Financial advice can seem like a complex subject, though it doesn’t have to be.
The right advice, sought early, can simplify complicated information, help you clarify your goals and make sure you have things set up in a way that will help you achieve them.
The value of financial advice
Kiwis who get financial advice are more likely to have better financial security and a better understanding of how to achieve their financial goals, through schemes like KiwiSaver.
“Financial advice, at its core, if it’s positioned well, will help you understand your ambitions – that can be as simple as taking time to look at those first steps towards purchasing your first home, or making time to prepare for retirement,” says Guy Sloan, Fisher Funds Advice Lead.
“Everyone’s situation is different, and advice is built and shaped around your personal circumstances, experience and priorities for the future.”
KiwiSaver is an excellent place to start, and providers like Fisher Funds offer expert advice to ensure your KiwiSaver is set up in a way to help you achieve your ambitions.
Getting financial advice can even have a positive impact on your mental and physical health and family life, with clear goals and more certainty around finances giving people the confidence to make key financial decisions.
To put that into real numbers, research released in 2021 found more than two-thirds of those surveyed (67%) said their financial security improved at least slightly as a direct result of receiving financial advice. Meanwhile, 46% reported a positive impact on their mental health, 40% on their family life, and 25% noticed an improvement in their physical health.
When to get advice
“There’s never a wrong time to get advice,” says Sloan, though he adds: “The sooner you do it, the more chance you’ve got of understanding what you need to do to plan for your goals and getting it right.”
He says people often seek advice when they’re approaching big life milestones like retirement, buying a first home, planning a family, or starting a business.
How to find an adviser
Finding an adviser is easier than you think. If you have a KiwiSaver account, some providers like Fisher Funds offer free, expert advice to current or prospective clients.
You can also ask your family and friends for a recommendation, but make sure you do your own research to ensure they’re going to be a good fit for you.
You can find all licensed Financial Advice Providers – and the advisers who work for them – on the Financial Service Providers Register, a free online resource run by the New Zealand Companies Office.
This content is sponsored by Fisher Funds.
Join over 500,000 ambitious Kiwis with Fisher Funds, New Zealand’s most trusted KiwiSaver provider*. Just visit www.fisherfunds.co.nz/kiwisaver
Fisher Funds Management Limited is the issuer of the Fisher Funds KiwiSaver Scheme and Fisher Funds TWO KiwiSaver Scheme. Fisher Funds Wealth Limited is the issuer and manager of the Fisher Funds KiwiSaver Plan. Product Disclosure Statements for the schemes are available on their website.
*Reader’s Digest Most Trusted Brand for KiwiSaver (as voted by New Zealanders) 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.
