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.
How to Compare KiwiSaver Fees Across Providers in NZ (2026)
The same growth fund balance can cost $50 or $720 a year in fees. Here is how to read the five KiwiSaver fees and compare every provider on one number.
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Contents Insurance Sum Insured NZ (2026): How to Value What You Own Without Guessing
How to set the right contents insurance sum insured in NZ for 2026: a room-by-room valuing method, the special-limits trap on valuables, new-for-old vs indemnity, and why guessing leads to underinsurance.
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Contractor or Employee in NZ? What It Means for KiwiSaver and ACC
Worker status decides who pays your KiwiSaver, ESCT and ACC. Here is what changes between contractor and employee in NZ, for both workers and employers, with the 2026 numbers and a status-and-cover checklist.
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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 panic-switching really cost over a working life.
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Currency Moves and Your KiwiSaver Balance in NZ (2026): Hedged vs Unhedged
Most of a KiwiSaver growth fund sits overseas, so the value of the NZ dollar quietly moves your balance. Around half a typical growth fund is in international shares, and much of that stays unhedged on purpose. Here's how hedged vs unhedged works, and where to find your fund's policy.
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Decreasing vs Level Life Cover for Your Mortgage in NZ (2026): Which Actually Protects You?
Decreasing cover tracks your loan down and costs less; level cover stays flat and leaves a surplus for your family. Here is the real trade-off, why bank cover usually decreases, and how to size it.
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Default KiwiSaver Providers vs Choosing Your Own in NZ (2026): Are You in a Default by Accident?
There are six appointed default KiwiSaver providers in NZ. Many people landed with one by accident at a new job. How default allocation works, and how to take control.
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Do You Need Income Protection if You Have Life and Trauma Cover in NZ? (2026)
Already have life and trauma cover? Here is how income protection, trauma and life cover layer together in NZ, why a lump sum is not the same as income replacement, and what to prioritise on a budget.
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Do You Need Health Insurance in NZ If There's a Public System? (2026)
New Zealand has a free public health system, yet about one in three New Zealanders also pays for private cover. Here is a clear cost-vs-benefit breakdown and a simple framework for deciding whether private health insurance is worth it for you.
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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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Employer and Group Health Insurance in NZ (2026): What Happens When You Leave the Job
Work health cover usually stops when the job stops. Here is how NZ group health insurance works, what a continuity option does, and why your pre-existing conditions matter most on the way out.
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Setting Up a Workplace KiwiSaver Scheme: An NZ Employer's Guide (2025)
Auto-enrolment, the opt-out window, the 3% match (rising to 3.5%), and how ESCT is deducted — the full NZ employer KiwiSaver setup guide, plus the common mistakes to avoid.
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My Employer Isn't Paying My KiwiSaver: How to Check and What to Do in NZ
Think your employer isn't paying your KiwiSaver? Here's how to check myIR and your payslips, where contributions can get stuck on the way to your provider, your rights in NZ, and how Inland Revenue recovers unpaid contributions.
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ESCT KiwiSaver Explained 2026: The Hidden Employer Tax on Your Match (NZ)
ESCT is deducted from your employer's KiwiSaver contribution before it ever reaches your account. Here are the 2026 bands, why your 3.5% match lands smaller, and what you can actually do about it.
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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 they fit together so your wishes actually hold.
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Ethical & Responsible KiwiSaver Funds in NZ: A 2026 Guide
Not every 'ethical' KiwiSaver fund is what it claims. Here is how to spot genuine screening from greenwashing in NZ, who actually offers it, and what it costs you in fees and returns.
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Family Health Insurance NZ 2026: Direct (Society) Plans vs Adviser-Led Plans
Buying family health cover direct can cap you at claim time. Here is what an adviser-led plan adds in NZ in 2026: non-Pharmac drug cover, mental health benefits, and higher specialist limits.
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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 makes them disclose, and the questions to ask.
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FIF and KiwiSaver in NZ (2026): How Overseas Shares Are Already Taxed Inside Your Fund
Your KiwiSaver fund is a PIE, so it applies the FIF rules on overseas shares at fund level using the fair dividend rate — which is why you never file a FIF return for shares inside it.
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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 through step by step.
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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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Fisher Funds vs Booster KiwiSaver in NZ (2026): Active Managers Compared
Two of New Zealand's larger active KiwiSaver managers compared: fees, fund range, ethical options, scale and long-term performance, and who each suits.
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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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Generate vs Fisher Funds KiwiSaver in NZ (2026): Two Big Active Schemes Compared
Generate vs Fisher Funds KiwiSaver compared: fees, fund range, scale and long-term performance, plus who each tends to suit and whether active fees are worth paying.
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