Money – it’s a topic that makes many Kiwis shuffle their feet. We’ll gab on about the All Blacks or the price of butter, but our bank balance? She’ll be right – or so we hope. Yet the evidence suggests many New Zealanders could use a financial tune-up. In my work, I meet a lot of people, of varying ages and varying degrees of financial literacy. These are a few of my observations and some fixes for them. I’ll keep it friendly, practical, and a little bit cheeky...

This is one of the most common questions I get, and yes in short you can... for specific reasons. Each one has rules, timeframes, and consequences you need to be aware of. KiwiSaver is designed to be a long-term investment that benefits from the power of compound interest, so in theory the later you withdraw, the more there will be.

Navigating the world of KiwiSaver can feel overwhelming. Many people simply stay with their default provider, not realising that a different fund could better align with their goals and potentially add tens of thousands of dollars to their final balance. This article will explain where you can find independent advice for your KiwiSaver.