Government dumps five defaults adds two in major overhaul

MAY 14, 2021

Grant Robertson: NZ Finance Minister

ANZ, ASB, AMP, Fisher and Mercer have all been dumped as KiwiSaver default schemes following the latest government review.

In a release this morning, Finance Minister Grant Robertson, confirmed the default provider numbers would shrink to six with two new players – Smartshares and Simplicity – joining incumbents Westpac, BNZ, Booster and Kiwi Wealth – in the new regime.

The statement says: “On the advice of an independent panel, the number of default providers reduces from nine to six: Bank of New Zealand, Booster, BT Funds Management (Westpac), Kiwi Wealth, Simplicity and Smartshares (NZX).”

Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister David Clark said the Government went to tender last October signalling the need for providers to demonstrate they would go further to deliver more for default members.

“The six default providers were selected because they offer the best value for money for their members in terms of lower fees and higher levels of service.

“We’ve also changed the default provider settings to enhance Kiwis’ financial wellbeing in retirement. This includes moving the default investment fund type from a conservative to a balanced setting to increase the likelihood of higher returns over the long-term.”

 

Editor comment. Sound move and I like the balanced fund approach!