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Welcome, ROMA!

Helping New Zealanders achieve financial freedom

We’re in the business of helping you on the path to a better financial future so you can live your best life now and in retirement.

Our commitment

We are committed to making a difference and supporting our community.

INSPIRING OUR PEOPLE

We are Living Wage employers

We’re helping fight period poverty

We are Rainbow Tick accredited

OUR MISSION

To bridge the financial literacy gap by making financial education available to all New Zealanders.

MAXIMISING YOUR KIWISAVER

Learning how to maximize KiwiSaver and getting good advice now could mean HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of additional dollars in retirement and help you fast track your first home deposit!

Discussion points:
  • Benefits – including recent changes, contributions and savings tips
  • KiwiSaver for first home buyers
  • Fund options – What happens to your money in KiwiSaver?
  • Why selecting the right fund is critical
  • What makes a good KiwiSaver provider?

PROTECTING YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE

The next step in your financial journey usually involves protecting or growing your wealth. A good plan may include the need for insurance benefits, estate planning, and other investments outside of your KiwiSaver. We provide FREE comparisons for all the major banks and insurance companies in NZ and can help you choose a quality and affordable insurance policy to protect you, your family, employees, and business.
You can change the lives of your friends and work colleagues for the better. With a free KiwiSaver educational workshop (held at your workplace), you can empower the people you work with to make better financial decisions, realise their dream of a first home, or look forward to a comfortable retirement free of money worries.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

Disclosure statements for IKONIK financial advisers are available on request and free of charge.

Request Disclosure Statement

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR KIWISAVER CONTRIBUTIONS

You’ve got options:

Employed:

You can contribute 3%, 4%, 6%, 8% or 10% of your gross (before tax) wage or salary and make additional voluntary contributions.
You’ll need to contribute a minimum of 3% for the first 12 months of membership.

Self-Employed:
You can make voluntary contributions. You will need to contribute $21 per week for 12 months between 1 July and June 30 to qualify for the FREE Government Contribution.

If you’re 18 or over and contributing at least 3% of your salary or wages to your KiwiSaver, your employer is also required to put in a minimum of 3% of your before tax pay (less employers superannuation contribution tax).

For every $1 you contribute to your KiwiSaver account from 1 July to the following 30 June, the government will match it by 50 cents, up to a maximum of $521.43 per year. You must be at least 18 to qualify.

KIWISAVER FOR FIRST HOME BUYERS
If you have been a member of KiwiSaver for at least 3 years and do not currently own a home, you may be eligible to withdraw all of your savings. However, a $1,000.00 balance must remain in your KiwiSaver account.

You must intend to live in the property (minimum 6 months). It cannot be used to buy an investment property.
If you’re a first-time home buyer, or a previous homeowner, and you’ve been making regular KiwiSaver contributions for 3 – 5 years, you may be eligible for a First Home Grant of up to $10,000. You apply for the grant through Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities.

To be eligible for a First Home Grant, you must:
  • be over 18
  • have earned less than the income caps in the last 12 months
  • not currently own any property
  • have been contributing at least the minimum amount to KiwiSaver (or complying fund or exempt employer scheme) for 3 years or more
  • agree to live in your new house for at least 6 months.
  • Make sure the house or land you want to buy meets the property requirements as is within the regional house price caps.


    • Income requirements:
    In the 12 months before you apply, you must have earned:
  • $95,000 or less before tax for a single buyer
  • $150,000 or less before tax for 2 or more buyers.


    • Property Value Requirements: The price cap depends on where in New Zealand you are purchasing.
    Existing | older properties:
  • $400,000 – $625,000

    • New properties:
  • $500,000 – $700,000

    • How much is the First Home Grant?
    You could be eligible for up to:
  • $5,000 towards an older existing home, or
  • $10,000 if you are building or purchasing a newly built home.

    • A couple could potentially qualify for up to $20,000 towards their first home.

    WHY CHOOSING THE RIGHT FUND IS CRITICAL?

    When you’re picking a KiwiSaver fund, you want to base your decision on more than just what a friend, your bank or company tells you. Simply choosing last year’s top performing fund won’t help much either, as that’s already passed and the future’s hard to predict. KiwiSaver is a long-term investment. Setting goals and making informed decisions is key to achieving financial success!

    KiwiSaver is heavily regulated by the government. Regardless of who you select as your provider, your money is managed and distributed by an independent trust separate from the provider. This provides more security and peace of mind around our money that is being invested.  

    Long-term investing, such as KiwiSaver, can be daunting, especially with the current market volatility. Panic changing fund types is likely to cause you to lose out on potential gains in your investment in the long run.

    Covid is a great example. Unfortunately, many Kiwis changed funds immediately after Covid hit (March 2020) resulting in a loss that for some will take years to recover from.

    For the majority of our lives KiwSaver is a long-term investment.

    Short-Term Investment: If you are looking to withdraw funds from your KiwiSaver account within the next 3-5 years, you may want to consider a more conservative approach.

    Long-Term Investment: Growth funds come with higher risk but better long-term returns.

    HOW MUCH CAN YOU SAVE?

    KIWISAVER CALCULATOR

    We have used certain assumptions in this calculator, which play an important part in the final results shown to you on this page. These assumptions are set by the Financial Markets Authority and the government. The key assumptions are as follows: Inflation is 2% p.a. Salary growth is 3.5%. Retirement Age is 65. Age at which weekly payments cease is 90. Investment returns after fees and taxes for Defensive 1.5%, Conservative 2.5%, Balanced 3.5%, Growth 4.5%, Aggressive 5.5%. 

    The rates of return are after tax of 28% (the highest PIR for KiwiSaver members) and average fees for the fund type. Investment returns post-retirement 2.5%. Weekly payments are calculated in real terms as a current dollar amount.
    More details here: https://www.fma.govt.nz/investors/resources/kiwisaver-projections/ 

    These figures only relate to KiwiSaver and do not take into account any other retirement savings or income you may have or be entitled to. These figures are estimates only. They are calculated based on your current balance, contribution rate, and fund choice, and an assumed rate of investment returns of based on your selected fund type.

    Your weekly amount figure is based on a life expectancy of 90, and does not include your New Zealand Superannuation entitlements.

    Your KiwiSaver account returns are subject to investment and other risks (including potential losses). No returns are guaranteed or assured, and returns can at times be negative, particularly given the length of the investment period shown in the illustration. Past performance is not necessarily an indicator of future performance and returns over different periods may differ.

    How has your experience been with your current kiwisaver provider?

    WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A KIWISAVER PROVIDER

    There are approximately 30 KiwiSaver providers in the market, it’s hard to keep up. How do you know which providers are performing well, not charging excessive fees, are making responsible investment decisions and good at keeping you up to date?

    Access to a Financial Adviser

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    WE NEED YOUR HELP

    At IKONIK, we’re passionate about financial education and helping everyday kiwis take control of their financial futures. We believe the unique service we offer is life changing. If you enjoyed your IKONIK experience as much as we enjoyed helping you , we’d love to help your loved ones too.

    TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!​

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    HOW HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE BEEN WITH YOUR CURRENT KIWISAVER PROVIDER?​

    • I am very happy with my current provider. They keep me up to date, have been performing well, I can access everything I need online or on my mobile, and I am satisfied with the fees they charge and service they provide.

    • I think there is room for improvement regarding their service and the information I receive.

    • If there are better options that suit me and my personal preferences, I would be happy to make changes.

    • I am not happy with my current provider and want to make changes to my KiwiSaver investment.

    PERFORMANCE AFTER FEES

    Whilst fees are an important factor in assessing the competitiveness of a scheme, studies have shown that “there is often an inverse relationship between fees and investment outcomes achieved by members, as those funds with the lowest fees will often provide lower investment returns than their higher fee counterparts”

    SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE​

    Socially responsible investing (SRI) typically excludes investing in companies or industries that could have wider negative effects on the environment or society.

    Choosing to invest in an SRI fund means you can avoid investing in companies or industries that don’t align with your personal values such as:

    • Fossil fuels

    • Nuclear power production

    • Military weapons manufacturing

    • Civilian firearms production

    • Tobacco production

    • Alcohol production

    • Gambling operations

    • Adult entertainment

    • Genetically modified organisms

    FEATURES & SERVICES​

    Some providers offer online forms, tools, calculators and information on how to optimise your KiwiSaver. 

    More communication is not always better communication, but if the provider gives you options on how you like to be reached, that usually helps too.