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.
Insuring an Off-the-Plan or Newly Built Home in NZ 2026: Cover From Deposit to Code Compliance
Who insures a new build while it's going up, when risk passes to you, and when your own house policy has to start. A timeline for off-the-plan and house-and-land buyers, plus the gaps that catch people out.
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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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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 have been caught.
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InvestNow vs Sharesies for KiwiSaver in NZ (2026): Two Platforms Compared
InvestNow vs Sharesies KiwiSaver compared across the market: fund choice, platform and underlying fees, control versus simplicity, and who each platform suits.
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Kernel vs Simplicity Index Funds in NZ (2026): Which Low-Fee Builder Wins?
Kernel and Simplicity are New Zealand's two low-fee index leaders. Here is how their index methodology, hedging, all-in costs and KiwiSaver vs investment-fund options actually compare for NZ investors.
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Key Person Insurance for NZ Small Businesses (2026): Sizing Cover When One Person Holds It Together
Most NZ firms hinge on one or two people. Here is how key person insurance works — who counts as a key person, how to size the cover, who should own the policy, and how it differs from buy-sell — from a NZ adviser's perspective.
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Key-Person Insurance Tax in NZ: Deductible Premiums, Taxable Payouts
Are key-person premiums deductible and is the payout taxed in NZ? It all turns on one thing — IRD's revenue-versus-capital test. Here is how the test works, with a decision flowchart and the records your accountant needs.
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Kids Health Insurance NZ (2026): How Children and Families Are Covered
How children are added to a New Zealand health policy in 2026: when kids are covered at no extra cost, dependant age limits, what is commonly covered, and why insuring a baby early matters for pre-existing conditions.
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Why Your KiwiSaver Balance Dropped When Markets Were Up (NZ, 2026)
Your KiwiSaver can fall even on a day the news says markets rose. Six plain-English reasons — fees, PIE tax, bonds, the NZ dollar, unit-pricing lag and contribution timing.
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KiwiSaver and Your Bonus or Lump Sum in NZ: How Contributions Come Out of Extra Pay
Yes, KiwiSaver is deducted from a bonus, commission or most lump sums. Here is how the 3% deduction, the employer match, extra-pay tax and ESCT all apply, and how a bonus can help you reach the government contribution.
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KiwiSaver Changes in 2026 NZ: How the New Rules Affect Your Life Events
The government contribution is now 25c per dollar, gone over $180,000 income, and default rates rise to 3.5% in April 2026. Here is what the 2026 KiwiSaver changes mean when you are buying, pausing or retiring.
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Buying a First Home With Family in NZ (2026): KiwiSaver, Co-Ownership and Who Owns What
Several people buying a first home together can each make their own KiwiSaver withdrawal if they each meet the 3-year rule. Here is how co-ownership, tenants in common and a sharing agreement decide who owns what.
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KiwiSaver Contribution Rate Increase 2026 (NZ): What 3.5% Then 4% Means for Your Pay
KiwiSaver's default rate rises to 3.5% on 1 April 2026 and 4% in 2028. Here is the take-home-pay cost, the temporary 3% opt-down, and what it does to your balance.
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KiwiSaver After 65 in NZ: Can You Still Contribute and Does Your Employer Still Match?
Working past 65? KiwiSaver deductions only continue if you opt in, the employer match is no longer compulsory, and the government top-up stops at 65. Here is how the rules actually work and how to weigh keeping up payments against starting drawdown.
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KiwiSaver Decumulation NZ 2026: How to Turn Your Balance into Retirement Income
Saving was the easy part. Turning a KiwiSaver balance into income that lasts is harder. Here are the NZ drawdown strategies, safe withdrawal rates and the sequence risk that can sink an early retirement.
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KiwiSaver Default Funds Explained (NZ, 2026): Why Most People Should Leave
How KiwiSaver default funds work, the six government-appointed providers, and why staying in one could cost you over time.
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Why Doing Nothing Is Often the Smartest KiwiSaver Move (NZ)
Action bias pushes us to tinker with KiwiSaver, but doing nothing usually wins. Here is the line between healthy patience and harmful neglect, and the settings to get right once and then leave alone.
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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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KiwiSaver During an Income Protection Claim in NZ (2026)
On an income protection claim your salary keeps coming, but your KiwiSaver stops: no member, employer or $260.72 government contribution. Here is how to keep it growing.
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KiwiSaver Fees and Your Retirement: The Real Cost of 1.23% (NZ, 2026)
The average KiwiSaver growth-fund fee is 1.23% a year. Compounded over 30 years, a 1% fee gap can cost a saver tens of thousands of dollars. Here is the maths.
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KiwiSaver Fees vs Performance NZ (2026): What Actually Grows Your Balance
Low fees or high performance? Using real net-of-fees KiwiSaver data to settle the debate and weigh both for your timeframe.
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Using KiwiSaver to Build a New Home in NZ: Section, Build Contract and Code of Compliance Timing
You can use your KiwiSaver first-home withdrawal to build, not just buy. But the money moves differently for a new build. Here is when it comes out for turn-key and progress-payment contracts, what your solicitor needs to see, and the timing mistakes that delay a build.
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KiwiSaver First Home Grant Ended in NZ: What Replaced It and What You Can Still Get (2026)
The First Home Grant closed to new applications on 22 May 2024 and is gone for good. Here is what actually replaced it for NZ first-home buyers in 2026 — the First Home Loan, your KiwiSaver withdrawal, and the second-chance pathway.
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How First-Home Income and Price Caps Work With KiwiSaver in NZ (2026): What Disqualifies You
The KiwiSaver first-home withdrawal has no income cap and no house-price cap. The caps that trip people up live in a different scheme, the First Home Loan. Here is where each one bites.
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