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. Click here 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 depends 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 965 weeks in a row with investments made at market close. A flat 2% cash account was used for illustrative purposes, in reality cash savings account rates vary. 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.

Founder & Chief Executive

Dean Anderson

Time and time again the data shows that actively managed funds result in underperformance compared to simply owning a well-diversified index fund.

Majority of Actively Managed Funds Continue to Underperform

It’s worth taking a moment to make sure you’re in the right KiwiSaver plan for you. Learn when to make the switch and how it works.

Switching KiwiSaver: When Should You Do It and How Does It Work?

Marketing Manager

Christine Jensen

Kernel investor Ben Hutchison tells us his lessons from his personal finance journey, and why he likes to set and forget. Read his investor story.

Investor Stories: Ben Hutchison

If you want something for tracking your spending and savings over time, a spreadsheet or a budgeting tool is the next step for managing your finances!

5 Budgeting Tools To Sort Your Finances

Read about Kernel's changes and how we're helping Kiwis become great investors.

We’re Renovating the Financial Services Industry, Kernel Style.

Senior Tax Associate

Katrina Scorrar

Often investors use tax savings to drive which investments (and therefore provider) they choose. But should they be?

Why Tax Shouldn’t Solely Drive Your Investment Decisions

Founder & Investment Adviser

Mike Ross

Knowing how to invest for your child's future can often feel overwhelming. But it doesn't need to be. 

How to Invest for Your Child’s Future

Co-founder & Director

Kalé Emery

Wondering where to start with engaging a financial adviser or looking to change things up? We explain where and how to start your search.

A Financial Adviser’s Worth: When and How to Work With One

Office & Events Manager

Nicola Maling

Kernel investors Chris and Rosemary reassessed their lives and started planning for their financial future. Read their investor story.

Investor Stories: Chris and Rosemary Honiss

Research Analyst

Chi Nguyen

Without an investment strategy, how do you know whether you'll meet your short, medium and long term goals?

How Do I Choose the Right Investment Strategy for Me?

Product & Relationship Manager

Raj Gooptu

Making changes to your investment portfolio should be driven by a change in circumstance or the economic landscape. Find out why.

When and How Should I Be Rebalancing My Investment Portfolio?

Since 2018, sustainable investing has been on the rise both locally and globally. But what's driving this popularity?

Three Forces Accelerating Sustainable Investing

We’ve all heard the disclaimer “past performance is no indicator of future returns” thrown around or reinforced by financial providers (ourselves included!). 

Investment Returns: Why Past Performance is No Indicator of Future Returns

Chief Operating Officer

Stephen Upton

Wondering how to save or invest for your child's future? In this blog we highlight a few key concepts for saving and investing for kids.

Investing for Kids: A Guide on How to Save and Invest For Your Children

Kernel investor, Stephen, has plenty of experience when it comes to investing...and he's learnt a lesson or two along the way. 

Investor Stories: Stephen Upton

The Kernel Moonshots and Electric Vehicle Innovation Funds have had a bit of a bumpy ride since launch. Why? Read on to find out.

Why are Kernel’s Moonshots and Electric Vehicle Funds so Volatile?

Using a set and for get approach, investor Ryan Potter is aiming to achieve his goal of creating intergenerational wealth for his family.

Investor Stories: Ryan Potter

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?

Starting investing young, Christine takes a 'learn by doing' approach to investing. As an investor she's working towards financial freedom.

Investor Stories: Christine Jensen

In today’s environment, how are we to afford our first home? Are traditional methods – earning an income then saving up a lump sum in the bank for the deposit – working for us now?

Investing in Property: Why You Can’t Save Your Way to First Home Ownership

How do you know when to sell your investments? If the share price is down, should you be crystallising your losses?

Crystallising Losses: When to Sell Your Investments

There is a range of personal finance books to help improve your financial knowledge and long-term wealth creation. Find out our favourites.

Top 10 Personal Finance Books for Kiwis

With the goal of financial freedom, Ged is passionate about sustainable investing and thematic funds. Find out more in our blog.

Investor Stories: Ged Campbell

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?

The structure of an investment is important to consider when choosing which asset to invest in. Why? Find out here.

Listed and Unlisted Investments: What’s the difference?

With growing demand for ESG funds both in NZ and globally, we're proud to introduce Kernel's sustainable fund series.

Getting to know Kernel’s Sustainable Funds

Some investors perceive index funds to be lower risk and therefore provide lower returns. But is this really the case? Read on to fund out.

Demystifying Index Fund Returns

There's a common misconception that successful investing takes lots of work and time. But this isn't true. Successful investing can be simple.

Successful Investing is a Lot Simpler Than You Think

In today's low-interest rate environment, how should we be investing for retirement? How much do we need? 

Investing for Retirement: The Realities of Downsizing

Find out what exactly sustainable funds entail and how they can fit into an investment portfolio in our blog.

Do ESG and Sustainable Funds Have a Place in an Investment Portfolio?

The challenge with new ideas is that estimating their chance of success and projecting their long term profitability is very challenging.

Has it Been a Wild Ride?

Today more investors are adopting sustainable investing, looking at both the financial outcome and impact their investment on the world.

The future of investing is sustainable

Young, debt free and with a high appetite for risk, Jervis is investing in Kernel funds, private equity, crypto and more.

Investor Stories: Jervis Koo

Did you know that exchange traded funds (ETFs) may not be the best option for NZ investors?

The Problem With Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)

When investing in shares, how do you know what a company's value is? Find out why there's more to a company's value than its share price.

What is a Company’s Value?

Scratching your head thinking about tax and investing? Our simple, easy to read beginners guide makes tax and investing easy.

A Beginners Guide to Tax and Investing

Nathalie and Ross are always looking at how they can diversify their portfolio while taking a lower risk, long-term approach to investing.

Investor Stories: Nathalie & Ross Ong

Understanding how we operate as investors is a key starting point for building great investing habits. Find out how loss aversion fits in.

Loss Aversion: Why We See Losses Before Gains

Head of Marketing & Customer Strategy

Catherine Emerson

A key investment principle to know and understand is risk. Find out what the role of risk is in investing.

What to know about investing: Risk

As we approach the anniversary of 2020's market low, investors are becoming increasingly uneasy about the markets’ current decline.

With Markets Falling, Should I Sell?

Portfolio Analyst

Sam Tither

Most investors start investing in the share markets but don't understand who they’re actually buying and selling shares with. Find out more.

Who Are You Buying and Selling Shares From?

The shift from active to passive by millions of investors has been one of the most significant developments in modern financial history.

New Zealand is unique, but not when it comes to active vs passive Investing

Dubbed the next Industrial Revolution, the Electric Vehicle Innovation Fund is one to watch. 

Everything You Need to Know About Our Electric Vehicle Innovation Fund

Thematic funds have a particular place in an investment portfolio, but often investors are unsure how they fit. 

How Thematic Funds Fit Into Your Investment Portfolio

Are you the sort of person who dreams about investing in the next big thing? Welcome to investing in Thematic Funds.

The 101 of Investing in Thematic Funds 

Do you have savings in a bank account whilst interest rates are 0%? We explain how you can invest for better wealth creation!

How You Should Invest When Interest Rates are 0%

Wondering whether you should I 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.

Should I Invest in the NZ 50 Fund or NZ 20 Fund?

Wondering whether to save or invest your Christmas cash? Read our blog to find out 3 reasons why investing it is the way to go.

3 reasons to invest your Christmas cash

With record low interest rates and a bubbling equities market should you be investing in bonds? 

Why bonds aren’t for you if you’re investing for 10+ years

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

Why it’s Important to Reinvest Dividends

Tax can have a huge impact on your overall portfolio returns - in some cases by up to 2% p.a! We've got the details AND the tax calculator.

Investing in International Shares: Location, Location, Location or Tax, Tax, Tax?

The majority of active managers underperform most of the time. This happens for a set of readily identifiable reasons. 

Not a Coincidence

Knowing what small, mid and large caps are is important when choosing how to invest within your portfolio. Here, we explain all.

Small, Mid & Large Caps explained – which is best to invest in?

We break down what active investing is, how it's different to passive investing and which is the best choice for growing your wealth.

Active or Passive Investing: deciding which is best for you

One of the key roles an index manager has is to track the index as closely as possible. So, investors need to know the tracking difference.

How are we tracking?

Uncovering performance trickery highlights that strong headline performance figures can mask a very different investor experience.

Headline Performance Results – an NZ Review

Thinking about building your portfolio? Consider investing in funds that are well diversified and hold lots of different stocks or bonds.

How to start investing: building a portfolio

Successful investing isn’t as hard as you think. In this blog we walk you through key concepts and handy tips on how to start investing.

How to Start Investing: Part One

The comprehensive KiwiSaver guide, including all you need to know on risk, investment options, providers and getting the most from your fund.

All You Need to Know About KiwiSaver

On the back of an unbridled recovery of global tech stocks, is it time to say the value investing style embraced by Warren Buffett is dead?

Did the internet kill value investing?

As the backbone of modern society, investing in a Global Infrastructure Fund can provide many benefits. Find out what they are.

Investing in Global Infrastructure – Why, What & How

Investing for income can be a challenge in this low interest rate environment. That's where Global Dividend Aristocrats comes in.

Investing for Income – Global Dividend Aristocrats

By investing globally, you have a chance to spread your nest egg into baskets across the world. With so much choice, what should you consider?

What to consider when investing globally

With great excitement we announce the latest Kernel Global funds - offering three new fantastic options to Kiwi investors. So what are they? 

Kernel Global Funds are Here!

What proportion of your share portfolio you should consider having in NZ equities versus global equities? We help you decide.

Home & Away – investing locally versus globally

COVID-19 gave rise to a full-blown day trading mania. Individuals have increasingly turned to day trading in the stock market.

Have You Caught the Day Trading Virus?

For years active managers have claimed that anyone can ride the bull market and they will shine when things take a turn for the worse.

Active Managers, Where’s Your Alpha?

There are hundreds of indices and many different funds available, so how do you choose the right index fund? Follow these 7 simple tips.

7 Tips for Choosing the Right Index Fund

Why Kernel? We started with NZ equity funds because e knew we could develop an investment offering that was better designed to suit Kiwis.

Why Kernel started with NZ

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?

Are my investments making money? An important question to know the answer to. We explain the nuances with investment performance that you need to know.

All You Need to Know About Investment Performance & Returns

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

When investing in an index fund, the choice of index itself is more important than the fees. So why should you choose the NZ 20 over the NZ 50?

The Money Men & Kernel: How should I invest in 2020?

Investors make much worse decisions in down markets than increasing markets. Read about the common investor mistakes in a bear market.

Why do investors make poor decisions in down markets?

Index funds are dramatically disrupting active fund managers and empowering a new generation of investors. But how do they actually operate?

How Does an Index Fund Work?

Warren Buffett said: 'when the tide goes out, you’ll see who’s been swimming naked”. Right now, active fund managers are high and dry.

How Are Active Managers Faring Through Covid-19?

Stock market crashes happen and we will continue to see them in our lifetime. So what should you do when they do happen to ensure you don't lose out?

Crashes Happen. Here’s What To Do.

The first part of a rebound is the fastest and you don’t want to be sitting on the side-line for that. We answer the question Should I Invest Now?

The Market has Crashed. Should I Invest Now?

ETFs and index funds are not the same thing and if you're a passive investor in New Zealand, you really should be investing through an Index Fund.

Why ETFs Are Unsuitable for New Zealand Investors

Some would argue that now is a pretty good time to invest, but picking stocks is really hard. Read on for an overview of the best strategies.

Picking stocks is hard – so how should you do it?

Chris Bennett of S&P Dow Jones Indices discusses the current market situation, previous downturns and what you as an investor should do.

Understanding What Seems Like the Darkest Hour

Kernel explains what actually happens in a market correction, a crash and how investors should approach these volatile times.

Market Correction, Crashes, Bear Markets and Recession: Kernel Explains

What actually is an index? This guide breaks it down. From a brief history to how indices will impact your financial life, read on to learn more.

What is an index?

Property investment has been the darling of New Zealanders, enabling and driving personal wealth. However, we say that houses are now a bad investment.

Residential Property is Now a Bad Investment

Need to know the difference between an index fund and ETF, the types of managed funds to invest in and where to best put your money?

What’s the Difference Between an Index Fund, ETF, and More?

Buffett’s following is the stuff of legend and for good reason. However, the magnitude of Berkshire’s excess returns have been on a downtrend recently.

A buffet(t) of historical performance

Dean Anderson and Cat Emerson sat down with Reece Reilly from Kiwi Talkz to go deep into investing; how they got started, budgeting advice and more!

Investing, Budgeting & Getting Started – the Kiwi Talkz Podcast

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.

One of the best things about getting older

Retirement investing isn’t one-size-fits-all.

More funds and flexibility in retirement

A KiwiSaver Plan you can care about more and worry about less.

Sustainable Funds

Invest your future in Sustainability

The future you want doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

$0.00

0.25%

Zero

Got questions?
We have answers.

How do I join Kernel?

Who can join KiwiSaver?

How much will I pay in fees?

How safe is my money with Kernel?

Can I switch funds?

What fund should I choose?

Ready to put your money to work?

Keep up to date with Kernel

About

Learn

Legal