All tagged Kernel

How to Break Up With Your Financial Advisor

How to Break Up With Your Financial Advisor

Ruth
ETFs, FI Series, Financial Advisors, Index Funds, InvestNow, Kernel, KiwiSaver, Money Education, Personal Finance, Shares, Sharesies, Sharesight, Smart

By all means, use a financial advisor if you want to. But don’t assume that you have to, or that you will make more money by doing so. You are perfectly capable of managing your own money, including investing. My point today is not that financial advisors are bad (although some certainly are); it’s that many of you don’t need one. We have been led to believe that we can’t manage our own money. We constantly hear the words “Seek financial advice.” But when doing so pushes you towards an entire financial industry that has developed around our fear of investing money, and is extremely profitable for those who work within it, I question the advice they give.

Applying Rebel Finance School in NZ

Applying Rebel Finance School in NZ

Ruth
ETFs, Index Funds, InvestNow, Kernel, KiwiSaver, Personal Finance, Sharesies, Sharesight, Smart

For seven years in a row, I’ve watched the free online money course, Rebel Finance School. For the last couple of years, I’ve joined course creators Alan and Katie Donegan for a Kiwi-specific session. The entire 10-week, self-paced course is the money education you never got. I can’t recommend it highly enough. Thousands have already watched the Kiwi-specific session, but I knew it would be helpful to create a blog that specifically details the investment funds we discussed. Plus, many of you have asked me whether, as a result of new investment options this year and the fee comparison we shared, Jonny and I will make any changes to our portfolio. 

Which providers offer a Total World Fund in NZ?

Which providers offer a Total World Fund in NZ?

Ruth
ETFs, Financial Advisors, Index Funds, InvestNow, Kernel, Sharesies, Smart, Smart Invest, SmartShares

I am writing this blog post because I am constantly asked where you can purchase a Total World ETF from in New Zealand: “Could I use Smart or InvestNow?” “Sharesies, or a sharebroker?” Once you understand that low fees and broad diversification matter, i.e. buying the whole global share market instead of picking stocks or countries, you land in a new kind of confusion… where to buy. This post is not about finding the perfect platform. There isn’t one. But there are some perfectly good options. The goal is to understand them enough to choose one and get on with investing.

KiwiSaver’s Government Contribution is Being Cut – Here’s What I’m Doing About It

KiwiSaver’s Government Contribution is Being Cut – Here’s What I’m Doing About It

Ruth
ETFs, Index Funds, InvestNow, KiwiSaver, Smart, Kernel, Simplicity, Retirement

Every June, I check in with our KiwiSaver accounts to make sure we’re on track to receive the annual government contribution. If you put in at least $1,042 by the 30th of June 2025, the government will deposit $521 into your KiwiSaver account; a welcome little bonus for those of us thinking ahead to retirement. But from 1 July 2025, that bonus will be cut in half, dropping to just $260 a year. With the government’s contribution shrinking, yet again, it’s time for me to rethink my strategy. In my recent fortnightly email, I mentioned that I was considering ceasing payments into my KiwiSaver. My friend Wayne questioned that move, so I wanted to explain a bit more about what I’m planning on doing with my KiwiSaver, and what Jonny and I are planning as a couple, especially given we will be retiring in our fifties.

We Sold Some Investments: Putting Our Version of the 4% Rule to the Test!

We Sold Some Investments: Putting Our Version of the 4% Rule to the Test!

Ruth
ETFs, Index Funds, SmartShares, Sharesies, Kernel

In early May, Jonny and I made a call; we decided to sell off a portion of our investments to supplement our lifestyle. There is no drama, and we are not doing this due to inflation or the current cost of living; the simple fact is that our journey with money continues. For those who have followed along from the beginning, you’ve seen us slowly growing our net worth in readiness for it supporting us in early retirement. We are not there yet, we still need to work for an income, but we are well underway with our early retirement plans. What has changed is that there are things we want to do now that we need money for now.

The Happy Saver Christmas Gift Giveaway!

The Happy Saver Christmas Gift Giveaway!

Ruth
Index Funds, Hatch, Kernel, PocketSmith, Sharesies, Sharesight, Tertiary Scholarship

I’m delighted to tell you that Christmas is imminent! At the time of publishing this blog post, it’s just 34 days away. Yes, indeed it is. You will no doubt have noticed the headlines telling us to shop early for Christmas and stock up due to a predicted lack of supply? Therefore, I have been doing a little bit of shopping for the readers of my blog. Jonny and I have come up with a plan to give away a bunch of goodies, all of which aim to help you in your journey to financial independence.

What the FIF? Foreign Tax and How to Pay It

What the FIF? Foreign Tax and How to Pay It

Ruth
ETFs, Hatch, Index Funds, Investment, Kernel, KiwiSaver, Money Education, Shares, Sharesies, Sharesight, Simplicity, SmartShares, Tax

Because I like to make life difficult for myself, I thought I would write a blog post on the tax implications of using a FIF. A Foreign Investment Fund. Due to the proliferation of online investment providers like Hatch, Sharesies, InvestNow, Smartshares, Kernel, Betashares, Stake etc. I’m getting more and more emails from people who are concerned about the national and international tax implications of using these platforms.

Begin at the Beginning: Step-by-step Path to Financial Independence

Begin at the Beginning: Step-by-step Path to Financial Independence

Ruth
Budgeting, ETFs, Index Funds, Investment, KiwiSaver, Personal Finance, Shares, Sharesies, Sharesight, Simplicity, SmartShares

Whatever it is that you are embarking on that’s always the best place to start in my opinion. The beginning. Then just follow the path, in my case, the path to financial independence and eventually not being tied to a job to earn my income. It’s a long journey but it’s one worth starting. I’m often writing emails that cover the same points over and over again, so I thought that today I’d put that information into a blog post for all of the people wondering where to start and how to string all the bits of information you have learned about money into a cohesive order.

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