Investor Stories: Shane and Francesca

Shane’s early understanding of wealth was straightforward: you buy a house, you pay down the mortgage, and you hope that covers all your bases.

With two young kids and the everyday costs of raising a family, Shane and his wife, Francesca, wanted a little more breathing room. Getting on top of expenses mattered, but so did building something for the future.

Working in property, Shane was familiar with investing in a home. Investing beyond that was newer territory.

And the nudge to get going? A chat with a mate.

Shane had come across Kernel online and was looking into investing. His KiwiSaver sat where most people leave theirs - tucked away without much thought. With some encouragement from friends and a desire to see their money work smarter, Shane made the move to Kernel in early 2024, shifting his KiwiSaver over and opening personal investment funds.

Rather than putting in a large amount straight away, Shane began small and gave himself time to get comfortable. Seeing his own numbers and talking to more friends about investing helped it feel less unfamiliar. As his confidence grew, so did his contributions!

It took Francesca some time before she joined Shane at Kernel. Like plenty of families, getting on top of their expenses and building a buffer have been important parts of Shane and Francesca’s money journey. Rather than jumping in with huge lump sums, they began with manageable weekly amounts.

And when interest rates shifted down, they decided to follow a simple rule: instead of letting lifestyle creep swallow the difference, they redirected that extra cashflow directly into automated weekly investments. Work bonuses also followed suit.

For Shane and Francesca, confidence hasn’t come from knowing everything upfront. It’s come from getting started, learning along the way and seeing that they can stick with it.

Remembering what it took to get their own feet on the property ladder, having to lean on family support to bridge the gap is an experience that has shaped what they want to do for their own children.

Soon after joining Kernel, Shane and Francesca opened kids accounts for both their kids, hoping to build something that could help them buy a first home one day.

While that goal is still a long way off. For now, they’re focusing on what they can do regularly: make contributions and keep building.

When it came time to renovate their home, Shane and Francesca used some of their Kernel investments to help cover the costs rather than take out another loan.

For Shane, using that money didn’t feel like going backwards. It was money they’d built up for a goal, and now it had a job to do.

Just as importantly, they’d proved to themselves that they could stick to a regular investing habit. That gave them confidence they could build their investments back up again.

Shane’s encouragement to someone thinking about investing is simple: start, even if it’s with a small amount.

That’s how his own journey began. A conversation helped him take the leap, small contributions helped him get comfortable, and a regular habit gave him confidence to keep going.

If, like Shane, you’re ready to explore new ways to build your family’s financial security, you can explore more about Kernel here.

Real stories like Shane and Francesca’s help others take that daunting first step. If you’ve hit a milestone, learned a lesson, or just found your rhythm, sharing your experience could be the nudge someone else needs. We’d love to hear your story.