New Zealand's Financial Market's Authority Podcasts

As we approach International Women’s Day, we’re thrilled to bring you the second episode of our Jess Learns to Invest podcast series.

In this episode, Jess sits down with financial Journalist and educator Frances Cook to discuss how women often approach investing differently. They chat about the opportunities women can embrace, and how women are increasingly shaping the future of investing. “Women may be less likely to invest, but when we do invest, were better at it” – France Cook.  

Are you ready to kickstart your investing journey in 2025? Dive into our new podcast series.  Join Jess, a 27-year-old newbie in the world of investing, as she navigates the ups and downs of becoming an investor. Just like you, she's learning the ropes. Each month, Jess will team up with a different expert who will share invaluable insights and tips about investing. 

At the FMA, we believe in empowering New Zealanders with the knowledge to make Informed financial decisions.

Episode 1 features guest speaker Simran Kaur the founder of Girls That Invest, a media company that is on a mission to empower women to take charge of their finances. Girls that Invest has become one of the most popular investing podcasts, particularly for women. Sim talks about her journey and the practical tips she has for anyone looking to start investing. Jess and Sim discuss the basics of investing and how to get started.

Jess and Stuart are back for episode 4 of our Navigating KiwiSaver series. Last week they discussed contributions, this week Stuart explains KiwiSaver fees, he also touches on active and passive investments.

The fee is calculated as a percentage of the net asset value of each fund, and is already deducted from your investment, so returns will be reduced.

Actively managed funds are where investment managers make active decisions on what investments to buy or sell in your KiwiSaver. On the other hand, passive investments copy what the market is doing by tracking and buying the index.

This podcast has been prepared by the FMA. The advice is of a general nature, and is not intended to be financial advice and FMA does not accept responsibility for any loss that any a person may suffer from following it. The FMA recommends that our audience seek their own financial advice in respect of investing in KiwiSaver. Anyone considering investing in KiwiSaver or making changes to their investment in KiwiSaver should seek advice from a financial adviser.

Did you know there are five contribution rates when it comes to your KiwiSaver — 3%, 4%, 6%, 8% or 10?  

Along with your personal contributions, your employer contributes to your KiwiSaver as well as the Government.

Episode 3 of our Navigating KiwiSaver series is out now! This week Stuart explains to Jess the importance of contribution rates and why a yearly review could be beneficial.

This podcast has been prepared by the FMA. The advice is of a general nature, and is not intended to be financial advice and FMA does not accept responsibility for any loss that any a person may suffer from following it. The FMA recommends that our audience seek their own financial advice in respect of investing in KiwiSaver. Anyone considering investing in KiwiSaver or making changes to their investment in KiwiSaver should seek advice from a financial adviser.

In this episode, Jess asks Stuart to break down the different types of KiwiSaver funds.

Funds are grouped by how much of the riskier investments they hold, like shares and property (also known as "growth assets"). Whether you're looking to dial your risk up or down, it's important to pick the right fund that aligns with your savings goals. 

Stuart also shares where to find out exactly which KiwiSaver fund you’re in — because knowing your current fund is the first step to making sure it’s working for you.

This podcast has been prepared by the FMA. The advice is of a general nature, and is not intended to be financial advice and FMA does not accept responsibility for any loss that any a person may suffer from following it. The FMA recommends that our audience seek their own financial advice in respect of investing in KiwiSaver. Anyone considering investing in KiwiSaver or making changes to their investment in KiwiSaver should seek advice from a financial adviser.

Want to learn more about KiwiSaver? This is episode 1 of our new navigating KiwiSaver series.

This first episode is a KiwiSaver 101, you will learn what KiwiSaver is and how it works. 

Jess asks Chief Economist Stuart Johnson how much she should be contributing and when to review her contributions.

This podcast has been prepared by the FMA. The advice is of a general nature, and is not intended to be financial advice and FMA does not accept responsibility for any loss that any a person may suffer from following it. The FMA recommends that our audience seek their own financial advice in respect of investing in KiwiSaver.

The FMA has just published its latest piece of research from the economics team, looking at Commercial Real Estate and the Managed Funds Industry.   

We’re joined by FMA chief economist Stuart Johnson to tell us more. 

KiwiSaver has just reached a huge milestone! According to our latest KiwiSaver Annual Report, the KiwiSaver funds under management have soared to $111.8 billion as of March 31, 2024, marking a 19.3% jump from last year’s $93.6 billion. This is a big win for New Zealanders who rely on KiwiSaver for their retirement savings. 

The growth this year came from a mix of $13.1 billion in investment returns and $11.2 billion in contributions from members, employers, and the Crown. 

Read the 2024 KiwiSaver Annual Report here: https://loom.ly/9lXTogQ 

In the first episode of our new podcast series ‘Occasional Conversations,’ Chief Economist, Stuart Johnson and Senior Adviser, Sophia Scragg discuss a new piece of research around fairness in financial services.

Overall, this research has shown that when presented with specific customer focused scenarios, consumers have a remarkably consistent understanding of what constitutes fairness in financial services.