Financial Adviser List
MoneyHub's list has 50+ financial advisers operating their services all over New Zealand
Updated 23 August 2021
This list of financial advisers originally appeared on Mary Holm's website, New Zealand's most trusted and published personal finance journalist. Since August 2021, MoneyHub updates and manages this list. Mary has helpfully provided the background information below. We strongly suggest reading it before contacting any financial adviser.
Please Note: The work of these advisers has not been checked by Mary Holm and/or MoneyHub. They have simply said they comply with the rules about fees. These advisers are not necessarily recommended. For more information about Advisers in general, visit our dedicated guide.
Know This First - Mary's Comments about Adviser fees:
To explain the commission vs fee model, Mary uses a helpful example:
The list of Fees-only Advisers below outlines advisers who avoid a commission-based approach to advice. Our guide covers:
Are you an advisor? Do you want to be included in our list? Please see our Join the Advisers list form.
Please Note: The work of these advisers has not been checked by Mary Holm and/or MoneyHub. They have simply said they comply with the rules about fees. These advisers are not necessarily recommended. For more information about Advisers in general, visit our dedicated guide.
Know This First - Mary's Comments about Adviser fees:
- Financial advice is regulated by the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). Therefore, Mary (and MoneyHub) strongly recommends that anyone thinking of using the services of a financial adviser reads what the FMA says here.
- Mary's comments about the way advisers are paid is important: "My reservation about the 'new and improved' financial adviser regime is that advisers are still permitted to receive commissions or other incentives from a financial product provider as a reward for putting clients’ money into that provider’s products".
- Mary believes "clients sometimes say they are happy with this, as they may be charged low or no fees because the adviser receives enough commission income. But the quality of the advice they receive must suffer".
To explain the commission vs fee model, Mary uses a helpful example:
- "Ask yourself: would you be happy if your doctor prescribed Drug A, even though Drug B was better because the makers of A gave the doctor a bigger reward? I far prefer advisers to turn down commissions or pass them on to their clients and then charge the clients fees. The adviser’s only motivation is then to serve their clients as well as they can".
- "It’s well worth putting time and effort into finding a good adviser. And once you find her or him, it can be well worth paying them reasonable fees. Over the long run, you could end up considerably better off".
The list of Fees-only Advisers below outlines advisers who avoid a commission-based approach to advice. Our guide covers:
Are you an advisor? Do you want to be included in our list? Please see our Join the Advisers list form.
Meeting with an adviser? Mary suggests you test them first:
- A good adviser, who is putting your interests first, should always ask every client at the start if they have debt. If the answer is yes, and the interest rate is higher than mortgage rates, the adviser should recommend repaying that before making any investments.
- Mary also believes the same can be said for repaying a home mortgage. However, there are some advantages to also saving a little in shares, bonds and so on, for diversification and to learn about markets. And this argument is particularly strong if that saving is in KiwiSaver. If you contribute just the minimum to get all the KiwiSaver incentives, that will probably be better than putting that money into mortgage repayment. Beyond that, though, it’s a good idea to attack the mortgage.
- Mary goes further - "you might be wondering whether you should simply repay debt and skip the adviser until your mortgage is paid off. Possibly. But a good adviser should help to ensure you are handling your debt optimally and investing your KiwiSaver money wisely. They might also assist with mortgage choices, wills and so on. At an initial meeting, ask what they could do for you".
Fees-only Advisers
- The advisers in the following table charge fees only. Neither Mary nor MoneyHub have any financial relationship with them, nor is their inclusion a recommendation.
- We suggest you interview several advisers before choosing one. You need someone you can communicate with easily, and feel you can trust. Note, too, that some of the fees can be higher than expected.
- Most financial advisers listed below offer a free first meeting with a potential client, either in person or on the phone. Some advisers stipulate the first free meeting is only for half an hour. Please ask upfront to know where you stand.
Every adviser on the list below has agreed to the following:
- “I guarantee that when I give any new client investment advice or help them to make any investments, the only money or other consideration I receive is explicitly stated fees that I charge the client. Any commissions or other considerations I receive from financial firms or others are passed on in full to the client.”
- “I promise to give any clients who request it a signed letter that says, ‘I truly believe I have given you the best advice I can, having considered a wide range of products, and that I have told you about all real or potential conflicts of interest.’.
- We urge you to ask for such a letter.
- To be on the list below, advisers also had to state that they give advice on all types of investments, including property. By “property”, we are referring to general advice in that area, not necessarily advice on specific property purchases. For example, the adviser could help a client weigh up whether to invest in rental property generally versus investing in a share fund.
- Some advisers suggested exclude advice on KiwiSaver because hourly fees could be high relative to low KiwiSaver balances, whereas commissions might be around $5 or $10 a year. One states, "We take the commission, disclose this and don’t charge fees for KiwiSaver for now.” We believe this is reasonable, but the best approach is to ask an adviser how they handle KiwiSaver.
- This guide and adviser list does not include insurance - only investment advice and products. Some advisers listed here do receive a commission on insurance products. If readers want to purchase insurance from an adviser, the best thing to do is ask the adviser how they will be rewarded.
- Important: Always ask about fees charged upfront and ongoing fees. Mary and MoneyHub believe good firms should disclose all this clearly on their website and in their literature.
- Be aware: Some advisers charge high “monitoring” fees and don’t seem to do much for that money. As first reported on the Mary Holm website, one adviser said, "I like it when clients challenge me over the fees I charge because it allows me the opportunity to reinforce what we actually do for them.” We believe a good adviser shouldn’t mind your asking.
Adviser List
We will shortly publish an interactive version. For now, we have provided a PDF version for you to access and/or download.
| Firm (click to be taken to the website) | Adviser Name(s): | Phone No. | Offices or Areas Regularly Visited | Minimum Initial Investment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accordia | Selwyn Paynter, Sian Ruth, Andrew Verrall | 0800 444 999 | Christchurch, Nelson, Blenheim, Takaka, Motueka, Westport, Hokitika, Greymouth, Ashburton, Dunedin, Invercargill, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Auckland | $5,000 |
| Advice Hub | Andrew Hamilton, Dylan Mann, Karen Miller, Peter Fenwick, Peter Miller | 0800 806 806 | Christchurch, Nelson, Blenheim, Takaka, Motueka, Westport, Hokitika, Greymouth, Ashburton, Dunedin, Invercargill, Wellington, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Auckland | No minimum |
| Auckland Financial | Paul King | N/A | Auckland | No minimum |
| Axiome Consultants Ltd | Philip de Lisle | 09 445 2134 | Auckland, Wellington | Usually $200,000 |
| Balmer, Jeffs & Co Ltd | Duncan Balmer, Rob Jeffs | 09 445 1224, 03 355 1500 | DB: Auckland, Tauranga, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Wellington RJ: Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill, Queenstown, Nelson | $1 million |
| Bloomsbury Associates | Philip Stevenson | 04 499 6979, 0276 45 9155 | Wellington | No minimum |
| Bradley Nuttall Nelson Ltd | Doug Johns, Lynette Johns | 03 539 4240 | Christchurch, Ashburton, West Coast, Nelson, Marlborough, Wellington, Hawkes Bay, Waikato | Usually $200,000 |
| Bradley Nuttall Otago Limited | John Alexander, Fraser Richardson | 03 477 2316 | Dunedin, Otago, Southland, Queenstown Lakes, Wanaka, North Otago, Canterbury | $250,000 |
| Britannia Financial Services Ltd | Wayne Becker, Gareth Grey, Alun Rees-Williams, Louise Parker, Malcolm Stewart, Nathan Stewart, Veronica Williams, Garry Williams, Kevin Aanensen, Peter Cassidy | 0800 28 28 33 | Auckland, throughout NZ | Varies |
| Cambridge Partners | Richard Austin, Steve Mander, Andrew Nuttall, Scott Rainey, Todd Sutton, Jacob Wolt | 0800 864 164, 03 364 9119 | Throughout NZ | Usually $250,000 |
| Common Sense Financial Planning | Brad MacDonald | 06 843 1915 | Hawkes Bay, Gisborne, Taupo, Wairarapa | No minimum |
| David Smart Co. Limited | David Smart | 027 543 4455 | Auckland but cover NZ | No minimum |
| DecisionMakers | Phil O'Malley, Tim Shand, Colin Austin, Tanya Gilchrist, Phil Armstrong | 09 479 5668, 09 488 0472, 07 548 1148, 0800 867 237 | Auckland, Northland, Waikato, Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, Manawatu, Wellington | Usually $300,000 |
| Echelon Advisers | Royden Shotter | 09 281 2604 | Greater Auckland | No minimum |
| Ekiwity Limited | Yash Appilla | 021 024 94 295 | Wellington based, can work remotely around NZ | No minimum investment required - can start from $1 |
| Ethical Investing NZ | Peter Lee, Larry Stead, Mark Holtom | 09 337 0997 | Auckland, Northland, Waikato. Work remotely throughout NZ. | No minimum |
| Fairhaven Wealth | Sonnie Bailey | 03 421 5764 | Christchurch, work remotely throughout NZ | No minimum (flat fee structure, fees not linked to size of portfolio) |
| Financial Advice Hawkes Bay Ltd | Michael Gallagher, Paul Sewell | 0800 340 974 | Napier, east coast of North Island from Wellington to Auckland | No minimum for comprehensive financial advice, $100,000 for investment advice |
| Financial Prosperity Partners Ltd | Joy Durrant | 021 620 557 (or 0800 776 773) | Wellington, Queenstown. Work remotely throughout NZ. | No minimum |
| Financial Services Auckland Ltd | Michael Beuvink | 09 419 5440 | Greater Auckland, Waikato and Coromandel | $25,000 and/or $2,000 per month |
| Financial Strategies (Chch) Ltd | John Eyre-Walker, Hayden Gardner | 03 379 7562 | Christchurch and wider Canterbury | Usually $200,000 |
| Fiona Judd - Investment Fiduciary | Fiona Judd | 0274 191 124 | Waikato, Bay of Plenty | $400,000 or $1,500 per month in savings |
| France Financial Planning | Rosie France | N/A | Auckland. Work remotely throughout NZ. | No minimum |
| G3 Financial Freedom Ltd | Jane Benton, Charlene Overell | 07 571 5333 | Bay of Plenty, Auckland, Waikato, Taupo | No minimum |
| Glaser Portfolio Indicators | Neville Glaser | N/A | Auckland, Whangarei | No minimum |
| ImPower Ltd | Tony Walker, Jessica Jamieson | 021 656 223, 027 528 0583 | Auckland. Work remotely throughout NZ. | Do not handle investments directly |
| Isbister Financial Services | Matt Isbister | 0800 472478 | Auckland but cover NZ | No minimum |
| Lyford Investment Management Ltd | Richard Renfrew | 0800 459 367 | Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch | $50,000 |
| Mark Sheehan Financial Limited | Mark Sheehan | 03 548 2752 | Nelson, Marlborough | No minimum |
| Maxim Wealth | John Makowem | 04 472 0041 | Wellington, Kapiti, Upper and Lower Hutt, Wairarapa | $50,000 |
| Milestone Direct Ltd. | Joseph Darby, Nikola Velkovski, Vinessa Orsbourn, Josh Copeland | 0508 645 378 | Auckland's North Shore, wider Auckland, remotely throughout NZ | No minimum |
| Milestone Financial Services (Central) Ltd | Stephen Collier, Peter Tetzlaff, Matthew Watt | N/A | Wanganui, Taranaki, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Nelson | $50,000 in Wanganui, Taranaki; $300,000 elsewhere |
| Milestone Financial South Canterbury | Bryan Scott | 03 688 8568 | Timaru and South Canterbury | No minimum |
| Money Matters | Dr. Rodger Spiller | 09 366 1672 | Throughout NZ | $250,000 |
| Morton Delany Investment Consulting | Sarah Delany | 022 453 2040 | Taupo, Rotorua, and throughout NZ | $50,000 |
| Nest Egg Investments Ltd | Dean Edwards | 021 570618 | Auckland. Work remotely throughout NZ | No minimum |
| Newton Ross Private Wealth Management | Mike Newton, Wayne Ross, Drew Hoffman, Mark Steedman | 09 377 5777 | Auckland, Wellington, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Whangarei | $500,000 |
| Nigel Tate Financial Planning Ltd | Nigel Tate | 0800 867 526 | Waikato, King Country, Bay of Plenty and Auckland | No minimum for comprehensive financial advice, $50,000 for investment advice |
| Pascoe Barton Ltd | Steven Barton, Susan Pascoe Barton | 07 306 0080 | Bay of Plenty, Manawatu | No minimum |
| Peak Portfolio Management Ltd | Shelley Hanna | 06 870 3838 | Hawkes Bay | No minimum |
| Ploutos Wealth Management | Allan Williams | 0800756886 | Bay of Plenty | Usually $150,000 |
| Private Wealth Advisers Ltd | Ben Lavender, Jack Powell, Roger Sutherland | 09 308 2975 | Throughout New Zealand | $250,000 |
| Professional Investment Services Manawatu Ltd | Maryann Pratt, Alison Lissington | 06 355 4422 | Palmerston North, Feilding, Pahiatua, Dannevirke | No minimum |
| Quartz Wealth Management Ltd | Glenn Read | 09 486 9785 | Northland, Auckland, Waikato, King Country, Bay of Plenty | No minimum |
| Rede Advisers Ltd | Michael Shears, Scott Stokes, Steve Benton, Ona Mackonyte | 03 964 4207 | Christchurch | Usually $500,000 |
| RIVAL Wealth | Tim Fairbrother, Aaron Trevean | 0800 474 825 | Wairarapa, Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch | No minimum |
| Roskow Independent Advisory | Matthew Ross, Neil Salkow | 07 3102 3969 | Melbourne, Brisbane | No minimum |
| Rutherford Rede | Phil Ashton, Henry Ford, Richard Knight, William Sargent, Jocelyn Weatherall | 6493613670 | Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Wellington, Nelson | No minimum |
| Saturn Advice | Jean Strock, Wayne Blomfield, Shahrukh Abdali, Steve Baker, Lance Dawber-Ashley, Martin du Buisson, Joyce Yu | 0800 757 858 | Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay, Taranaki, Wellington, Nelson-Marlborough, Canterbury, Central Otago | No minimum |
| Smart Money Advice | Janet Natta | 07 957 8190 | Waikato, Bay of Plenty including Rotorua, greater Auckland | $250,000 for investments, no minimum for planning advice |
| Southernwealth Management Ltd. | Don Broad | 0800 242 499 | All of South Island | No minimum |
| Staples Rodway Asset Management | Michelle Forster, Wayne Powell, James Scarr | 09 309 0463 | Auckland, Northland, Waikato, King Country, Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, Bay of Plenty, Coromandel, Canterbury | $350,000 |
| Stewart Financial Group | Nick Stewart, Don Stewart, Lizzie Hill, Jo Husband, Bruce Jenks, Brent Allcock | 0800 878 961 | Throughout NZ | No minimum |
| Strategic Financial Planning Ltd | Michael Taylor | 03 377 8046 | Christchurch, and national online service | $500,000 |
| Strategic Wealth Management Group Ltd | Phil Ison, Max Gillard | 09 213 3310 | Auckland, Hamilton, Taupo, Tauranga, Whangarei, Christchurch, Dunedin, Queenstown, Nelson | $200,000 |
| Stuart Carlyon | Deborah Carlyon, Susanna Stuart, Mark Patton, Sumita Paul | 09 307 2331 | Mainly Auckland, Northland | $500,000 |
| Sumner Ryan Investment Advisers | Graeme Ryan, John Sumner | 09 419 5440 | Hawke's Bay | $150,000 |
| Tailorednz Limited | Rosemary Hopcroft, Steven Radich, Scott Haumaha, Charlotte Bedford | 0800 878 223 | Throughout North Island | $250,000 |
| The Private Office | Nick Crawford, Patrick Fogarty, Laetitia Peterson | 021 625 321 | Mainly Auckland but service clients throughout New Zealand | Varies |
| Totara Wealth Management Ltd | Richard Harden, Meredith Cornelius, Richard Grimes | 03 548 9000 | Nelson, Blenheim, Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch | $200,000 |
| Transact Wealth Management Ltd | Dennis Lennan | 07 576 8136 | Tauranga, Greater Auckland, Greater Wellington | $250,000 |
| Trustees Executors Private Wealth | David Rendell, Ross Sheerin, Ann Morrell, Mark Hendry, | 0800 002 431 | DR: Auckland, Northland, rest of North Island. RS: Bay of Plenty, Waikato, rest of North Island. AM: Canterbury, Otago, South Island. MH: Otago, Southland. | $50,000 |
| Wealth & Co | Simon Stredder | 09 412 5844 | Greater Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Northland | No minimum for comprehensive financial advice, $50,000 for investment advice |
| Your Money Blueprint Ltd | Nick Carr | 022 504 7612 | Wellington, work remotely throughout NZ | No minimum |
| advisers__august_2021_.pdf |
Disclaimers and Must-Know Facts:
- MoneyHub and/or Mary Holm have no financial arrangement with these advisors. Their inclusion on this list is free of charge.
- Many of the advisers sometimes travel elsewhere around New Zealand, so if you are particularly interested in an adviser, phone or email them to ask if they could meet you.
- If your experience with an adviser listed on this page is positive or negative, please contact our research team.
- Mary has heard from some of her readers who inform her that some of these advisers’ fees are high. Mary believes the best approach is to ask upfront what the fees will be, and perhaps comparison shop among several of these advisers.
- Are you an advisor? Do you want to be included in our list? Please see our Join the Advisers list form.
