apr 2026

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 invest…

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Combining KiwiSaver With Your Other Savings in Retirement (NZ, 2026): A Withdrawal Order That Works

Retirement · 3 Aug 2025

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 ke…

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Downsizing the Family Home to Fund Retirement in NZ (2026): The Numbers and the Traps

Retirement · 14 Mar 2025

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-subs…

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FIRE in New Zealand (2025): Can You Really Retire Early With KiwiSaver Locked Until 65?

Retirement · 31 Jul 2025

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 in…

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Will NZ Super Still Exist When You Retire? The Affordability Debate and Your Plan B (NZ)

Retirement · 21 Feb 2025

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 reall…

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Building a Guaranteed Income Floor in Retirement (NZ, 2026): NZ Super, Term Deposits and Beyond

Retirement · 26 May 2026

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 Kiwi…

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How Long Will Your KiwiSaver Last in Retirement? Making a Balance Stretch to 90 in NZ

Retirement · 25 Feb 2026

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 loa…

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How Much Do You Need to Retire in NZ? (2026)

Retirement · 18 Mar 2026

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. He…

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How Much Do You Need to Retire in NZ in 2026, and Is Your KiwiSaver on Track?

Retirement · 12 May 2026

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 benchm…

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How Is NZ Super Taxed? Tax Codes, M vs S, and Avoiding an End-of-Year Bill (NZ)

Retirement · 23 Jan 2026

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 …

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What Happens to a Couple's Income When One Partner Dies (NZ, 2026): The Retirement Income Drop

Retirement · 25 Apr 2025

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. …

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Inflation and Retirement in NZ (2026): Why Your Nest Egg Has to Keep Growing

Retirement · 12 May 2026

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…

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How Rising and Falling Interest Rates Change Your Retirement Income (NZ)

Retirement · 5 Jul 2025

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 whe…

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KiwiSaver Drawdown in Retirement 2026: Lump Sum or Leave It Invested? (NZ)

Retirement · 8 May 2026

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 d…

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Withdrawing Your KiwiSaver at 65 in NZ (2026): What Actually Happens to Your Money

Retirement · 12 May 2026

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, a…

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NZ Super Living Overseas: Can You Keep Getting It Abroad? (NZ)

Retirement · 26 Aug 2025

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 base…

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Lump Sum vs Dollar-Cost Averaging NZ: Invest It All at Once or Drip It In?

Retirement · 16 Jun 2026

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 i…

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No-Frills vs Choices Retirement in NZ (2026): What Each Lifestyle Actually Costs

Retirement · 18 Mar 2026

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…

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NZ Super Rates and Eligibility 2026

Retirement · 8 Apr 2026

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 a…

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NZ Super Residency Rules in 2026: The 10-Year and 20-Year Requirements Explained

Retirement · 17 Dec 2025

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 …

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Can You Live on NZ Super Alone? Super vs the 2026 Cost of Living

Retirement · 26 Nov 2025

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 ag…

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