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Top Financial Advisers in Christchurch

Our guide explains how to find a Christchurch financial advisor. what you will pay, the questions to ask as well as listing our top five Christchurch financial advisory firms.
Updated 29 September 2023

This guide walks you through what a Financial Adviser is, who uses them and how they are paid, along with some tips of what to ask them should you decide to meet with one. We've listed what we to consider to be the top five financial advisors serving Cantabrians. 

This guide covers:
Disclaimer: The inclusion of any financial advisor on MoneyHub is not financial advice in any form, and our list below is not a recommendation. The exclusion of any financial advisor from our list does not suggest their service is inferior to those included - our guide is journalistic in nature. Please undertake your own research and due diligence before contacting and/or investing with any Christchurch financial advisor. 

More information: We now publish and update Mary Holm's original Financial Adviser list (exclusive to MoneyHub)

Christopher Walsh, MoneyHub's Founder and Head of Research, shares his views on financial advisers:

"I'm often asked about my view on financial advisers. Of course, I can't and won't comment on anyone individually. However, I respond by proposing one question:
  • Did the financial adviser suggest putting your money with many different managers and asset classes (e.g. a diversified investment)? Or did they want to tip all your money into one fund/fund manager and then send you 'updates'?
  • If it's the latter, I would ask them to explain why they're not following a diversified approach (as outlined by the FMA). They may say the funds are "diversified" but how do you know?
  • Many financial advisers are fantastic and provide a valuable service. But with any profession, some underperform. I've seen it all in my career - expensive, poor-performing funds and investments structured in somewhat of a 'heads I win, tails you lose' way that always seems to disadvantage the investors. 
  • Whatever you decide to do with your money, remember - diversification protects you from a single investment going wrong and losing a significant percentage (or even all) of your money.

Important: Please ask how the financial adviser is being paid. You'll need to read what they send you and ensure you understand it. For example, are you paying them a percentage of your investment yearly? Or are the people they invest your money with paying them? The distinction is important.

This list of Christchurch financial advisers is published as a starting point to assist your search - it's not a definitive list by any means. We wish you the best of luck and ask you to remember that no one cares about your money more than you. If something doesn't feel right or you're uncomfortable, you're under no obligation to proceed.

Investment needs to be free of emotion - even if you have a great relationship with a financial advisor, your money is the number one priority, and you must be careful with who gets to invest it".
Christopher Walsh
MoneyHub Founder

What is a Financial Adviser?

Financial Advisers are professionals who advise on financial planning, insurance, investing and other financial services. They are qualified and usually (but not always) members of Financial Advice New Zealand or similar professional organisations.

Know this first:
  • There are a range of Christchurch financial advisers available, but some are aligned with a limited number of products from product providers, while others have a wide range of products which they consider when recommending financial advice.
  • It is important you ask the question at the beginning of the process about the depth and variety of the range of products and providers which they consider in the process of giving advice.
  • Throughout your life, you're likely to make different investments and buy different financial products at different times. The purpose of a financial adviser is to help you make the right decision about what investments and products are best for you.

Who Uses a Financial Adviser?

While data is difficult to find, it is reasonable to believe that most Financial Adviser clients tend to be 40+ years of age with a healthy amount of money to invest. Younger New Zealanders are unlikely to seek out Financial Advisers, focusing instead on KiwiSaver contributions, buying a house and investing in bank products and/or managed funds as primary investment options.

When do I need to use a Financial Adviser?

If you are considering investing in complicated financial products and need advice, a Financial Adviser may be familiar with what you are looking at. Financial Advisers working in Christchurch usually provide guidance for the following:
  • Investments and Retirement Planning: Managed funds and investment trusts 
  • Insurance: Personal and business insurance
  • KiwiSaver: Selecting the right provider, switching to a more suitable scheme and contribution consultation 
  • Financial Planning for all ages and stages of life

How much does a Financial Adviser cost, and how are they paid?

In most cases, meeting a Financial Adviser won't cost anything - they work on commission. What you pay usually depends on what you invest - very few Financial Advisers charge an upfront fee (there is a list of fee-charging advisers here). If you invest $100,000, it is possible your adviser will be paid around $250-$500 per year by the investment platform you select (representing a 0.25% to 0.50% commission, which isn't uncommon). 

Warning - You may not be advised on the most cost-effective investment available in the market. However, you can expect them to select the right product for your circumstances.

How do I find a Financial Adviser?

  • First of all, talk to your family and friends and ask them if they have used a Financial Adviser in your area. This is a good starting point and make sure to ask about their experience (good or bad).
  • ​It is likely you will want to see more options, and Financial Advice New Zealand (previously the Institute of Financial Advisers) lets you search by region for a local Financial Adviser.
  • Following that, Googling "Financial Adviser (and the name of your location)" is a great place to start - be sure to look for Google Reviews of any adviser you shortlist. 
  • Our list below has a selection of trusted Christchurch-based Financial Advisors. 

What questions should I ask a Financial Adviser?

The New Zealand Financial Markets Authority (FMA) has a must-read list. We suggest printing it off and going through it, line by line. While this is a complete list of questions to ask and consider, we recommend always asking for an explanation if you don't understand something when meeting with a Financial Adviser. Generally, the FMA's list covers:
  1. How do I know what you’re recommending is the best option for me?
  2. What are the risks of this investment?
  3. What will I pay?
  4. What information will I receive about my investments?
  5. How can I get my money back?

More information: We now publish and update Mary Holm's original Financial Adviser list (exclusive to MoneyHub)

Trusted Christchurch Financial Advisers

We have listed some long-standing Christchurch financial advisory firms, all of whom have advisors who hold a number of relevant qualifications and a member of industry affiliations. 

Important: The list below does not constitute financial advice. When looking for a financial advisor, remember that all registered financial advisors are listed on the Financial Markets Authority website. But being qualified does not guarantee results:
  • Former Dunedin financial adviser Barry Kloogh was an authorised financial advisor. He was also running a ponzi scheme.
  • Ross Asset Management is another example of financial advisory gone wrong. When this happens, investors are the people who lose the most.
  • While almost every authorised financial advisor is a professional in every sense, you must always understand what you're investing in and make sure you understand the documents sent.
  • MoneyHub routinely receives complaints about certain 'independent financial advisors' who pitch the idea of investing 100% of someone's money into one fund or fund manager. Such a suggestion seemingly disregards the basic principles of investment diversification. We're not impressed.

More details about financial advisors are available on these helpful websites:

Irvine Wenborn

Services offered:
  • Irvine Wenborn offers independent, fiduciary financial advice and lifestyle financial planning.  They work with people who want the best for themselves and are willing to take on high quality advice. They believe no adviser is in a position to tell a client what to do with their money, unless the adviser understands what’s important to their client, first. Advice starts with individuals, not with products. They specialise in Lifestyle Financial Planning, Relationship Loss, and Property Portfolios that need diversifying.
  • Clients include professionals, business owners, executives, migrants and people who want to learn more about their money/wealth.  Their services include long term financial planning, investment planning, portfolio management, KiwiSaver, Australian Pension Transfers and Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) portfolios.

Team :
Fees: Irvine Wenborn are fee-based advisers and charge in the form of:
  • A one-off fee for the construction of an overall financial strategy based on the time and complexity involved.
  • A monitoring fee (based on the portfolio size). This fee is deducted monthly at an annual rate from your portfolio’s cash account.
  • Ongoing administration and custodial fees are also charged, as well as fees for specific KiwiSaver funds.

Insights:
  • The company publish regular videos and blog posts on their site that discuss financial matters, wellbeing, how to make good financial decisions, investing wisely, all using data and evidence. They believe financial literacy is one of the best investments a person can make.

Contact Details:

Amicus Group

Services offered:
  • Amicus Group is a full service independent financial advisory business that has been operating for over 25 years in Christchurch. The local team serve clients in Christchurch and throughout New Zealand. Amicus is a founding member of Wealthpoint, a cooperative formed by 48 advisory businesses across New Zealand that leverage their scale and network to deliver expert advice and high quality outcomes for clients.
  • The Investment Advisory arm of Amicus, Amicus Wealth, focuses on:
    • Investment advice and retirement planning.
    • Investment and cash management advisory to corporates, trusts and other entities.
    • Investment advice and portfolio construction for US Citizens, expats, and migrants (including UK Pension Transfers).
    • KiwiSaver advice
    • Education & CPD sessions for employees – see sample articles and insights here.
 
Advisors:
A large team (10+ advisors), as outlined on their website.
 
Fees:
  • Amicus Group has a transparent fee structure:
    • Investment Advisory & Retirement Planning:
      • A monitoring fee (based on the portfolio size). This fee is deducted monthly at an annual rate from your portfolio’s cash account.
      • Ongoing administration and custodial fees are also charged.
    • KiwiSaver: Where possible, KiwiSaver advice is delivered in a fee only capacity, however this is not possible with all providers – Remuneration is standardised and disclosed for all KiwiSaver advice.
 
Contact details:

Cambridge Partners

Services offered:
  • Investment Advice and Planning (including strategic asset allocation, investment recommendations, and cash management)
  • Retirement Planning and KiwiSaver
  • Class Discretionary Investment Management Services (DIMS)
  • Investment Advice and Planning for US Citizens, expats and migrants
  • Minimum investment, as outlined on their website: "Cambridge Partners offers a premium wealth management and investment service. We typically work with clients who have a minimum of $300,000 of investable funds and/or need assistance navigating through financial complexity".

Advisors:
Fees: 
  • Per their website, "the fees charged for our initial advice and ongoing services may be based on a combination of a set dollar amount or a percentage-based fee - typically, the cost of the initial plan will range between $1,000 and $5,000 (plus GST)". And, furthermore, and quite rare in the industry, "any commission, brokerage, or other forms of payment payable to us from making investment recommendations is fully rebated to clients".
  • Cambridge Partner's comprehensive fee details are outlined here

Contact details:

Evergreen Advice (Wellington based, Serving Clients in Christchurch and around New Zealand)

Services offered:
  • Evergreen Advice specialises in providing financial advice around sustainable investing.
  • Their small team works with individuals, families, trusts and charities and offers advice around personalised investment portfolios, KiwiSaver, UK pension transfers and second opinion services.

Advisors:
  • A team of two (Chelsea and Mike), both CFAs with backgrounds in finance and socially responsible investing.
​
Fees:
  1. An initial Investment Plan fee if your affairs are particularly complicated. This could be up to $1,000 (including GST).
  2. Ongoing annual fees for advice, administration and custody of your portfolio. The maximum fee is 1.25% (+ GST) per annum of the value of the assets under management, with reductions for accounts above $500,000.

Insights: The advisor team publish regular blog posts with financial market commentary.

Contact details:

The Private Office (Auckland based, Serving Clients in Christchurch and around New Zealand)

Services offered:
  • The Private Office is a truly independent financial advice business.  They work with successful individuals and families who want a disciplined and structured approach to their personal finances.
  • Clients include business owners, executives, professionals, entertainers, migrants and people who have come into sudden money.  Their services include long term financial planning, investment planning, portfolio management, KiwiSaver, UK and Australian Pension Transfers and Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) portfolios.

Advisors:
  • A team of four – their profiles and work history can be found here

Fees: The Private Office has a transparent fee structure which is outlined here in a PDF:
  • A one-off fee for the construction of an overall financial strategy based on the time and complexity involved.
  • A monitoring fee (based on the portfolio size). This fee is deducted monthly at an annual rate from your portfolio’s cash account.
  • Ongoing administration and custodial fees are also charged, as well as specific fees for specific KiwiSaver funds investment programs.

Insights:
  • The advisers publish regular blog posts which commentate on wealth management, financial planning and investment strategies, as well as behavioural economics.

Contact Details:

Become Wealth Ltd

  • Services offered:
    • Wealth-creation and retirement planning to help New Zealanders become wealthy. This includes non-investment services such as mortgage broking and personal insurance
    • Become Wealth are trusted as the official financial advice provider to members of groups including major government departments, and NZX and ASX listed companies
    • 10-year track record
    • Dual-licenced, with FAP and Discretionary Investment Management Services (DIMS) licences
  • Team: a nationwide team of five fulltime advisers are standing by, their bios are listed online
  • Fees: are transparently displayed online, and in disclosure information
  • Insights: Become Wealth publish a regular blog, which encompasses all areas of wealth creation and sustainment, financial literacy, financial products, lending, insurance, and behavioural economics.
  • Contact details:
    • Phone: 0508 BECOME (232 663)
    • Email: hello@become.nz
    • Website: Become Wealth
    • Christchurch office: 248 Saint Asaph Street, Christchurch City Central 8011 

What can I do if I got the wrong advice from a Financial Advisor?

If you feel you've been incorrectly advised, you have a right to complain. You cannot complain about the performance of an investment, only the way you were advised. Traditionally few people have done so, unsure and embarrassed by how the investment has turned out and then putting it down to experience.

The best approach is to complain to the Financial Adviser first - explain why you think the advice you received was wrong and collect as much paperwork and emails as you can find to support your argument. 

If you don't get a favourable response, you can complain to the Ombudsman service. The Financial Markets Authority and the NZ Government both set out excellent guides on who to complain to.

Remember, when it comes to investing, 'low risk' isn't the same as 'no risk'. 'Low risk' can still see you lose your money, and provided the Financial Adviser has explained this fact, there are no grounds for complaint. But if you were advised that a product you invested in could not lose money, and then you did, you have been incorrectly advised.
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