A lot of Kiwis would like to get some good financial advice, but don’t know where to start, or what to look for.
In a nutshell, a Financial Adviser is one point of contact, who knows all the financial stuff, inside and out.
They’re independent, registered, and work with lots of Insurance Companies, Lawyers, Accountants etc to make sure your ducks are in a row.
Your Adviser is like your own personal ‘fixer’. If something changes in your life (like a new job, new kids or buying a house, they’ll help you sort your Insurances, KiwiSaver, Mortgage, Legal Documentation etc so it continues to meet your needs through life.
One of the most important things your Financial Adviser can do, is go to bat for you if you need to make an Insurance claim. They deal directly with the Insurance Company to make sure they pay out.
There’s only a few thousand Independent Financial Advisers in New Zealand, and they’re busy as bees working to looking after their clients. We can tell you wholeheartedly, our Advisers at Solutions (our sister company), are fiercely passionate about helping Kiwis succeed in life financially.
Some Financial Advisers will charge you a fee for their work (mainly in the investment space), while many others offer their services free of charge (they are usually paid a fee directly by the financial institutions, such as the Insurance Company or KiwiSaver provider, to look after you).
They say there’s no time like the present, and Covid-19 has certainly shaken us all this year. This has highlighted the need for Kiwis to have good financial resilience for when the unexpected happens – This is exactly what Financial Advisers are there to help you with.
“New Zealanders who get financial advice on average have KiwiSaver balances over 50% bigger than those who don’t; are more likely to have insurance cover; and have greater peace of mind and confidence in making financial decisions.” - Money & You NZ