All in Kernel
I’ve long said that there are alternatives to buying rental property and today I wanted to actually give you some decent detail on this. So today I’m going to give you an idea of what investing into KiwiSaver and index funds/ETFs actually looks like a few years down the track. I find with this blog of mine that it’s helpful to share some real numbers instead of just talking hypothetically all the time.
I recently asked subscribers of my blog to share their money wins for 2020 so you could get some insight into what fellow Kiwis did on a personal level to navigate 2020. It has been particularly awesome to hear from people during 2020 who had sorted themselves out financially either before, during or after Covid-19 came along and they are each now looking to the future feeling empowered and in control.
I’m having a muck around with one of two of our investments this week. A “re-balance” is the fancy terminology, but I’m taking the opportunity to make sure that we are sticking to our investment plan because I have a tendency to wander off track. Some people are super organised and set a date to do this once a year, I don’t, I’ve just become aware that ‘it’s time’.
This week I’ve received even more emails about Bonus Bonds with people asking what investment options are out there for the money that will be released from the scheme when it winds up shortly and also asking what they could do with the ongoing monthly payments that people had previously been making into the scheme. They don’t want to stop this regular savings habit, but they have no idea where to put it.
You may have noticed that Sharesies now offer you access to the American share market. So now we are faced with yet another choice for our investment dollar. And don’t get me wrong, the choice is great but it can add a layer of confusion too for first-time investors. So, while Sharesies and others like them have filled a gaping hole in the market - providing easy and affordable access to the share market - they have created another void and that is the education of investors.
I’ve had a number of emails asking about the changes to Smartshares, in particular the introduction of their new S&P/NZX 50 ETF (NZG) and how it compares to their existing NZ Top 50 ETF (FNZ). A deep dive into Smartshares for this post was a timely reminder for me just how intertwined and complex the investing marketplace is and that it’s really set up for the investor that already knows how to invest. Finding information was tough, so I reached out directly to Smartshares as I figure it’s best to go straight to the source right?
Under the “Our Story” section on the Kernel website, they say the following: We encourage open and free sharing of opinions so that everyone feels as though they can collaborate and contribute.” Not the usual spiel you would find on a fund manager website, don’t you agree?
