Kernel Kiwisaver Plan
Kernel Balanced Fund
The Smiths take
Kernel Balanced Fund Smiths Rating B
Smiths' editorial rating, our internal opinion based on 10-year returns, fees, and risk band fit. Not a formal credit rating or regulated star rating.
Smiths reviews this fund against every other balanced option in NZ on net-of-fees returns, total fees, and band fit. The full Sorted snapshot is below.
General information only · Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance · For personal advice please contact us.
At a glance
This fund is for investors seeking
Three quick reads for whether the Kernel Balanced Fund fits your situation.
A 5+ years timeframe
This is a balanced KiwiSaver fund. The provider's recommended minimum holding period sits in the 5+ years range.
A moderate-risk investment
Sorted's risk indicator places this at 4 on a 1–7 scale. Moderate volatility. meaningful ups and downs but not extreme.
Growth-leaning mix
60% growth assets (shares, property) and 40% income assets (bonds, cash). Spread across multiple asset classes.
Snapshot
The headline numbers
Mix
59.75% / 40.25%
Growth / Income · avg 53.54% / 46.46%
Fees
0.25%
$75 on $30k · avg 1.61%
What the provider says
In their own words
“The fund is designed to provide investors with a diversified exposure to both income and growth assets by investing in domestic and global listed financial products.”
- Fund start date
- 7 November 2022
- Withdrawal rules
- This is a KiwiSaver fund. generally you can withdraw only to purchase a first home, after the age of 65, or in cases of significant financial hardship.
Asset mix
What this fund actually holds
Growth assets are 59.75% of the fund, income assets the rest. The mix is the latest snapshot from Sorted, with the average for this risk band's KiwiSaver funds shown alongside.
- Sharesthis fundavg
57.29%
avg 49.40%
- Propertythis fundavg
2.46%
avg 2.71%
- Otherthis fundavg
0.00%
avg 1.43%
- Bondsthis fundavg
34.11%
avg 38.55%
- Cashthis fundavg
6.14%
avg 7.91%
What it owns
Top 10 holdings. 32.82% of the fund
The rest is spread across hundreds of other positions. Full holdings live in the provider's portfolio file.
Ishares Core Us Aggregate Bond Etf
Bonds
International Fixed InterestUS9.98%Nzgs 4.25% 15/05/2034
Bonds
New Zealand Fixed InterestNZ4.27%Spdr Portfolio Emerging Markets Etf
Shares
International EquitiesUS3.49%Nzgs 5.00% 15/05/2054
Bonds
New Zealand Fixed InterestNZ2.81%Nvidia Ord
Shares
International EquitiesUS2.77%Apple Inc
Shares
International EquitiesUS2.46%Microsoft
Shares
International EquitiesUS2.20%Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corp Ltd
Shares
Australasian EquitiesUS1.77%Auckland International Airport
Shares
Australasian EquitiesNZ1.56%Nzgs 4.25% 15/05/2036
Bonds
New Zealand Fixed InterestNZ1.51%
Fees breakdown
What you actually pay
Modelled on a $30,000 balance held for one full year. Each line shows this fund's % and dollar cost vs. the average for funds in the same risk band.
Management
Charged by the fund manager, % of your balance.
0.25%
avg 0.76%
$75
avg $229
−0.51%Other
Other potential costs not in the categories below.
57.29%
avg 49.40%
-
avg -
+7.89%Performance-based
Higher when the fund (or underlying fund) performs well.
0.00%
avg -
$0
avg -
Membership
A flat annual fee, regardless of balance or performance.
0.00%
avg 0.05%
$0
avg $15
−0.05%
Total combined fees
Doesn't include fees for one-off activities like transferring or withdrawing.
0.25%
avg 1.61%
$75
avg $483
Yearly returns
2 years on the books
This fund hasn't had a full five-year history yet. Below is the year-by-year story so far, with the group average alongside.
Returns: living in the past
Seeking returns is the point of investing, but the ones shown above are already gone. they won't continue. Pick a fund based on the right mix for your situation and reasonable fees, not on past returns.
Risk indicator
Sorted risk rating: 4 of 7
The Sorted risk indicator is calculated from the last 5 years of price volatility. Higher = more ups and downs but typically higher long-term returns.
Fund details
The unsexy stats that matter
- Total fund value
- $39,463,956
- Members
- 913
- Asset liquidity ratio
- 100.00%
- Debt ratio
- 0.25%
- Default KiwiSaver fund
- No
- Fund reference
- FND40599
Manager
Kernel Kiwisaver Plan
Licensed with the Financial Markets Authority.
- NZBN
- 9429047045989
- FSP number
- FSP644609
Smiths Health Check
Is the Kernel Balanced Fund actually the right fund for you?
Take the 90-second Health Check. We'll grade your current setup, tell you what it's costing you, and recommend the best fit from our advised panel, benchmarked against every fund in the directory, not just kernel.
Our directory covers every NZ KiwiSaver fund. Our advice panel is five schemes (ANZ, Booster, Fisher Funds, Generate, Milford); recommendations land on four funds across Milford and Booster — how we're paid →