GETTING A KIWISAVER WOF — for people of all ages
Worried about how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting your KiwiSaver investment, and wondering what to do about it?
Or is KiwiSaver the last thing on your mind? Maybe you were auto enrolled and have ignored it since.
I’m worried. While it’s great to see many new people getting into investing in shares, and others taking more interest in their KiwiSaver accounts as their balances grow, they could be riding for a fall.
Not just a gravy train. Hardly anyone these days questions whether KiwiSaver is a good deal for members. The average employee’s contributions are doubled by employer and government contributions. Savings that would otherwise total $100,000 will total $200,000 in KiwiSaver. Meanwhile, non-employees who contribute $1043 a year get $521 from the government, multiplying their savings by 1.5. For them, $100,000 becomes $150,000. That’s still pretty good. And the first home incentives add to the attraction for many. However, economists question the value of the scheme for New Zealand as a whole. Are they right?
A big year for KiwiSaver. In the annals of KiwiSaver history, 2012 will be notable for two things. It will mark the start of a two-year shift away from government input and towards more employee and employer input, and it will be the first year in which members can withdraw their savings in retirement.
Perspectives article on poor KiwiSaver performance. Earlier Herald article criticising KiwiSaver is misleading for two reasons.
Concern over remarks on old-age support largely unwarranted. People should not be put off joining KiwiSaver because entitlement may eventually occur later.