Superannuation products

Unlike a bank term deposit, the return you get from your superannuation scheme will go up and down over time, depending on what it’s investing in. With some schemes the investment choice will be made for you. In others you’ll choose an investment fund.

Growth and aggressive funds have a much higher proportion of ‘growth’ assets. Growth assets are things like shares and property and these go up and down in value more frequently than ‘income’ assets like cash and bonds. This means their returns may rise and fall quickly. However over time they typically provide a higher return.

Superannuation scheme returns aren’t shown in tools like Smart Investor as there are often special features of superannuation schemes that mean you can’t compare them directly to KiwiSaver funds. However, you can use average KiwiSaver fund returns as a guide to what you should expect from your superannuation scheme.

Superannuation schemes are either monitored by a licensed supervisor or by us to make sure they meet the required standards and act with your best interests in mind. All superannuation schemes must be registered.  The risks for individual schemes vary depending on the scheme structure.

Fees can have a big impact on your total returns over the longer term. It’s worth keeping an eye on the fees you pay because as your balance grows so will your fees.

Fees are determined by 3 things:

1. How big your balance is – the bigger the balance, the greater the fee
2. The type of investment fund you’re in – generally lower-risk funds are cheaper than higher-risk funds (but remember lower-risk funds give less overall return)
3. The scheme provider – some providers charge higher fees than other

Check your statement annually

Review your superannuation scheme account at least once a year.  The ideal time to do this is when you receive your annual member statement. Your annual statement shows money that has gone in and out of your superannuation account in the past year.

Review the scheme's annual report

All superannuation schemes must give you a copy of their annual report, or a link to it on their website, within six months of the end of their financial year.

The annual report describes any changes made to the scheme in the last year, how it’s being managed, how investments have performed against the scheme’s goals, and if the auditor has raised any concerns. It also gives details of the size of the scheme’s membership, total funds invested and investment returns.

In addition to the annual report, you’ll also be able to access annual fund updates for the individual funds within your scheme. Fund updates let you see how your fund is performing, what it’s costing you and what your fund is currently investing in.

Don't be spooked if your balance falls

This is a normal part of investing and reacting by making changes when the value is low will often make things worse.

5 things to consider

1. What benefits will you lose when you transfer?
2. If you’re using a financial adviser to help with the transfer, is the fee set or is it commission-based? If the fee is commission-based, find out how much, and make sure you are comfortable your adviser is acting in your best interest.  
3. Will you be charged any other fees, either by your adviser or the pension or superannuation providers?
4. Are there any tax implications you need to consider?
5. Will the age you can access your benefits be different?

Transferring your UK pension fund

If you want to transfer money from your UK pension fund back to New Zealand, you must use a New Zealand Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (ROPS) - a scheme which has permission to receive transferred UK pension funds. You cannot transfer your UK pension savings into your KiwiSaver scheme.

If you have already transferred your UK pension into a New Zealand ROPS, you may be able to transfer it back to a registered pension scheme in the UK, but the rules around this are complex, including any tax implications, so we strongly recommend you speak to a financial adviser and consider speaking to an international tax adviser.

If you’re in a UK ‘defined benefit’ (DB) pension scheme or fund, transferring your savings to New Zealand can have significant financial and tax implications. Seek financial and tax advice to ensure the transfer is in your best interests. 

• IRD’s information about the NZ taxation of foreign superannuation
• the UK Government’s information on transferring your pension

Transferring Australian superannuation funds

If you’re a New Zealand resident, you can transfer your Australian superannuation savings into your KiwiSaver scheme. If you’re living in Australia permanently, you can also transfer your KiwiSaver savings to an Australian complying superannuation scheme.

Once your pension has been transferred, you cannot transfer it back, so we strongly recommend you speak to a financial adviser first. You should also consider speaking to an international tax expert. You should also consider speaking to an international tax expert. To learn more, go to the IRD website.

Transferring from other countries

If you are a New Zealand resident wanting to transfer pension funds from your country of origin to New Zealand, you need to check whether the laws in your country allow it.

Consider the tax and financial implications before deciding. The IRD's website provides some information on foreign superannuation taxation, but you should also get advice from a financial adviser and an international tax expert.