Best matchGrowth
Milford Kiwisaver Active Growth Fund
Growth fund with a 1.05% annual fee and 75% growth assets. Data sourced from FundCompare NZ.
In 20 years
$419,672
- Annual fee
- 1.05%
- 10-yr return
- 8.9%
- 5-yr return
- 6.6%
FundfinderMade for New Zealand wage & salary earners
Your KiwiSaver fund was probably chosen by a payroll form.
Answer five plain-English questions and see which funds actually suit your timeframe, your nerves and your goal — with the fee difference shown in dollars, not percentages.
Start the 60-second checkFree · No sign-up · Nothing stored
- 3.4m
- New Zealanders in KiwiSaver
- ~$0 cost
- to switch funds or providers
- 1 form
- stands between you and a better fit
The fund finder
Everything updates as you answer. Change your mind as often as you like.
Five quick answers
No sign-up, no email, nothing stored.
What is this money for?
When will you use it?
Your balance drops 20% in a month. You…
Your details
Your suggested fund type
Growth
With that timeframe, short-term dips matter far less than fees and staying invested.
Picking the cheapest of these over the dearest could be worth roughly $161,458 to you over 20 years.
Aggressive
Kernel S&P 500 (Nzd Hedged) Fund
Aggressive fund with a 0.25% annual fee and 100% growth assets. Data sourced from FundCompare NZ.
In 20 years
$1,180,245
- Annual fee
- 0.25%
- 10-yr return
- 16.1%
- 5-yr return
- 16.1%
Balanced
Kernel Balanced Fund
Balanced fund with a 0.25% annual fee and 60% growth assets. Data sourced from FundCompare NZ.
In 20 years
$517,994
- Annual fee
- 0.25%
- 10-yr return
- 10.4%
- 5-yr return
- 10.4%
Growth
Generate Stepping Stones Growth 51-55
Growth fund with a 1.39% annual fee and 80% growth assets. Data sourced from FundCompare NZ.
In 20 years
$367,552
- Annual fee
- 1.39%
- 10-yr return
- 8.0%
- 5-yr return
- 8.0%
The link remembers your answers and comparison.
Projections assume your 3% contribution, a 3% employer contribution, the government contribution, and that past average returns continue — which they won't, exactly. Educational information only, not financial advice. Fund figures last updated 7/09/2025.
Four things worth knowing before you switch
A 1% fee is not a small number
On a $60,000 balance held for 25 years, a one-percent fee gap can quietly remove more than the price of a new car. Fees come out whether markets rise or fall.
Risk is really about timing, not danger
A growth fund is not reckless if you have twenty years. It is reckless if your house deposit is due in eighteen months. The question is when you need the money.
Being defaulted is a decision made for you
Hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders sit in a fund a payroll form chose. It may be right. It has never once been checked against your actual plan.
The three easy wins most people miss
Contribute at least 3% to get the full employer match, put in $1,042 a year to collect the government's $521, and pick the correct PIR so you are not overtaxed.
Toolkit
Self-employed planner
No employer match? Work out what to pay in each week to capture the full government contribution.
ToolkitBuying a first home
How much of your KiwiSaver you can withdraw, the deposit you need, and how many years until you get there.
ToolkitNZ Super & KiwiSaver
What Super pays, what your balance adds each week, and the tax rules if you keep working past 65.
ToolkitPIR tax checker
Find out whether your KiwiSaver is taxed at 10.5%, 17.5% or 28% — and what the wrong rate costs you over ten years.
ToolkitLifetime fee cost
Compare two funds' fees over decades and see what a 1% difference does to your final balance.
ToolkitEthical funds
What "sustainable", "responsible" and "ESG" actually mean in KiwiSaver — and how the screened funds compare on fees.
GuidesKiwiSaver explained
Fund types, comparing providers, switching, contribution rates and the basics — five plain-English guides.
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Common questions
Can I switch KiwiSaver funds or providers?+
Yes, and it is free. You apply to the new provider and they arrange the transfer — usually a couple of weeks. You can only be in one KiwiSaver scheme at a time, and switching does not reset anything.
Should I move to a conservative fund before buying a first home?+
Usually yes, once the purchase is within a few years. A growth fund that falls 20% the quarter before settlement can cost you the deposit. The trade-off is giving up some growth in exchange for certainty you actually need.
Do higher fees buy better returns?+
Sometimes, but not reliably. Some active managers have genuinely earned their fee over full cycles; many have not. Fees are certain, outperformance is not — so treat a high fee as something the fund has to justify.
Is this financial advice?+
No. This is general educational information to help you ask better questions. For advice about your own situation, talk to a licensed financial adviser.