What to do with your funds after retiring?

Liz Koh.

Retirement is something to look forward to - a new way of being and lots of new experiences ahead. However, there is one big concern, and that is making sure there is enough money to provide a comfortable lifestyle until the end of life.

Accumulating money in a KiwiSaver or superannuation scheme is straightforward; it's just a matter of setting up a regular payment into the scheme where it is managed.

Once the funds become available on reaching retirement, the big question is what to do with them.

In simple terms, most retirees want an ongoing income that is higher than NZ Superannuation and access to occasional lump sums for big one-off expenses such as buying a new car or travelling overseas.

One solution for this is to have an investment portfolio that comprises an annuity to provide ongoing income and a lump sum invested in liquid assets that can be sold to release additional funds.

An annuity is a contractual financial product that converts a lump sum into a series of regular payments for life. The payments made are a combination of investment return and repayment of investment capital.

Old style annuities have no residual value on death and do not allow withdrawal of lump sums over and above the regular payments however there are new products that offer residual value and withdrawals.

Unfortunately, annuities have limited availability in New Zealand. Members of the now closed Government Superannuation Scheme and certain company superannuation schemes may have the option of taking some or all of their funds as an annuity.

The key advantage of annuities is certainty of income - something most retirees desire.

- Liz Koh is an authorised financial adviser. The advice given is general and does not constitute specific advice. A disclosure statement is free. Call 0800 273 847. For free e-books, see moneymax.co.nz and moneymaxcoach.com.