KiwiSaver can get you ahead. You just need to sort your settings. Here’s how to get the best results from KiwiSaver.
What’s KiwiSaver worth to you? A lot. That’s because you won’t be the only one putting in money.
Here’s what’s going in:
- Your money (how much you put in, typically 3%, 4%, or 8% of your salary)
- Your employer’s money (typically at least 3%)
- Government money (up to $521 each year)
- Returns (from all that money being invested for you)
Make sure you're in KiwiSaver
If you're not already in KiwiSaver and you're eligible, you should consider joining. Check your payslip or IRD to see if you're already in KiwiSaver.
Choose your fund
For the moment you’re being automatically placed in a conservative fund. But is it right for you? For example, if you're in your 20s or 30s you should consider a growth fund. Let’s say you earn $60,000 per year on average over your career. Switching to a growth fund (if it’s a good fit) could give you $133,000 more.*
How to pick yours:
- Find the right type of fund for you using the 'What suits you best?' button
- Check the details of your current fund
- Sort through the funds of that type by fees, services and returns
- Check the fees for a fund. Are they worth it?
- Check the range of services that come with it
- Check that performance hasn’t always been below average
- If you find a fund that suits you better, contact the provider to switch. They’ll sort it
Dial it up!
How to push your results even higher:
Put in as much as you can.
Lifting your contributions from 3% to 8% could give you $197,000 more*. How? Contact your employer to raise your rate. You can also top-up your KiwiSaver at any time.
Make sure your tax rate is correct.
Correcting your prescribed investor rate (PIR) from 28% to 17.5% could give you $26,000 more*. How? Check with your KiwiSaver provider.
Power-up.
Even better: by picking your fund, raising your contributions and correcting your tax rate at the same time, you could get an additional $106,000 power-up. That could bring your overall results as high as $677,000*.
Learn more.
On sorted.org.nz:
- KiwiSaver savings calculator
- How to pick a KiwiSaver fund
- KiwiSaver fees calculator
- Looking for ethical KiwiSaver options?
*About the figures shown
The projections shown here are for an employee earning an average of $60,000 over a career of 47 years, from age 18 to 65. The salary and all figures here have been adjusted for inflation of 2%, and have also been rounded to the nearest $1,000. The return assumptions for a member with a 28% PIR in a conservative fund is 3.1% p.a., and in a growth fund is 4.9% p.a.; for a member with a 17.5% PIR in a conservative fund it is 3.6% p.a. and in a growth fund is 5.4% p.a.