Investment Goals

Setting Goals

Goals are important to help you establish the investment solution you need.

What do you want to achieve?

Are you investing for retirement? Are you saving for the kids’ education? Or do you have another goal you want to achieve? It’s important to know what your investment goals are before you start. Your goals help you to establish the level of return you need to achieve your goal.

Your appetite for risk

Investors have differing attitudes towards risk. Conservative investors are likely to prioritise stability over high returns. A more aggressive investor is willing to take on more risk to gain the potential benefit of greater returns over time. Your risk profile may change as your circumstances change.

Your timeframe

The amount of time you have to achieve your goals will influence the type of investment you should choose. As investments can fluctuate in value, investors with a longer time horizon may be able to take on more risk. This is because they have time to offset short-term changes in value.

FAQs

How much will I have saved by retirement age?

This figure can vary dramatically and will depend on a wide variety of factors such as how much you choose to contribute, how early you sign up and whether you make any early withdrawals. It also depends on which KiwiSaver provider you choose. Although there are no guarantees, a provider with a history of delivering strong returns may give you a better chance of a comfortable retirement (although past performance does not guarantee future returns).

You may find our Digital Advice Tools helpful to see if you are on track for a comfortable retirement.

How can I use my KiwiSaver to buy my first home?

KiwiSaver members may be able to withdraw all or part of their KiwiSaver savings early if they are buying a first home; however terms and conditions do apply. An application form must be completed along with supporting documentation. Please see the Member Guide for more detail.

How are the funds transferred out of my KiwiSaver account for a first home purchase?

If your withdrawal is approved, your KiwiSaver funds will be transferred into your solicitor’s trust account prior to settlement and will be used as part of the purchase price payable to the vendor on the settlement date. If the agreement is not completed then your solicitor will repay the funds back to Milford to be reinvested back into your KiwiSaver account.

For more information, or to obtain a First Home Withdrawal Form, please contact Milford at [email protected] or phone 09 921 4700 or 0800 662 346.

Define your goal

Whatever the reason, after deciding why you’re investing, the next step is to determine how much money you need to achieve that goal and over what timeframe.

This will reveal what sort of average return you’ll need to achieve to reach that goal, and whether your goal is realistic.

This information forms the basis of your investment strategy, but any goal setting will need to include the following steps:

Time

The amount of time you have to achieve your goal.

Appetite for risk

The amount of risk you are comfortable taking.

Assets

The types of assets you're comfortable holding.

Additional contributions

Could you reach your goal faster with additional contributions?

Review, refine, reassess

Keep track of your progress and adjust your strategy if you need to.

Find your appetite for risk

Use our interactive tool.