Is your KiwiSaver actually on track for the future lifestyle you want?
KiwiSaver is probably the biggest retirement asset most New Zealanders will ever have - and also one of the easiest things to leave on autopilot for years without checking whether the settings still make sense for where you're actually at.
Two settings do most of the work
How much goes in, and what it's invested in. Both are worth understanding on their own terms, not just contributing to and forgetting about.
Fund type
KiwiSaver funds range from Defensive through to Aggressive, based on how much sits in growth assets versus more stable ones. The FMA publishes a prescribed default growth-rate benchmark for each type - Balanced at 3.5%, Growth at 4.5%, Aggressive at 5.5% - which gives you a general sense of what each type is built to do over time, without it being a prediction of what yours specifically will return.
Contribution rate
The legal minimum combined contribution (you and your employer together) is currently 7% - 3.5% each - since 1 April 2026, stepping up to 8% (4% each) from 1 April 2028. What you contribute above that minimum is where the real decision sits, and it's worth seeing what different rates actually do to your number rather than picking one by feel.
See what your own settings actually produce: try My Current Trajectory and My Savings Plan, and see what your current contribution rate and fund type are actually on track to produce - and what changing them would do.
FAQ
It depends on your age, how long until you need the money, and your own comfort with risk - genuinely personal factors, not something with one right answer. A licensed financial adviser can help you weigh that for your own situation.
Above the legal minimum, this is a real trade-off against other priorities like mortgage repayment or other saving - My Savings Plan shows what different contribution rates actually do to your number, so you're deciding from real figures rather than a guess.
No - that's a personalised recommendation on a specific financial product, which is exactly what a licensed financial adviser is for. Circulus's tools show you what your own numbers are doing; your adviser can help you act on them.
Circulus provides calculation and education tools only. We do not provide financial advice, tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell, switch, or hold any financial product. The figures shown are estimates based on assumptions and published benchmark data, and are not a prediction of future returns or retirement outcomes.
The information is provided only to help you decide whether you would like to seek advice from a licensed financial adviser. Any advice about your personal situation can only be provided by a licensed financial adviser engaged through an appropriate financial advice provider.
- Assumptions used may not suit your individual circumstances.
- Benchmarks shown are illustrative only.
- Future outcomes are uncertain.
- Do not use this as the basis for an investing decision.