Your stage · Building deposit
You're focused on getting into your first home.
Your KiwiSaver is one of your biggest deposit levers. The right fund choice in the years before you buy can mean tens of thousands of dollars difference at settlement — or thousands lost if a downturn lands at the wrong moment.
Where your KiwiSaver actually stands
You don't know — and that's the most common answer.
Around 70% of New Zealanders have their KiwiSaver with one of the major banks (ANZ, ASB, BNZ, Westpac, Kiwibank). In the Morningstar Q4 2025 survey, the bank-scheme funds typically rank in the bottom half of their Morningstar category for 5-year returns — and they often charge higher fees than specialist providers. If yours is one of these, the simplest first step is to find out which fund you're in.
Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns. Find your fund name on your last KiwiSaver statement or in your provider's app — then the rank is one click away.
- Time horizon matters more than fund label. The closer you are to buying, the less risk should be sitting between you and your deposit.
- Contribution rate compounds harder than fund choice in the final years before purchase — make sure you’re using all the levers, not just one.
- Most first home buyers don’t realise their KiwiSaver provider charges fees that quietly eat 0.3–1% of returns every year. Fee structure is usually the easiest thing to fix.
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This quiz provides general information only and is not personalised financial advice. For advice tailored to your situation, book a strategy session.