The Smiths Library
Insurance, KiwiSaver, and money. in plain English.
A growing library of short, useful guides from the Smiths advisers — the same notes we share with clients when the NZ market shifts or a common question comes up. Browse, search, or start with what's new.
Bank Mortgage Protection Insurance NZ 2026: What the Bank Sells You at Settlement
What the bank offers you at settlement, how it differs from adviser-arranged life and income cover, and how the two compare on advice, terms, portability and ownership.
Lump Sum vs Dollar-Cost Averaging NZ: Invest It All at Once or Drip It In?
Recovery-Room and Fake-Adviser Scams in NZ: How Investors Get Targeted Twice
Non-Disclosure and Life Insurance Claims in NZ (2026): What You Must Tell the Insurer
Lump Sum vs Dollar-Cost Averaging NZ: Invest It All at Once or Drip It In?
Got a windfall, inheritance or house-sale money to invest? The evidence usually favours investing a lump sum all at once, but drip-feeding it in can lower regret. How both work, how they apply to KiwiSaver, and how to decide.
Read this month's readThis Month in Markets
Our regular read on where KiwiSaver and the markets are heading — what's moving, and what it means for your balance.
NewLump Sum vs Dollar-Cost Averaging NZ: Invest It All at Once or Drip It In?
NewRecovery-Room and Fake-Adviser Scams in NZ: How Investors Get Targeted Twice
Market Volatility and Your KiwiSaver in NZ (2026): How to Handle the Swings
Adviser KiwiSaver vs DIY (Sorted, InvestNow, Kernel) 2026: When Is Advice Worth Paying For in NZ?
Booster vs Simplicity KiwiSaver 2026: Fees, Returns and Who Each Suits (NZ)
How to Read KiwiSaver Returns (NZ, 2026): Why Last Year's Winner Misleads You
Safe Withdrawal Rates in NZ 2026: The 4%, 6% and Spend-Down Rules Explained
KiwiSaver Drawdown in Retirement 2026: Lump Sum or Leave It Invested? (NZ)
The Checklist
Short, do-this-today guides — the practical steps to tidy up your KiwiSaver, cover and money.
5 KiwiSaver Mistakes to Fix Before 30 June 2026 (NZ): The Tax & Fee Checklist
When Can You Retire in NZ? A Readiness Checklist (2026)
Questions to Ask a Financial Adviser in NZ (2026): The Disclosure Document Checklist
Buying a Business in NZ: The Financial Checks and Protection You Need (2026)
ACC for Shareholder-Employees in NZ (2026): PAYE, CoverPlus Extra and Common Mistakes
7 Common KiwiSaver Mistakes Kiwis Make in 2026 (and How to Fix Each One) | NZ
KiwiSaver First-Home Mistakes in NZ (2026): The Five That Cost You Deposit
KiwiSaver Government Contribution Top-Up 2026: How to Get the Full $260.72 Before 30 June (NZ)
Advisor's Desk
Straight answers from the Smiths advisers on the questions clients actually ask.
NewLump Sum vs Dollar-Cost Averaging NZ: Invest It All at Once or Drip It In?
Mortgage Repayment Cover vs Income Protection in NZ (2026): The Difference That Matters at Claim Time
Income Protection Wait Period vs Benefit Period in NZ (2026): The Trade-off That Sets Your Premium
Active vs Passive KiwiSaver Funds: Which Wins in NZ? (2026)
Adviser KiwiSaver vs DIY (Sorted, InvestNow, Kernel) 2026: When Is Advice Worth Paying For in NZ?
Should You Be in an Aggressive KiwiSaver Fund? NZ Risk Guide 2026
Booster vs Simplicity KiwiSaver 2026: Fees, Returns and Who Each Suits (NZ)
The Cost of Not Getting Financial Advice in NZ 2026 (What 'Set and Forget' Really Costs You)
Explainers
How the rules really work — PIR, ESCT, claims, withdrawals — in plain English.
NewYour Partner Isn't 65 Yet: How NZ Super Works for Couples With an Age Gap
How to Read KiwiSaver Returns (NZ, 2026): Why Last Year's Winner Misleads You
PIR Too High? On 28% but Earn Less? You May Be Overpaying KiwiSaver Tax (NZ, 2026)
Safe Withdrawal Rates in NZ 2026: The 4%, 6% and Spend-Down Rules Explained
What Does a KiwiSaver Review Involve? A Step-by-Step Walkthrough (NZ, 2026)
What PIR Should I Be On? KiwiSaver Tax Rates (NZ, 2026)
How PIE Tax Works on Your KiwiSaver NZ (2026): Why It's Capped at 28%
KiwiSaver Previous Home Owner Withdrawal NZ 2026: The 'Second Chance' Rule Explained
Search every guide.
NewBank Mortgage Protection Insurance NZ 2026: What the Bank Sells You at Settlement
What the bank offers you at settlement, how it differs from adviser-arranged life and income cover, and how the two compare on advice, terms, portability and ownership.
NewLump Sum vs Dollar-Cost Averaging NZ: Invest It All at Once or Drip It In?
Got a windfall, inheritance or house-sale money to invest? The evidence usually favours investing a lump sum all at once, but drip-feeding it in can lower regret. How both work, how they apply to KiwiSaver, and how to decide.
NewRecovery-Room and Fake-Adviser Scams in NZ: How Investors Get Targeted Twice
Clone firms, impersonated advisers and fake fund-recovery services explained: how NZ scam victims get targeted a second time, the warning signs, and how to verify before you trust anyone.
NewNon-Disclosure and Life Insurance Claims in NZ (2026): What You Must Tell the Insurer
Most NZ life insurance claims are paid. The ones that aren't are usually declined for non-disclosure — something left off the application. Here is what you must tell the insurer, how the disclosure rules are changing, and how to avoid a declined claim.
NewACC and Pre-Existing Conditions in NZ (2026): When a Gradual or Degenerative Problem Isn't Covered
ACC covers injury by accident, not conditions that build up gradually. Here is how ACC decides injury versus gradual process, why degenerative and age-related problems are usually declined, and how income protection fills the gap.
NewEmployer and Group Health Insurance in NZ (2026): What Happens When You Leave the Job
Work health cover usually stops when the job stops. Here is how NZ group health insurance works, what a continuity option does, and why your pre-existing conditions matter most on the way out.
NewIncome Protection for Commission and Variable Income in NZ (2026): Proving Earnings That Move
Commission, bonuses and seasonal pay make income protection harder to get right. Here is how insurers average a moving income, why agreed value matters, and what records prove a claim.
NewYour Partner Isn't 65 Yet: How NZ Super Works for Couples With an Age Gap
Since November 2020 you can no longer include a partner under 65 in your NZ Super. Here is what the household actually receives in the gap years, what the younger partner can apply for, and how to bridge the income.
How Much Key-Person Insurance Does a Business Need in NZ?
Sizing key-person cover is a method, not a guess. Here are the three ways to work out a sum insured — lost gross profit, replacement cost, and debt exposure — with an NZ worked example and the IRD tax rules that affect the number.
Stuck on a Public Hospital Waitlist in NZ 2026? What Private Health Cover and Trauma Insurance Actually Do
NZ's official FSA waiting list hit 198,812 people in late 2025. Here is what private health insurance and trauma cover actually change about your timeline, and where they do not.
Mortgage Repayment Cover vs Income Protection in NZ (2026): The Difference That Matters at Claim Time
The bank's mortgage repayment cover protects the loan. Full income protection protects your income. Here is how they differ on benefit basis, ownership and portability — and why it matters when you claim.
Building a Guaranteed Income Floor in Retirement (NZ, 2026): NZ Super, Term Deposits and Beyond
How to build a retirement income floor in NZ: use NZ Super, a term-deposit ladder and managed income to cover your essentials, and keep KiwiSaver for growth. A plain adviser guide.
5 KiwiSaver Mistakes to Fix Before 30 June 2026 (NZ): The Tax & Fee Checklist
Wrong PIR, a missed top-up, fee drag and a fund that no longer fits — fix the five most common KiwiSaver tax and fee mistakes before the 30 June deadline.
Market Volatility and Your KiwiSaver in NZ (2026): How to Handle the Swings
Sharp market swings are normal for a KiwiSaver fund. Here is what volatility really means, how to read the FMA risk indicator, and the calm response that protects long-term returns.
Who Should Own Your Life Insurance Policy in NZ? (2026 Ownership and Beneficiary Guide)
Who legally owns a life policy decides who controls it and where the payout lands. Here is how self-ownership, cross-ownership and nominated beneficiaries work in NZ, how each affects the estate and payout speed, and how to set it up so the money reaches the right person quickly.
How Much KiwiSaver for a House Deposit in NZ (2026)
Your real KiwiSaver deposit is your withdrawable balance minus the $1,000 you must leave behind and any excluded Australian-super funds. Here is how to work out your true number by settlement.
Income Protection Wait Period vs Benefit Period in NZ (2026): The Trade-off That Sets Your Premium
The wait period and the benefit period are the two levers that decide what your income protection costs. Here's how each one works, how they price your cover, and how to pick a combination that fits your savings and your situation.
KiwiSaver Decumulation NZ 2026: How to Turn Your Balance into Retirement Income
Saving was the easy part. Turning a KiwiSaver balance into income that lasts is harder. Here are the NZ drawdown strategies, safe withdrawal rates and the sequence risk that can sink an early retirement.