Guides
Guides covering the decisions that actually change your balance: which fund type you sit in, which provider holds it, how much you put in, when you can take money out, and how to move if you need to. Pick a topic below to see its guides.
New to KiwiSaver or want the big picture? Start here — how the scheme works and what's changing.
5 guidesHow the scheme works, who pays what in, when you can take it out, and the first three decisions every new member makes.
The 3.5% minimum, the path to 4% in 2028, matching for 16 and 17-year-olds, and record balances — what the changes mean for you.
See how your balance compares with other New Zealanders your age, based on data covering 98% of all members — and what to do if you're behind.
How to sign kids up, the new employer match for 16 and 17-year-olds, fund choice for a long horizon, and the lock-in trade-off.
Automatically enrolled by a new employer? The day-14-to-day-56 window, how to opt out in myIR, how refunds arrive, and what to do if you miss it.
How much to put in, how it's taxed, and how to collect every dollar of government and employer money on offer.
7 guidesWhat each rate does to your take-home pay and your balance at 65, plus the employer and government money attached to each.
The new 25c-per-$1 rate up to $260.72, who qualifies, the $180,000 cap, and how to top up before 30 June.
The three rates, how your income picks yours, how to find the one you are on, and how to change it if it is wrong.
ESCT on employer contributions, PIR on returns, the tax-free government top-up, and why withdrawals are tax-free.
Who can pause their contributions, how long a suspension lasts, what happens to employer and government money, and how to apply in myIR.
No payroll and no employer match changes the maths: how to join, how to pay in, and how to capture the full $260.72 top-up on an irregular income.
The 3.5% minimum, why ESCT means less lands, total remuneration traps, and what to do if your employer isn't paying.
Every way to take money out — at 65, for hardship, illness or emigration — and how to apply with your provider.
6 guidesAt 65, for a first home, serious illness, hardship, emigration and death — every withdrawal type, who qualifies, and how long each takes.
The application process, how long it takes, lump sum vs regular withdrawals, tax, and your options if you keep working.
The one-year withdrawal rule outside Australia, voluntary Australian super transfers, excluded amounts, and the documents to keep before you leave.
How to apply with each major provider, what documents they ask for, how long they take, and the mistakes that hold applications up.
What counts as significant financial hardship, the evidence providers ask for, the step-by-step application, and what to try first.
Who inherits, how your family claims it, how long it takes, and why a will matters — plus what to sort out now.
Using your KiwiSaver towards a deposit — the rules, the paperwork, and how to time it with settlement.
3 guidesWhat you can take out, the three-year rule, the paperwork, and how to time the withdrawal with your settlement date.
What counts towards your withdrawal, the $1,000 that must stay behind, a worked example, and how to get your exact figure.
A timing ladder for de-risking your deposit, a worked example, the trade-offs of switching early, and how to split your balance.
Fund types explained, what to compare between providers, and how to switch without costing yourself money.
7 guidesDefensive, conservative, balanced, growth and aggressive — what each actually holds, and how to tell which one matches your timeframe.
Index tracking vs stock-picking: what each approach costs, what the evidence says about performance, and how to compare two funds fairly.
What conservative funds hold, what they cost, what they return, and whether the label fits your timeframe.
The default fund type: what balanced funds hold, typical fees and returns, and how they compare with growth and conservative.
Higher long-run returns, deeper falls: how growth funds work, what they cost and how to compare them fairly.
Fees, returns, fund range, service and ownership: the five things worth comparing, and the ones that only look important.
The step-by-step process, how long it takes, what it costs, and the mistakes that cost people money on the way through.
Interactive calculators and checkers that apply the guides to your own numbers.
6 guidesFilter every fund by risk, fees and returns, then narrow down to a shortlist worth comparing.
See what a 1% fee difference really costs you in dollars over 10, 20 or 30 years.
Check you're on the right prescribed investor rate so you're not overpaying tax on your returns.
Work out how your KiwiSaver and savings add up towards a deposit, and how long it will take.
See how NZ Super and your KiwiSaver balance combine into a weekly income in retirement.
No employer match? Plan your own contributions to still collect the full government top-up.
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