2026 Editor's Choice Awards
We Recognise New Zealand's Leading Financial Products and Services in this Dedicated Guide.
Updated 23 June 2026
Our Awards. And Why They Matter.
Our Editor's Choice Awards Highlight the Best Products from MoneyHub's Research and Guides
Our Awards. And Why They Matter.
- At MoneyHub, we believe you deserve to know about the best-of-the-best financial products and services. Our renowned research team takes the utmost care in helping everyday New Zealanders understand the options available for all their money needs.
- Our awards are not based on 'surveys' or 'reader views'. We don't award 'star ratings' or 'medals'. Instead, we read the small print, interpret performance and compare fees and rates to determine the best financial products available.
- Our awards are at a granular level - there's no confusion about what they mean. This lets you identify what we believe are the best products, most innovative offerings and top services as of June 2026.
Our Editor's Choice Awards Highlight the Best Products from MoneyHub's Research and Guides
- Our Editor's Choice Awards 2026 result from countless research hours going into every MoneyHub guide.
- We’re proud to publish our exclusive list of the best financial products New Zealand has to offer.
- We cover credit cards, insurance, KiwiSaver, lending, consumer finance, banking and investment platforms; each of our winners has earned our utmost respect.
2026 Editor's Choice Awards
Our Editor's Choice Awards cover eight categories:
1. Investment Platforms
There have never been more investment platforms and tools available. Our favourite platforms below stand out where it matters and aim to grow your wealth long term with innovative and cost-effective offerings.
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Favourite Index Fund Manager - KernelOur view: Kernel has pushed index investing with low fees, innovative funds, and a team that continues to improve the offering. Seven years on from launch and billions invested, Kernel keeps getting better and shows no sign of slowing down.
More details: Kernel Review |
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Favourite Vanguard Access - InvestNow Foundation SeriesOur view: The InvestNow Foundation Series brought Vanguard funds to New Zealanders at record-low fees and tax efficiency. For long-term investors, it delivers some of the highest after-fees-and-tax returns of any Vanguard option available locally.
More details: InvestNow Review and How to Invest in the S&P500 |
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Favourite Crypto Exchange - SwyftxSwyftx delivers tight spreads, low fees, hundreds of coins and a platform that holds up under volume. Merging with EasyCrypto earlier in 2026, Swyftx is the most consumer-friendly exchange we have reviewed in an investing category where trust and oversight matter the most.
More details: Swyftx Review |
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Favourite Forex Trading Platform - BlackBull MarketsOur view: BlackBull Markets pairs institutional-grade trading infrastructure with retail accessibility, offering tight spreads and fast execution. As a New Zealand-based and regulated operator, it gives local traders confidence in a market often dominated by offshore providers.
More details: BlackBull Markets Review |
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Favourite Leveraged Retail Fund - Booster Wealth Series Geared GrowthOur view: Booster Wealth Series' Geared Growth fund gives sophisticated retail investors a professionally managed, transparent leveraged fund built for long-term wealth creation. Usually used as part of an investor's wider portfolio, the Geared Growth fund is a credible alternative to DIY margin lending or unregulated offshore platforms.
More details: Booster Wealth Series Funds Review and Leveraged Funds |
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Favourite High-Yield Savings Product - WedgeOur view: Wedge consistently beats mainstream bank savings rates, with no bonus-rate hurdles, no minimum balance traps and a clean digital experience. Wedge gives everyday savers a genuine alternative at a time where every basis point matters.
More details: Wedge Review |
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Favourite Investing Platform for Asian Markets - Tiger Brokers (NZ)Our view: Tiger Brokers gives New Zealand investors direct, low-cost access to Hong Kong, Singapore and China A-Shares, markets that have traditionally been hard and expensive to reach. Strong research and market data make it the standout choice for anyone diversifying into high-growth Asian economies.
More details: Investing in Asian Markets |
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Favourite Multi-Market Trading Platform - Tiger Brokers (NZ)Our view: Tiger Brokers consolidates over 7,000 shares across five markets into one regulated New Zealand account, removing fees, FX friction, and the admin of juggling multiple platforms. For investors building a genuinely global portfolio, no other local platform matches its offering or pricing.
More details: Tiger Brokers (NZ) Review |
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Favourite Low-Cost US Shares Platform - Tiger Brokers (NZ)Our view: With the lowest per-share commissions and FX fees of any NZ-regulated platform, Tiger Brokers is around half the cost of its nearest competitor for US trades.
More details: Tiger Brokers (NZ) Review |
2. KiwiSaver Schemes and Funds
KiwiSaver is our favourite investment product for so many reasons. We believe there is only upside for anyone who joins and contributes. The KiwiSaver plans and schemes below stand out where it matters and offer funds that set them apart from a very crowded market.
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Favourite KiwiSaver Innovation - InvestNow KiwiSaver SchemeOur view: InvestNow KiwiSaver gives DIY investors a choice of dozens of active and passive funds and opens access to exclusive managers who otherwise keep their funds away from KiwiSaver members.
More details: InvestNow KiwiSaver Review |
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Favourite Low-Fee Fund Manager - SimplicityOur view: Simplicity is a not-for-profit provider committed to minimising fees and maximising returns, which are increasingly appearing at the top of KiwiSaver fund performance lists. Simplicity has a track record of cutting fees as it grows.
More details: Simplicity KiwiSaver Review |
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Favourite Growth-Focused KiwiSaver Scheme - Koura KiwiSaver SchemeOur view: Koura takes a disciplined, long-term approach to wealth creation, focusing on quality growth companies, alternative assets and patient capital. Strong performance across market cycles and clear communication make it a popular choice for members focused on maximising retirement wealth.
More details: Koura KiwiSaver Review |
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Favourite Ethical KiwiSaver Scheme - Pathfinder KiwiSaver SchemeOur view: Pathfinder's transparency and unrivalled ethical principles have made it one of New Zealand's most trusted KiwiSaver scheme for those considering ESG funds.
More details: Pathfinder KiwiSaver Review |
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Favourite Cash Fund - MAS Cash FundOur view: The MAS Cash Fund pairs competitive yields with PIE tax efficiency, sitting within one of New Zealand's most member-focused schemes. For members shifting to a defensive allocation or saving for a first home, the cash fund has proven itself year after year.
More details: Cash Funds |
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Favourite Member-Focused KiwiSaver Scheme - MAS KiwiSaver SchemeOur view: MAS keeps costs down by outsourcing investment decisions to industry giants, with a single management fee and no membership fee. As a mutual society, all profits are held for the benefit of members and the community rather than outside shareholders.
More details: MAS KiwiSaver Scheme Review |
3. Money Accounts and Money Products
New Zealand banks innovate on a spectrum - but there are alternatives to banks who offer similar products and services that champion the consumer. Our list recognises the most customer-focused and cost-effective offerings.
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Favourite Everyday Money Account - Booster SavvyOur view: Booster Savvy merges the convenience of a debit card with the returns of an investment fund, paying competitive interest on every dollar. Features like Boost and Sweep, along with spending analytics, set a new benchmark for everyday banking.
More details: Booster Savvy Review |
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Favourite Kids' Money App - SquareOneOur view: SquareOne gives families a clean, secure way to teach kids about money, rolling allowances, spending controls, savings goals and parental visibility into one app. It is built around financial literacy rather than just basic account access.
More details: SquareOne Review |
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Favourite Credit Union - First Credit UnionOur view: First Credit Union doesn't charge account fees on loans and mortgages and reinvests 100% of profits to keep services affordable. It does more for consumers, with better deposit and loan rates and a genuine focus on helping the local community.
More details: First Credit Union Review |
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Favourite Home Equity Release - Lifetime HomeOur view: Lifetime Home offers a transparent shared equity alternative to traditional reverse mortgages, with no monthly repayments and no spiralling compound interest. Retirees keep control of their property and still benefit from future capital gains.
More details: Lifetime Home Review |
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Favourite Money Transfer Service - WiseOur view: Wise puts the customer at the centre with low fees, extensive payment options and near-instant transfers for many currencies. Whether sending money once or regularly, it beats the banks and PayPal on value, convenience and speed.
More details: Wise Review |
4. Credit and Debit Cards
We believe most credit cards on offer lack rewards, have too high an interest rate, and charge too much as an annual fee. However, for those who look, there are some value-adding credit cards on offer. We list the leading options below:
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Favourite Balance Transfer Credit Card - ASB Visa LightOur view: While other banks offer short-lived balance transfer deals, ASB runs its 0% six-month offer year-round. With a $0 annual fee and a low long-term interest rate, the Visa Light is a dependable, fairer option for paying down credit card debt.
More details: Best Credit Cards |
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Favourite Travel Credit Card - Flight Centre MastercardOur view: The Flight Centre Mastercard charges no FX or currency conversion fees and gives a leading rebate on Flight Centre bookings, redeemable against any airline, hotel or package.
More details: Flight Centre Mastercard Review |
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Favourite Travel Money Card - Wise Debit CardOur view: The Wise debit card beats every bank-issued debit card on FX, charging around 0.50% on popular currencies, which is lower than any travel money card. Add free overseas ATM withdrawals within limits and an app to track and control spending, and it is the ultimate travel money card.
More details: Travel Money Cards |
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Favourite No Annual Fee Credit Card - The American Express Airpoints CardOur view: Free credit cards rarely offer much in the way of rewards, but the American Express Airpoints Card is the exception, earning a 1% reward rate with no annual fee. That earn rate is unrivalled among other card issuers.
More details: Best Credit Cards |
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Favourite Airline Credit Card - The American Express Airpoints Platinum CardOur view: The American Express Airpoints Platinum Card earns Airpoints Dollars at roughly twice the rate of bank-issued platinum cards, with four annual lounge passes and travel insurance benefits. We consider it to be the leading Air New Zealand card.
More details: Best Credit Cards |
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Favourite Rewards Credit Card - The American Express Gold Rewards CardOur view: With annual dining credits, free travel insurance and flexible point redemption, the American Express Gold Rewards Card offers value New Zealand banks simply cannot match, making it the ultimate rewards credit card.
More details: Best Credit Cards |
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Favourite Business Credit Card - The American Express Gold Business CardOur view: The American Express Gold Business Card pairs strong rewards with genuinely useful business tools, including detailed expense reporting and employee cards with individual controls. It is built for how small and mid-sized businesses actually run.
More details: Best Credit Cards |
5. Personal Lending and Business Tools
Personal and business lenders in New Zealand offer rates and service from excellent to terrible, and sadly, there is far too much of the latter. MoneyHub continues to be approached by lenders with appalling reputations for 'promotion' - we would never provide coverage to lenders who directly or indirectly damage the communities they operate in.
Thankfully, there is a handful of personal and business lenders who excel at looking after their customers. Our shortlist below recognises those we believe have the borrower's best interests at heart.
Thankfully, there is a handful of personal and business lenders who excel at looking after their customers. Our shortlist below recognises those we believe have the borrower's best interests at heart.
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Favourite Car Loan Lender - Simplify LoansOur view: Simplify is a specialist broker that works with several lenders to find the cheapest car financing for its customers in an industry that often creates unaffordable debt. It is 100% online, 100% car-lending focused, and delivers affordable car loans to hundreds of New Zealanders every month.
More details: Simplify Review |
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Favourite Personal Lender - First Credit UnionOur view: First Credit Union offers no-fee personal loans with no early-repayment, application, or issue fees, which is almost unheard of in the personal loans space. Every borrower also contributes at least $5 a week to savings, finishing their loan with money in the bank.
More details: First Credit Union Review |
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Favourite Personal Loan Provider - HarmoneyOur view: Harmoney is the go-to lender for middle New Zealand, with online applications taking minutes and approvals within 24 hours. It is upfront about rates and fees, charges no early-repayment penalties, and delivers competitive lending at scale.
More details: Harmoney Review |
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Favourite Business Lender - ProspaOur view: Prospa specialises in fast small business lending, with decisions in hours and loan terms matched to business cash flow. For owner-operators needing working capital, Prospa's popular service fills a critical gap.
More details: Prospa Review |
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Favourite Climate Resilience Lending Product - Westpac NZ Choices Home LoanOur view: Westpac is the first New Zealand bank to fund climate and weather resilience work directly through home lending, offering up to $50,000 interest-free for five years. As major flood and storm events become more frequent, this kind of bank-side investment in resilience matters more than ever.
More details: Green Loans |
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Favourite International Business Account - Wise BusinessOur view: Wise Business gives New Zealand SMEs a multi-currency account with local details in over 20 currencies, FX from around 0.50% and direct Xero integration, with no monthly fees. It is materially cheaper and simpler than mainstream bank business FX.
More details: Wise Business Account Review |
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Favourite Tax Service for Self-Employed - HnryOur view: Hnry automatically handles tax, GST, ACC and student loan obligations for the self-employed, processing each payment and paying Inland Revenue directly. For the hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders earning income outside PAYE, it is the most useful product we have seen this decade.
More details: Hnry Review |
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Favourite Small Business Accounting Software - XeroOur view: Xero is the dominant small business accounting platform in New Zealand for good reason, with an intuitive design, thousands of integrations and reporting depth that makes running any SME much easier.
More details: Xero Review |
6. Insurance and Mortgages
Insurance is a tricky market - there is no "best" car insurer, nor is there one insurer who always offers the lowest prices for home and contents or a mortgage lender who beats everyone else. For this reason, it's impossible to single out one provider in crowded markets such as car, home and contents. Instead, we've listed our favourite insurers (and products), which go beyond the standard policies and deliver real value and benefits to a policyholder.
While some insurers sit back and sell policies and process claims, our list below recognises the innovation that is helping everyday New Zealanders get a better deal.
While some insurers sit back and sell policies and process claims, our list below recognises the innovation that is helping everyday New Zealanders get a better deal.
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Favourite Pet Insurer - PD InsuranceOur view: PD Insurance offers comprehensive cover, fast, fair claims, and a digital-first approach that makes ongoing administration painless. In a category long populated by middling providers, it is the most consumer-friendly option we have reviewed.
More details: Compare Pet Insurance |
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Favourite Home Insurance for Area Replacement Cover - MASOur view: MAS has held the line on area-based replacement cover while most major insurers have shifted to sum-insured policies that push rebuild cost risk back onto homeowners. After the cyclones and floods of recent years, that fairer approach has never been more relevant.
More details: Compare House Insurance |
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Favourite Home Insurance Policy for Natural Disaster Protection - MASOur view: MAS pairs strong home insurance fundamentals with a proven record of fair, timely claims after floods, cyclones and earthquakes. In a country increasingly exposed to natural hazards, that operational track record is worth more than any glossy brochure.
More details: Natural Disasters and Home Insurance |
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Favourite Home Insurance Quote Platform - InitioOur view: Initio's technology delivers a high-quality insurability assessment and property premium in under six seconds, helping New Zealanders in hard-to-insure areas. It is a future-focused insurer propelling the industry toward faster, fairer quoting.
More details: Initio Review |
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Favourite Health Insurer - AIAOur view: AIA delivers the most comprehensive overall health insurance package in the market, with unlimited surgical cover, strong non-surgical and overseas benefits.
More details: Compare Health Insurance (by insurer) |
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Favourite Nationwide Mortgage Adviser - LifeDirectOur view: LifeDirect's mortgage advisory service combines national reach with local expertise and access to a wide panel of lenders. Quality advice is not limited to the main centres, and its lender relationships often secure better outcomes than going directly to a bank.
More details: LifeDirect Mortgages Review |
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Favourite Insurance Broker - LifeDirectOur view: LifeDirect compares policies across multiple insurers to find the right cover at a competitive price across health, life, income protection and trauma insurance. It stands out for genuine advice and ongoing support that extends well beyond the initial sale.
More details: Life Insurance Comparison |
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Favourite Travel Insurer for Over 70s - Southern Cross Travel InsuranceOur view: Where many insurers price older travellers out of the market, SCTI offers fair pricing and genuinely meaningful cover for the over-70s. Exclusions are clearly explained, and the cover holds up when it matters most.
More details: Travel Insurance for Over 70s |
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Favourite Travel Insurer for Pre-Existing Conditions - Southern Cross Travel InsuranceOur view: Southern Cross Travel Insurance handles pre-existing medical conditions better than any insurer we have reviewed, with a transparent assessment process and real cover, unlike competitors who apply blanket exclusions. For travellers with health considerations, that difference matters enormously.
More details: Travel Insurance for Pre-Existing Conditions |
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Favourite Travel Insurer - Southern Cross Travel InsuranceOur view: Southern Cross Travel Insurance is consistently the strongest travel insurer in MoneyHub research, with comprehensive cover, competitive pricing and the strongest claims track record we have seen.
More details: Compare Travel Insurance |
7. Money Management and Consumer Finance Services
We showcase the most helpful services that champion the consumer and are offered for no cost. From budgeting apps and 0% interest loans to comprehensive support, these providers go above and beyond by delivering a high-quality service with nothing but benefits to its user.
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Favourite Budgeting Innovation - Booster SavvyOur view: Booster Savvy builds budgeting into the account itself, with spending categorisation, automated savings, and detailed reporting, with no third-party app subscription. Removing that friction is what actually changes behaviour.
More details: Booster Savvy Review |
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Favourite Free Advisory Service - Citizens Advice BureauOur view: The Citizens Advice Bureau helps millions of New Zealanders every year, in person, by freephone and online, across an enormous range of consumer, legal and personal issues. The MoneyHub team routinely refers users to CAB, knowing they will be in the best hands.
More details: Debt Help |
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Favourite Microfinance Service - Ngā Tāngata Microfinance TrustOur view: Ngā Tāngata Microfinance provides ethical, interest-free loans that give financially vulnerable New Zealanders a hand up, backed by Kiwibank. Paired with budgeting and mentoring, it helps break the cycle of high-interest debt.
More details: Debt Help |
8. Telecommunications Products and Services
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Favourite Hyperfibre Provider - ZeronetOur view: Zeronet leads the hyperfibre market with competitive, transparent pricing that makes upgrading from standard fibre a sensible decision rather than an expensive luxury.
More details: Zeronet Broadband Review |
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Favourite Roaming Service - RevolutOur view: Revolut's roaming features make it the standout choice for New Zealanders heading overseas, with low-priced data roaming services in almost every country.
More details: Mobile Data Roaming Review |
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