Summary of the ANZ KiwiSaver Scheme

• The ANZ KiwiSaver Scheme (the scheme) is issued and managed by ANZ Investments - New Zealand's largest KiwiSaver scheme provider, with approximately 25% market share of the total KiwiSaver membership and $12+ billion under management. 
• The scheme offers six funds, ranging from a low-risk cash fund to higher-risk growth funds. All of the funds are actively managed by a team of investment analysts and fund managers. 
  
• The ANZ dropped its membership fee in September 2021 leaving an annual fund charge of between 0.42% and 1.11% of your account balance.
  
• There are no performance fees, despite the funds being actively managed. Many KiwiSaver fund managers take a bite of any market-beating returns – ANZ Investments does not.
• The scheme offers the 'Lifetimes option' which sees your money move between funds based on your age - if you're under 35 you will contribute to the Growth Fund, and as you get older your money moves to less aggressive funds which are expected to be safer and protect your wealth. There is no extra cost for this option.. 
• Switching between any funds within the scheme f is free. There are no joining fees or exit fees if you transfer your money to another KiwiSaver scheme.

Performance:
Our KiwiSaver Three-Year Returns Calculator and Comparison shows the latest three-year returns in dollar terms, so you can see which funds over-performed and under-performed compared to above average across all KiwiSaver funds (listed as Balanced, Moderate or Growth). This tool is updated monthly so that you can see the latest results. ​

Read this First: Fees, Performance and Understanding What's Best For Your Situation
A lot of media attention focuses on KiwiSaver fees, but this is only one thing to consider when picking the most suitable provider and fund for your retirement needs. We believe that being comfortable with what you're investing in is the most important aspect of saving for your retirement, not the fee you'll pay. 
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Our Review 
In this guide, we outline what the ANZ KiwiSaver Scheme is, what funds it offers to KiwiSaver members and how they're different to other funds, as well as looking at alternatives and the level of fees involved.
 
Please note: MoneyHub is not a Financial Adviser, and this guide has been published to explain the investment fundamentals and outline the pros and cons of the ANZ KiwiSaver Scheme as a KiwiSaver investment option.
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This Guide covers:

• The Specs of the ANZ KiwiSaver Scheme Funds, Fees and Where Your Money Is Invested
• ANZ KiwiSaver Scheme Fees
• ANZ KiwiSaver Scheme Media Claims - What You Need To Know
• Who is the ANZ KiwiSaver Scheme Suited to?
• 8 Things To Know About the ANZ KiwiSaver Scheme
• Conclusion​

​1: Cash Fund
This fund invests mainly in cash and cash equivalents such as bonds and investments issued by the New Zealand Government, New Zealand-registered banks, corporations and local authorities.

• Average annual return (pre-tax) since fund launch (2008): ~3%
• Annual fund charge: 0.27%
  
• Risk indicator rating: 1
• Expected annual return over the long term: In line with the S&P/NZX Bank Bills 90 Day Index.

Target Investment Composition:

• Cash and cash equivalents 100%

We say:  The Cash Fund is the most conservative fund, investing only in New Zealand with the aim of preserving capital. This is the scheme's least aggressive fund, with 100% of your money being invested in term deposits and with New Zealand financial institutions and government bodies holding high credit ratings. This fund historically offers the lowest fees and gives the lowest return while experiencing the least volatility.
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2: Conservative Fund
This fund invests mainly in cash and cash equivalents, with a smaller exposure to growth assets (equities and listed property). 

• Average annual return (pre-tax) since fund launch (2007): ~5.50%
• Annual fund charge: 0.65%
  
• Risk indicator rating: 3
• Expected annual return over the long term: 1.70% above inflation

Target Investment Composition target:

• Cash and cash equivalents: 20% 
• Fixed interest: 60% 
• Listed Property: 3%
• Equities: 17%

We say:  The Conservative Fund is the second most conservative fund, investing 80% of its money in New Zealand and international fixed interest with financial institutions and government bodies holding high credit ratings. The 20% exposure to international property and equities offers investors the prospect of a higher return when compared to the Cash Fund, although the annual fee is more than double. ​​

3: Conservative Balanced Fund
This fund invests mainly in income assets (cash and cash equivalents and fixed interest), as well as growth assets (equities and listed property).

• Average annual return (pre-tax) since fund launch (2007): ~6.00%
• Annual fund charge: 0.79%
  
• Risk indicator rating: 3
• Expected annual return over the long term: 2.50% above inflation

Target Investment Composition target:

• Cash and cash equivalents: 15% 
• Fixed interest: 50% 
• Listed Property: 6%
• Equities: 29%

We say: The Conservative Balanced Fund charges the same fees as the less aggressive Conservative Fund, but hold proportionately more equities and property investments and expects to deliver a higher return as a result. 50% of the fund is invested into fixed interest securities such as bonds with financial institutions and government bodies holding high credit ratings. 

4: Balanced Fund
This fund invests 50% of its money in income assets (cash and cash equivalents and fixed interest) and 50% in growth assets (equities and listed property). 

• Average annual return (pre-tax) since fund launch (2007): ~6.50%
• Annual fund charge: 0.99%
  
• Risk indicator rating: 3
• Expected annual return over the long term: 3.30% above inflation

Target Investment Composition target:

• Cash and cash equivalents: 10% 
• Fixed interest: 40% 
• Listed Property: 8%
• Equities: 42%

We say: The ANZ Balanced Fund is a middle-of-the-road fund, putting half of its money into relatively safe cash and fixed interest investments, and the other half in international equities and property, with a 1.01% annual fee.

5: Balanced Growth Fund
This fund invests 65% of its money in growth assets (equities and listed property), with 35% exposure to income assets (cash and cash equivalents and fixed interest).

• Average annual return (pre-tax) since fund launch (2007): ~7.00%
• Annual fund charge: 1.04%
  
• Risk indicator rating: 3
• Expected annual return over the long term: 4.00% above inflation

Target Investment Composition target:

• Cash and cash equivalents: 6% 
• Fixed interest: 29% 
• Listed Property: 10%
• Equities: 55%

We say: The Balanced Growth Fund is the second most aggressive fund in the scheme, investing 65% of its money in international shares and property. The average return since 2007 has been around 7% per year, yet 35% of the fund is held in conservative investments such as New Zealand and international fixed interest with financial institutions and government bodies holding high credit ratings. ​

6: Growth Fund
This fund invests 80% in growth assets (equities and listed property), with 20% of the fund allocated to income assets (cash and cash equivalents and fixed interest).

• Average annual return (pre-tax) since fund launch (2007): ~7.05%
• Annual fund charge: 1.09%
• Risk indicator rating: 4
• Expected annual return over the long term: 4.80% above inflation

Target Investment Composition target:

• Cash and cash equivalents: 4% 
• Fixed interest: 16% 
• Listed Property: 12%
• Equities: 68%

We say: The Growth Fund is the most aggressive and return-focused option of all the ANZ KiwiSaver Scheme funds. The fees are relatively higher than the other funds and investors would need to be comfortable riding the markets up and down as only 20% of your money is invested in cash or term deposits.

​The Lifetimes option
The scheme also offers the 'Lifetimes option', which is not a separate fund but instead enables you to invest in one of the six funds based on your age. As you get older and reach the next age range, ANZ moves your savings to a different fund (as outlined below):

Age and Fund

• 0 - 35 - Growth 
• 36 - 45 - Balanced Growth
• 46 - 55 - Balanced 
• 56 - 60 - Conservative Balanced
• 61 - 64 - Conservative 
• 65+ - Cash 

The idea of the Lifetimes option is to grow your savings aggressively while you are young, before lowering the risk as you get older. By the time you retire, your savings will be invested in safe and secure cash assets to protect the amassed balance.

ANZ KiwiSaver Scheme Funds Summary
The six funds all invest in cash, income and/or growth assets; the higher the proportion of growth investments, the more aggressive the fund and the expectation of a higher return. As with any fund, past performances do not indicate future results, but generally the characteristics of how each fund behaves remain the same. 

Claims made by ANZ:
​"Trusted by more than 730,000 New Zealanders, with over $11 billion invested - that's more than any other KiwiSaver scheme manager".

AND 

"ANZ New Zealand Investments Limited (ANZ Investments) is ANZ's award-winning investment management business. We are also New Zealand's largest fund manager and New Zealand's largest and most-awarded KiwiSaver manager, with one in four New Zealanders in KiwiSaver investing their retirement savings with us".

Is it true?

• Yes, ANZ runs three KiwiSaver schemes, and is the largest KiwiSaver scheme manager by both member numbers and total funds under management.
• And, ANZ has previously won Morningstar Awards - Fund Manager of the Year (KiwiSaver Category) three times, and a slew of other awards.

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"Our active approach means we constantly monitor local and global markets for opportunities to make your money work even harder".

Is it true?

• Yes, every fund in the ANZ KiwiSaver Scheme is actively managed. This means the funds do not invest in index funds, and instead ANZ have ​a team of analysts and investment managers working to beat global markets with specific investment choices.

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What Others Are Saying - ANZ in the Media
"All of ANZ's regular KiwiSaver schemes have signed up to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment" suggesting that all ANZ KiwiSaver funds invest in 'ethical' assets, avoiding tobacco, weapons etc. 
- Diana Clement, NZ Herald, August 2018

"Those who have invested directly in ANZ’s KiwiSaver Growth Fund are paying 1.10% p.a. in fees, while those who have invested in this same fund via AMP, are paying 1.32% p.a", which confirms direct investment with the ANZ KiwiSaver Scheme is the most cost-effective way to invest in an ANZ KiwiSaver Scheme fund.​
- Jenée Tibshraeny, Interest.co.nz, August 2018

"ANZ remains the largest KiwiSaver provider at $12.28 billion followed by ASB at $8.9 billion and Westpac with $5.77 billion".
- Tamsyn Parker, NZ Herald, August 2018

"The top-performing (conservative) fund over the quarter (was) the ANZ Default KiwiSaver scheme conservative fund in the conservative category, which returned 1.85 percent"
- Tamsyn Parker, NZ Herald, July 2018

"ANZ and ASB earned the biggest fee hauls of the bank KiwiSaver schemes in 2017" which is a result of the massive size of the ANZ KiwiSaver scheme, holding over $12+ billion in assets.
- Rob Stock, Stuff.co.nz, August 2018

ANZ proclaims its actively managed funds as industry-leading, and if you're looking for an actively managed fund supported by traders and analysts, the Balanced, Balanced Growth and Growth funds may meet your expectations. 
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Standout Features:

1. It's free to change funds; you can move between funds as often as you like at no additional cost.
2. The scheme has pledged to be a responsible investor, stating the funds  won't "invest in companies that are involved in manufacturing cluster munitions or anti-personnel landmines, manufacturing or testing nuclear weapons, and manufacturing tobacco products". More details on ANZ Investments’ responsible investing approach are outlined here.

Be aware:

1. Fees are relatively high compared to the likes of Simplicity (where the management fee is fixed at 0.31% p.a.) and SuperLife (where the management fee for most funds sits between 0.50% to 0.70% p.a.). ANZ KiwiSaver Scheme funds charge fees of between 0.42% and 1.10%, and historically have seen returns in line with other providers.
2. As with any investment, markets go up and down. The Dotcom bubble in the early 2000s sank global sharemarkets, as did the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. While many global sharemarkets are now at record highs, this is no guarantee of future earnings.

The Bottom Line

• Overall, the ANZ KiwiSaver Scheme charges fees well above the new wave of low-fee competitors such as Superlife, Simplicity and also above bank rivals such as ASB. 
• Depending on your KiwiSaver balance, other funds on other platforms can have cheaper management fees. For example, the fee difference between the Simplicity Growth Fund (0.31%) and ANZ Growth Fund (1.09%) for a $40,000 balance is 0.79% ($310 per year), or ~$7,750 over 25 years. However, the ANZ KiwiSaver Scheme Growth Fund is actively managed meaning it intends to outperform Simplicity which offers funds that track sharemarket performance. No two funds are directly comparable, so it's essential to shop around and compare fund objectives as well as fund fees if you're serious about having the biggest KiwiSaver nest-egg possible.
  
• The are no joining fees, no exit fees, no performance fees and you can transfer between funds for free as many times as you want. 
  
• All of the six funds are active funds, and unlike Simplicity, for example, do not follow or recreate a benchmark of a sharemarket index. ANZ Investments, who run the funds, will regularly pick undervalued equities, anticipating that their share price will go up in the short to medium term. This has more risk but also has the potential for greater returns.
• In terms of risk, each fund has a risk indicator rating  (1 = lowest, 7 = highest). The Growth Fund is rated 4; the remainder of the funds are rated 3 (or 1 in the case of the Cash Fund).A higher risk indicator rating generally means higher potential returns over time, but more ups and downs along the way.

Performance:
Our KiwiSaver Three-Year Returns Calculator and Comparison shows the latest three-year returns in dollar terms, so you can see which funds over-performed and under-performed compared to above average across all KiwiSaver funds (listed as Balanced, Moderate or Growth). This tool is updated monthly so that you can see the latest results. ​