A challenging time for monetary policy
Inflation in Uncertain Times I do feel for the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) right now. An oil-and-energy shock driven by conflict in the Middle East is pretty much the nightmare scenario for any central bank: It lifts prices and leans on growth at the same time.Higher fuel and energy costs […]
Active and Passive Investing
Core & Explore: A Practical View of Active vs Passive Investing Active and passive investing are often presented as an either/or choice. We don’t see it that way. In most portfolios, the best results come from combining both—using low-cost market exposure where it makes sense, and using carefully chosen active managers where experience and a […]
The Perils Of Mixed Media Financial Advice
Why Consistency and Caution Matter for Your Money In today’s digital world, information is just a click away. Along with a love interest from Russia! From podcasts hosted by charismatic personalities to YouTube channels promising quick wealth, and from endless social media threads to round-the-clock financial news, we are bombarded by a dizzying array of […]
The politics of 2026
Is New Zealand’s Rising Tax Burden a Temporary Aberration — or the New Normal? 2026 will be an interesting year for New Zealand. Not because the fiscal pressures we face will suddenly appear, but because a general election will force politicians — and voters — to confront choices that have been building for decades. Is the […]
AI Boom Or Bubble
A recent Stuff article (published October 10th) carried the headline: “AI Bubble Warning: How worried should you be about your investment and KiwiSaver?” You can read the full article here: AI Bubble warning: AI Bubble warning: How worried should you be about your investments and KiwiSaver? | Stuff While the piece raises valid points about high […]
How We Review and Monitor Managers to Protect Investor Outcomes
One of the most important responsibilities we carry at Isbister’s KiwiWrap KiwiSaver is making sure that every dollar of our members’ money is working as hard as possible. Achieving strong long-term investment outcomes isn’t just about choosing good managers at the outset—it’s about constantly reviewing, monitoring, and holding those managers accountable to ensure they are […]
Mortgage Strategy vs Interest Rate
With interest rates coming down, mortgage holders coming off higher rates will be breathing a sigh of relief. It will be tempting to go for the lowest interest rate when it comes time to refix. This was the case 5 years ago when interest rates were somewhere between early 2s and late 2s. With hindsight […]
The Four D’s Shaping the Future of Investment Markets
In the ever-evolving world of investing, few periods in recent history have been as uncertain or potentially transformative as the one we are entering now. Four powerful forces—Donald Trump, Demographics, Disruption, and Debt—are converging in a way that is reshaping investment landscapes. Investors must be alert, adaptive, and strategic as these “Four D’s” could fundamentally alter where value […]
Market Update: Interest Rates, Investor Sentiment, and Mortgage Strategy
The markets appear to be stabilising, with much of the decline seen following “Liberation Day” largely recovered, despite recent volatility sparked by tariff announcements. While it’s tempting to view this rebound as a return to “happy days,” it may be more accurately described as cautious optimism or relief. The FONZ isn’t quite giving it the […]
Have we been Trumped?
With Donald Trump introducing a swath of trade tariffs the markets have not responded kindly. This has flowed through to your investments such as Kiwisaver and other investments that are influenced by market reactions. At the time of writing the S&P 500 (the index of largest companies in America) was down -12.27%, the Nasdaq (the […]