Kiwis urged to save earlier

Investments fund manager Carmel Fisher has some wise words about saving for that rainy day. PICTURE/STUART MUNRO 220813WCSMCARMEL FISHER1

Saving for our future is something Carmel Fisher is pretty good at talking about.

Ms Fisher should know because 15 years ago she started her company called Fisher Funds Management which has since grown into a company that manages $5.5 billion on behalf of 250,000 investors.

The 50-year-old was in Wanganui last week at the invitation of Bryce Smith Accountants to speak to an audience about creating good savings habits among children and grandchildren.

"We're not bad at saving but in my experience over 25 years adults, parents and grandparents struggle themselves with their own financial habits. That makes it difficult to pass on any meaningful advice to their children," she said.

Ms Fisher said the parents and grandparents are often struggling with financial issues of their own long after their children have left home anyway.

"I don't believe schools do a good enough job and I don't think the issue of money is covered enough in the curriculum so we're getting generation after generation coming out into the workforce, they get their very first pay packet and they don't know what to do with it wisely, and they certainly aren't thinking about retirement."

She said when Kiwis typically started thinking about retirement it was often too late after they had paid off mortgages.

"That's when they start thinking, 'Oh gosh, I better use the next five or 10 years to make as much money as I can.' But had they thought about it when they were 30 or younger and started putting a little aside as an investment, it allows the money to compound. Once you've got some saved or invested you learn. We're not bad at it but we haven't learned enough about it."

Ms Fisher said there was a time when all schools in New Zealand had regular savings schemes which all the children took part in, making regular - albeit it very small - contributions to their own bank accounts. "It sort of worked in that we ended up having a savings scheme. But while we had a savings ethic we didn't know what to do beyond that.

"It never became investing, It never became wealth management and it never became retirement planning. But what we need now is the whole continuum," she said.

Ms Fisher said another problem was the fact Kiwis were living longer.

"Some time ago we were told that our life expectancy after 65 was about another 15 years but now we're living longer and there's no way we've saved enough for that.

"The country can't afford it, the Government can't afford it. Come the next generation there will be nothing for them."

But she did pass on some simple guidelines to bring about a change.

Everyone under 65 should be in KiwiSaver.

"The younger the better. We're getting newborns whose parents are signing them up to KiwiSaver. And why not, because the Government puts in $1000 at the start. That gets you on the savings treadmill even if you don't contribute any money of your own at the beginning. There's no excuse not to be in the scheme."

She said the best thing about KiwiSaver is the Government contribution, your employer contributes a percentage as does the wage earner - three parties all saving for your retirement. And you can't get your money out until you're 65.

Start as soon as you can.

The younger the better according to Ms Fisher.

"You're never too young, too old or too conservative to invest.

"But don't sit back waiting. The longer you wait the more potential income you miss out on. And that can make a huge difference when you need it."