Sushmita Nanda: Financial Adviser

14/08/2026

Most people know KiwiSaver can help you buy your first home. Fewer know the rules around using it for a new build, and the differences can be significant. 👇

The good news: Yes! You can use your KiwiSaver withdrawal to purchase land and build a new home, but there are some important conditions to understand first.

✅ The land purchase and the build must be part of the same transaction or a connected process. You generally can't use KiwiSaver to buy a bare section with no build planned.

✅ The property must be your principal place of residence, you must intend to live in it, not rent it out.

✅ The standard three-year contribution requirement still applies. You need to have been contributing for at least three years to be eligible.

✅ New builds are also exempt from Debt-to-Income lending restrictions, which can make a significant difference to how much you're able to borrow compared to buying an existing home.

✅ Timeframes matter. KiwiSaver withdrawals for new builds can be more complex to time correctly around the build process. Getting advice early prevents delays.

If you're considering building your first home, the rules work in your favour in several ways. But the details matter and they vary depending on your situation. 💬



👉 Find out what you're eligible for, book your free consultation at www.innovest.co.nz

14/08/2026

14/08/2026

There are dozens of KiwiSaver providers and hundreds of fund options in New Zealand. Most people pick their bank's default fund when they start work and never look at it again. 👇

That default choice may be costing you more than you realise, in fees, in returns, or both.

Here's what to actually compare when choosing a provider:

✅ Fund performance over the long term, not just the last year. Short-term returns can be misleading. Look at how a fund has performed across multiple years and across different market conditions.

✅ Fees, and what you're paying for. Some providers charge significantly more than others. Over decades, fee differences compound into meaningful amounts.

✅ Fund type and risk level, your fund should match your timeline. If you're years from needing the money, a conservative fund may be the wrong choice regardless of how comfortable it feels.

✅ The provider's investment approach and values, some Kiwis prefer ethical or socially responsible investing options. Many providers now offer these.

✅ Ease of use and transparency, can you easily check your balance, change your contribution rate, and understand how your money is invested?

Switching providers is free and takes only a few minutes. The right fund at the right fee could make a real difference to your balance over time. 💬



👉 Get advice on your KiwiSaver setup, book a free consultation at www.innovest.co.nz

11/08/2026

If you've ever had to refix your entire mortgage at once and wondered whether you chose the right timing, mortgage laddering is the strategy that removes that pressure. 👇

Mortgage laddering means splitting your home loan into multiple portions, each fixed for a different term. Instead of refixing everything at once, one portion comes up for review each year.

Here's why some advisers are recommending it in 2026:

✅ You never have your entire mortgage exposed to one rate decision at one point in time.

✅ Each year, one portion comes off its fixed term, giving you a regular opportunity to reassess the market, compare rates, and make smart decisions.

✅ If rates move up or down, you're only partially affected at any one time, not all at once.

✅ It creates predictability. You always know when your next review is coming and can plan accordingly.

In a market where rate hikes are back on the table and no one knows exactly when or how fast they'll move, spreading your risk across multiple terms is one of the simplest and most effective things you can do.

It's not complicated to set up, but it does require a conversation with someone who understands your full financial picture. 💬



👉 Get a free mortgage review today at www.innovest.co.nz

10/08/2026

You've saved your deposit. Your income looks solid. But your bank says no. Sound familiar? 👇

Since mid-2024, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand has been enforcing debt-to-income ratio limits on residential mortgage lending, and many buyers are being caught off guard by them.

Here's how it works:

Your DTI ratio is your total debt divided by your gross annual income. For owner-occupiers, the limit is generally six times your income. For investors it's seven times.

Here's the catch most buyers miss:

✅ It's not just your mortgage. Your car loan, student loan, personal loan, and even your credit card limits all count toward the total, whether you're using them or not.

✅ A high DTI can result in a declined application even if you can comfortably afford the repayments.

✅ There are exemptions, new builds, First Home Loans, and bridging finance are not subject to the same limits.

✅ Non-bank lenders operate under different rules and may offer more flexibility if the banks say no.

The best thing you can do is understand where you sit before you start house hunting, not after.



👉 Find out where you stand, book your free consultation at www.innovest.co.nz

10/08/2026

Being your own boss has a lot of advantages. But when it comes to KiwiSaver, most self-employed Kiwis are quietly missing out. 👇

When you're employed, KiwiSaver happens automatically. Your employer enrols you, deducts your contributions, and adds their own on top. When you're self-employed, none of that happens. There's no auto-enrolment and no employer to contribute on your behalf.

Here's what many business owners don't realise:

✅ You can still join KiwiSaver as a self-employed person on PAYE and make voluntary contributions at any amount you choose, meaning you’re not liable for both the employee and employer contribution.

✅ You are still eligible for the government contribution, up to a certain amount per year, as long as you contribute enough before the end of June each year.

✅ From April 2026, the default contribution rate increased from 3% to 3.5% for employees. But as a self-employed person, you set your own rate. Many business owners contribute nothing simply because no one told them they could.

✅ Your KiwiSaver balance can still be used for a first home withdrawal, the same rules apply as for employees.

Every year you're not contributing is a year of compound growth you can't get back. And unlike an employee, no one is reminding you to check.

If you're self-employed and haven't reviewed your KiwiSaver setup recently, now is the time. 💬



👉 Get your KiwiSaver sorted, book a free consultation at www.innovest.co.nz

31/07/2026

Thinking about leaving New Zealand for good? Your KiwiSaver doesn't have to stay behind, but the rules are more specific than most people realise. 👇

Here's what you need to know:

✅ If you're leaving permanently to any country other than Australia, you can apply to withdraw your KiwiSaver balance after you've been living overseas for at least one year.

✅ Moving to Australia? You can't withdraw, but you can transfer your balance to an Australian superannuation scheme from day one. That's actually the only option for Australia-bound Kiwis.

✅ What you can take: your own contributions, your employer contributions, and your investment returns.

✅ What you can't take: any government contributions you've received. These are returned to Inland Revenue when you withdraw.

⚠️ One thing most people miss: once you withdraw under permanent emigration, you cannot rejoin KiwiSaver if you later return to New Zealand. That's a big decision, and it's worth thinking through carefully before you apply.

Not sure what's right for your situation? It depends on where you're going, how long you plan to be away, and whether you might come back. Getting advice before you leave is always the smarter move.



👉 Book your free consultation today at www.innovest.co.nz

30/07/2026

If your health insurance renewal arrived and the premium was higher than last year, you're not alone.

Health insurance costs rise regularly in NZ because the cost of healthcare itself keeps increasing. Hospital procedures, specialist consultations, and medical technology all cost more year on year and insurers pass that on.

But a higher premium doesn't mean you just have to accept it. Here's what you can do:

✅ Review your excess. Choosing a higher excess can meaningfully reduce your annual premium without removing your core cover.

✅ Check what you're actually using. If your policy includes cover you've never claimed and never likely will, there may be room to adjust.

✅ Shop around. Loyalty doesn't always pay in insurance. A review across providers could find you better cover at a lower cost.

✅ Talk to an adviser. An insurance adviser can negotiate on your behalf, compare the market, and restructure your policy in ways most people wouldn't think to ask for.

Don't just accept the renewal. One conversation could save you hundreds a year. 💬



👉 Get a free insurance review today at www.innovest.co.nz