Defensive KiwiSaver fund

Marsh Cash Fund

Mercer KiwiSaver Scheme Mercer is now Marsh

Marsh Cash Fund is a defensive fund in the Mercer KiwiSaver Scheme. Its provider discloses a risk indicator of 2 out of 7 and an annual fund charge of 0.33%. This page sets out what the provider has disclosed on the Disclose Register, with the Morningstar return where there is one. It is general information, not a recommendation to join or switch.

10-year return
2.5%a year after fees, before tax, Morningstar, as at 30 September 2026
Risk indicator
2 of 7Disclosed by the provider
Annual fund charge
0.33%Total, as a share of the amount invested
Fund size
$33.3 million1,156 investors

Source: Morningstar KiwiSaver Survey, the three months to 30 September 2026, published 29 October 2026. Morningstar files it under Cash. Returns are annualised: each figure is a return per year, averaged across the period shown. Figures are net of the fund's annual charges and before your own tax. KiwiSaver is taxed at your prescribed investor rate, so two people in the same fund keep different amounts, and fixed dollar member fees are not reflected in a percentage. Past performance does not guarantee future returns.

What the provider says

Invests entirely in cash and short term interest bearing investments. Designed for investors who want no exposure to growth assets or where the funds may be required in the shorter term.

The fund's own description, as disclosed on the Disclose Register. Fund start date: 1 October 2007.

What the fund invests in

Asset mix
Asset classTargetActual
Cash and cash equivalents100%100.00%

Actual allocation as at 30 September 2026. Asset classes held at 0% are left out.

How it is managed

Management style: Active. The manager chooses investments, or shifts the mix, to try to do better than the market. This describes how the fund is run, not whether one style is better.

This policy covers the use of derivatives by the Funds through its multi-manager investment approach.

From the Mercer KiwiSaver Scheme SIPO, 9 December 2024 (opens in a new tab), read on 31 October 2026.

Passive vs active KiwiSaver funds: what the difference means for you →

Largest investments

The ten largest investments
InvestmentTypeCountryShare of fund
Westpac New Zealand Limited 3.02% 06/10/2026Cash and cash equivalentsNZ2.27%
Westpac New Zealand LimitedCash and cash equivalentsNZ3.55%
Rabobank New Zealand Limited RCD maturing 02/11/2026Cash and cash equivalentsNZ3.29%
Westpac New Zealand Limited 3.66% 22/04/2027Cash and cash equivalentsNZ2.24%
Westpac New Zealand Limited 3.696% 16/02/2027Cash and cash equivalentsNZ8.53%
Housing New Zealand Limited 2.247% 05/10/2026Cash and cash equivalentsNZ8.37%
Bank of New Zealand RCD maturing 18/11/2026Cash and cash equivalentsNZ2.74%
New Zealand Local Government Funding Agency Treasury Bill 19/11/2026Cash and cash equivalentsNZ2.74%
New Zealand Local Government Funding Agency Treasury Bull 30/10/2026Cash and cash equivalentsNZ2.20%
ASB Bank Limited RCD maturing 20/11/2026Cash and cash equivalentsNZ2.19%

Together 38.1% of the fund. The rest is spread across other holdings.

How spread out is it?

Spread of the fund's holdings
MeasureDisclosed
Holdings the provider lists68
The ten largest, together38.1%
Largest single holdingWestpac New Zealand Limited 3.696% 16/02/2027, 8.5% of the fund

The risk indicator measures how much a fund's returns have moved, not how many investments it holds, so it cannot show concentration on its own. Two funds that hold the same index can carry different indicators. Shares are as the provider disclosed them, and a total above 100% is the provider's own figure.

Fees and charges

Fees disclosed by the provider
ChargeDisclosed
Total annual fund charge0.33%
Manager's basic fee0.28%
Performance-based fees0.00%
Other management charges0.05%
Contribution feeNot stated
Withdrawal feeNot stated

Charges as a share of the amount invested. A blank on the register is shown as not stated. How an adviser is paid is separate, and is set out in our disclosure statement.

Returns the provider has disclosed

These are the provider's own figures from its fund update. They are the register's "net" returns, which are after the fund's charges and after tax, so they will not match the Morningstar figures in the headline and in the next section, which are after charges and before tax. Read each on its own terms.

Provider-disclosed returns
PeriodThis fund
Past year1.81%
Average a year, 5 years2.62%
Average a year, since the fund started1.81%
Year by year, to 31 March
YearThis fund
12 months to 31 March 20262.16%
12 months to 31 March 20253.70%
12 months to 31 March 20243.94%
12 months to 31 March 20232.20%
12 months to 31 March 20220.26%
12 months to 31 March 20210.19%
12 months to 31 March 20201.11%
12 months to 31 March 20191.50%
12 months to 31 March 20181.47%
12 months to 31 March 20171.61%

A return says what happened and not what will.

Returns reported by Morningstar

Morningstar annualised returns
PeriodThis fund
10 years2.5%
5 years3.6%
3 years4.0%

Annualised returns a year as at 30 September 2026, from the Morningstar KiwiSaver Survey, published 29 October 2026. Returns are annualised: each figure is a return per year, averaged across the period shown. Figures are net of the fund's annual charges and before your own tax. KiwiSaver is taxed at your prescribed investor rate, so two people in the same fund keep different amounts, and fixed dollar member fees are not reflected in a percentage. Morningstar publishes category averages for its five multi-sector categories only, so there is none to show for this fund. Past performance does not guarantee future returns.

See the full Morningstar returns comparison → (opens in a new tab)

Other details

Other disclosed details
ItemDisclosed
Asset liquidity ratio100.00%
Debt ratio0.31%
Provider last updated this fund30 October 2026
Reporting period ended30 September 2026

Where this comes from

Fund details are from the Disclose Register (opens in a new tab), read on 31 October 2026. The Morningstar return is from the same report as the Morningstar returns comparison. Read the provider's current Product Disclosure Statement before you decide.

Cam compares KiwiSaver providers and funds across the wider NZ market, and a fund appearing here, or on his implementation panel, is not a recommendation. Whether a fund suits you depends on your goals, timeframe and comfort with risk. How Solid Steele is paid depends on the provider and is set out in the disclosure statement. A free KiwiSaver session is the way to see how it applies to you.

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