Learn the fundamentals of budgeting, saving and planning towards your financial goals.

Budgeting Basics

Saving is hard - we know. To make it a little easier, we put together a simple, easy-to-follow guide covering how to save money effectively in New Zealand. 

How to save money effectively in NZ

We never know what life can throw at us financially, so we need to be prepared when big expenses hit. Here's the 101 on emergency funds.

How to Set Up an Emergency Fund

Discover how setting clear financial goals can help you invest successfully. Learn practical tips, backed by research, to build habits, stay accountable, and grow your wealth with purpose.

Learn how clear financial goals can boost your investment success. Get practical tips, backed by research, to build habits, stay accountable, and grow your wealth with purpose.

How to Set Clear Money Goals for a Successful 2025

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Learn the basics of getting started in the share markets – understanding your investment horizon, choosing investments and developing sound investing habits.

Investing Must Knows

There’s a new way to invest in shares & it’s easier than ever with the Kernel platform. And just like our other products it’s designed for simplicity and low fees. 

Kernel Shares & ETFs: A new way to invest in the US share market

Cash out or reinvest your dividends? Find out why it's important for investors to have a plan when it comes to reinvesting dividends.

Dividends & Distributions Explained: The Case for Reinvesting

If you're wanting to invest a lump sum of money - how best do you do this? We explain when you should drip-feed in into the market or invest the whole lot.

How to Invest A Lump Sum of Money

Learn about the key differences between Kernel funds, how fund performance works and more. 

Understanding Kernel Funds

New Kernel Funds: World ex US, Australia 100, Conservative. Diversify your NZ investments with low-fee, tax-efficient PIE funds

Meet Our 4 New Funds – More Choice & Control

Are investing in emerging markets right for you? This guide breaks down what you need to know before making a decision. 

Should You Invest in Emerging Markets?

Wondering whether you should invest in the NZ 50 Fund or the NZ 20 Fund? Find out why the NZ20 is our index fund of choice in our blog.

The NZ 20 vs NZ 50

Investing involves risk including the possible loss of principal and there is no assurance that the investment will provide positive performance over any period of time.

The information provided should not be relied upon as investment advice or recommendations and should not be considered specific legal, investment or tax advice.

Any information we provide is general only and current at the time of writing.

Kernel Wealth Limited (Kernel) is the issuer and manager of the Kernel Scheme. 

 for the Product Disclosure Statement. Past performance is not an indicator of future returns.

All returns are exclusive of tax. As PIE tax and withholding tax on interest earnt depend on personal factors, it would be confusing to include and unlikely to change the outcome. We have used the NZX50 gross index daily price series, where all dividends were reinvested on ex-date, exclusive of fees. Fees would have a negligible impact on the relative outcome of the different strategies.

Savings were made every Thursday for weeks in a row with investments made at market close. The 90 day bank bill rate was used for illustrative purposes, in reality cash savings account rates vary periodically. Past performance is no indicator of future performance for any investment. This article does not constitute financial advice, as your personal circumstances have not been taken into account.

 There are alternatives available for individual investors, including comparable value and de minimis exceptions but the hassle and associated cost likely outweighs the benefit achieved for most investors. Any NZ fund manager only has the FDR option. 28% is the PIR rate for those earning over $48,000, but if individually investing in companies the rate is up to 39%. Please note this is not tax advice as we are not a tax accounting firm and we don’t know your situation.

Whether you’re just getting started or a seasoned investor, here you can find everything you need to know about investing in the share markets.

Investing

Keen to save smarter for what matters today and tomorrow? Here you can learn the ins and outs of budgeting, saving and money management.

Saving

KiwiSaver can be a great tool to use on your road to a financially secure retirement. So, here is everything that you need to know to be able to get the most of your KiwiSaver.

KiwiSaver

Wondering how to decipher between the Kernel funds, or which might be most suitable for your goals? We explain it all in our blogs below. 

Choosing investments

Set your kids up for a financially secure future. Teach them the foundations of money and investing all while learning more yourself. 

Kids

An easily complicated topic, we simply explain how tax impacts your investments.

Have you been thinking of switching KiwiSaver providers? Check out our blog to see if the Kernel KiwiSaver plan is right for you.

Have you been thinking of switching KiwiSaver providers? Find out whether the Kernel KiwiSaver plan is right for you.

Is the Kernel KiwiSaver Plan Right for You?

When making the decision to invest it's natural to seek comfort that they're being managed prudently. At Kernel, your investments are protected.

How Safe is My Investment?

Whether you're new to investing or a seasoned pro, now you can build a portfolio of low-cost, well-diversified Kernel funds, easily.

How Can Kernel Funds Fit Together?

Often the S&P 500 index or ETF can be a go-to for many NZ investors, but is it the most suitable investment option? Find out in our blog.

Often the S&P 500 index or ETF can be a go-to for many NZ investors, but is it the most suitable investment option? 

S&P 500 vs S&P Global 100: Which Should I Invest In?

Most Read Articles

In the past year, the real return on a savings account has gone negative. So what's the opportunity cost of leaving your money in savings?

The Opportunity Cost of Savings

The Kernel Blog provides you with the latest market updates and news. Find key information on investing, saving, retirements, index funds, investing for your kids and more. Browse by topic or find the information you need about how to get started through to building your investment portfolio.

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