Insurance, KiwiSaver, and money. In plain English.
Short, useful articles from the Smiths advisers — the same notes we share with clients when something changes in the NZ market or a common question comes up.
Non-Pharmac Cancer Drug Cover in NZ Health Insurance (2026): Caps, Limits and the Fine Print
The dollar caps and fine print on non-Pharmac cancer drug cover in NZ health insurance for 2026 — how much Southern Cross and nib actually pay, and the limits to read before you rely on it.
Read article
The Non-Pharmac Drug Gap NZ 2026: How Trauma and Health Cover Fund Cancer Treatment You'd Otherwise Pay For
Some cancer drugs aren't Pharmac-funded, and the bill can top $100,000 a year. Here is how health plans and trauma cover fund treatment NZ won't pay for, without draining your KiwiSaver.
Read article
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.
Read article
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.
Read article
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.
Read article
NZ vs Global Shares in Your KiwiSaver (2026): How Much Home Bias Is Too Much?
New Zealand is less than 0.1% of the world's share market, yet many KiwiSaver funds hold far more than that at home. Here's what 'home bias' means, the risks of over-weighting a small economy, why some NZ shares still make sense, and how to check your own fund's geographic split.
Read article
How the OCR Affects Your KiwiSaver in NZ (2026)
The Official Cash Rate doesn't land in your KiwiSaver as a single number — it moves bond yields, cash returns and share valuations differently. With the OCR held at 2.25% in early 2026 after nine cuts, here's how a rate move actually reaches your balance, and why switching on decision day rarely helps.
Read article
Off Work Due to Illness, Not Injury: What Actually Pays Your Income in NZ (2026)
ACC covers accidents, not illness — yet illness causes most long-term absences. Here is how fast NZ households run out after sick leave, and what actually replaces the income.
Read article
How to Opt Back Into KiwiSaver After Opting Out in NZ: Restarting Contributions
Opted out of KiwiSaver and want back in? Here is how to rejoin in NZ, when employer and government contributions restart, and what the time out really cost you.
Read article
Working While on NZ Super Tax (2026): How Part-Time Work Past 65 Affects Your Super, Tax and KiwiSaver in NZ
Working part-time after 65 does not reduce your NZ Super, because Super is not income-tested. But your tax code does change, and your employer KiwiSaver match and the government contribution both stop. Here is how it all fits together.
Read article
Your Partner Isn't 65 Yet: How NZ Super Works for Couples With an Age Gap
Since November 2020 you can no longer include a partner under 65 in your NZ Super. Here is what the household actually receives in the gap years, what the younger partner can apply for, and how to bridge the income.
Read article
Pathfinder vs Booster Ethical KiwiSaver in NZ (2026): Two Responsible Funds Compared
Pathfinder and Booster both run ethical KiwiSaver options, but they screen, engage and price very differently. Exclusions, impact, fees, returns and certification compared for values-driven savers.
Read article
How a Pay Rise, Bonus or New Job Changes Your KiwiSaver PIR (NZ, 2026)
A pay rise, bonus or new job can change your KiwiSaver PIR, but not always straight away. Here is how the two prior income years rule creates a lag, when a higher rate kicks in, and what the year-end square-up costs if you leave it.
Read article
Phased Retirement in NZ (2026): Part-Time Work With NZ Super & KiwiSaver
Winding down to part-time at 60+? Here's how NZ Super (not income-tested), KiwiSaver employer contributions after 65, and tax codes work when you keep earning while drawing your retirement income.
Read article
PIE vs RWT NZ (2026): Why Your KiwiSaver Is Taxed Differently to a Bank Term Deposit
Your KiwiSaver PIE income is capped at a 28% PIR, but term deposit interest can be taxed at 39% RWT. Here is the after-tax comparison that surprises top earners.
Read article
PIR Too High? On 28% but Earn Less? You May Be Overpaying KiwiSaver Tax (NZ, 2026)
If you defaulted to the 28% PIR but earn less than the thresholds, you are overpaying tax on your KiwiSaver. Here is the dollar gap, how the IRD square-up refunds you, and how to fix your rate in minutes.
Read article
PIR Too Low? How an Under-Set KiwiSaver Tax Rate Leaves You With an IRD Bill (NZ, 2026)
An under-set KiwiSaver PIR does not save you tax — it defers it. Here is how the year-end shortfall is calculated, who is most at risk, what the 28% cap does and does not protect, and how to fix your rate.
Read article
Pre-Existing Conditions on a Family Health Policy in NZ (2026): When One Person's History Affects the Cover
How one family member's medical history affects a joint NZ health policy in 2026 — why exclusions and loadings attach per person, when they touch the shared premium, and how an adviser structures cover around them.
Read article
Pre-Existing Conditions and Health Insurance NZ 2026: Excluded, Loaded, or Reviewable After Three Years?
Disclose a health history and an NZ insurer does one of three things: excludes the condition, loads the premium, or covers it after a continuous-cover period. Here is how each works, and how an adviser gets you the best terms.
Read article
Pre-Existing Conditions and Life Insurance NZ (2026): Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, BMI and More
Diabetes, high blood pressure or a high BMI rarely mean no cover — they usually mean a loading, an exclusion, or a different insurer. Here is how NZ insurers underwrite life, trauma and TPD with a pre-existing condition, and why two insurers can reach opposite answers on the same person.
Read article
Protect Your New Mortgage NZ 2026: Life, Income or Mortgage Protection First?
Just bought your first home? Protect your income first, then your debt, then lump sums. The order of priority for a brand-new, stretched first-home mortgage.
Read article
Protecting a Mortgage on a Single Income in NZ 2026: Cover When One Earner Carries the Loan
When one wage services the mortgage, the household has no second income to fall back on. Here is how to think about life and income cover on a single income, why the at-home partner still matters, and the ACC illness gap to plan for.
Read article
Stuck on a Public Hospital Waitlist in NZ 2026? What Private Health Cover and Trauma Insurance Actually Do
NZ's official FSA waiting list hit 198,812 people in late 2025. Here is what private health insurance and trauma cover actually change about your timeline, and where they do not.
Read article
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 sign, with a 2026 before-you-sign checklist.
Read articleWant this looked at for your own situation?
Book a free 30-minute review with a licensed Smiths adviser. No obligation, no sales pitch.