Summer KiwiSaver Scheme Review

​Updated 12 August 2019
Summary of the Summer KiwiSaver scheme
  • Funds: Summer offers KiwiSaver members the choice of ten funds, with around $140 million under management as at July 2019. The funds range from low-risk cash and fixed-interest options, to funds specialising in property, Australian equities and global equities. A leading feature is that you don't need to pick just one fund - Summer allows you to create your own portfolio of investments by choosing any combination of their funds, called 'My Plan'. 
  • Selection Fund Options: The ten funds are comprised of seven single sector funds, which focus on a particular asset class, and three multi-asset class funds, which are diversified with different risk profiles.
  • 100% Active Management: All of the funds are actively managed by a fund manager - Summer states that "we respond to market opportunities rather than tracking an index irrespective of changing market circumstances". The costs associated of an active fund means that fund fees will be higher, relative to index-tracking schemes like Simplicity. However, investors in growth-orientated funds arguably get the best value for money, with their investments managed by Forsyth Barr for a fixed fund fee of 0.90% p.a. of the value of your investment.
  • Performance: The latest fund performance from our KiwiSaver comparison tool shows how Summer's funds have performed, with the Summer Listed Property and the Summer New Zealand Equities being two of the strongest. 
  • Fees: Summer offers arguably one of the simplest fee structures within KiwiSaver. Firstly, there is an annual account fee of $36 for being a Summer KiwiSaver scheme member, which is standard for most KiwiSaver schemes. The second fee is an annual fund charge, which is 0.90% p.a. of the value of your investment. Normally in KiwiSaver schemes, different funds have different fees, with growth-focused funds tending the charge the most. Summer simplifies this, but it may mean you're overpaying for fees if you're in a cash fund with very little operating costs.
  • No Performance Fees: There are no performance fees, despite the funds being actively managed. Many KiwiSaver fund managers take a bite of any market-beating returns - Summer does not.
  • ​Name Change and Introduction of Martin Hawes: Summer started its life as the Forsyth Barr KiwiSaver scheme, but struggled to attract investors outside its existing investing client base. In 2016, the scheme relaunched as the Summer KiwiSaver scheme, with the name aligned to personal finance author and adviser Martin Hawes' 2006 retirement planning book, 20 Good Summers. Hawes was hired to chair Summer's investment committee and assist with investor education.
  • Ownership: Summer is the KiwiSaver brand for Forsyth Barr Investment Management Limited, a division of New Zealand owned sharebroker Forsyth Barr Group, who is the ultimate owner of the scheme. Forsyth Barr Investment Management Limited manages the scheme and is responsible for its performance. Martin Hawes is not a shareholder in the Summer KiwiSaver scheme and is instead pay a fee for his services.
  • Plain English: As part of Summer’s commitment to helping investors make informed decisions, their product disclosure statement meets the WriteMark Plain Language Standard. The WriteMark is an internationally recognised plain language quality mark.
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.
  • While we don't focus on the latest returns, we encourage readers to make their own comparisons using our KiwiSaver fund comparison tool.
  • Ultimately, deciding upon whether Summer is right for you will most likely come down to your interpretation of the fund performances in the medium term, their investment strategy and their fees.
​
Our Review
In this guide, we outline what the Summer 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 Summer as a KiwiSaver investment option.
​
This Guide covers:

The Specs of Summer's Funds - fees, risks and explaining where your money is invested

  • The scheme is managed by Forsyth Barr Investment Management Limited, the investment arm of Forsyth Barr.
  • Quarterly fund performance reports are available on the Summer website.
  • Each of the ten funds has a unique risk factor (1 = lowest, 7 = highest), which is driven by its distinct investment profile.
  • Fees, returns, risks and the suggested investment timeframe differ between funds, as we outline below. 
  • The funds are comprised of seven single sector funds, which focus on a particular asset class, and three multi-asset class funds​, which are diversified with different risk profiles.
​1: Summer New Zealand Cash Fund
This fund invests in income assets of a short term nature such as bank deposits, floating rate notes and money market securities with New Zealand-registered banks.
  • Average annual net return since fund launch (2016): ~1%
  • Annual fund charges: 0.9% p.a. of the value of your investment
  • Risk factor: 1
  • Suggested minimum investment timeframe: no minimum (as this is cash-based fund, there is very little risk of any investments falling in value)
  • Investment Composition: Cash and cash equivalents (75%) and New Zealand fixed interest (25%)

We say:
  • The Summer New Zealand Cash Fund is the most conservative Summer fund, with the aim of providing stable returns over the short term, investing 100% of the fund into low-risk products such as term deposits and on-call accounts.
  • The fund's performance is restricted by the chunky 0.90% management fee, which means it languishes at the bottom of cash-based fund performances among all KiwiSaver schemes.
  • It's our view that a fund with investments earning around 2% p.a. and taking close to 50% of the returns in fees is uncompetitive.
  • Regardless of the fees, the Cash Fund historically reports the lowest historical return among all Summer KiwiSaver funds.
​2: Summer New Zealand Fixed Interest​ Fund
As its name suggests, this fund invests mostly in fixed-interest assets which are of short to medium term in nature. Recent holdings included cash with the ANZ bank and bonds with Housing New Zealand, Transpower and the Port Of Tauranga, among other investments.
  • Average annual net return since fund launch (2016): ~2.50%
  • Annual fund charges: 0.9% p.a. of the value of your investment
  • Risk factor: 2
  • Suggested minimum investment timeframe: At least three years
  • Investment Composition: New Zealand fixed interest (90%), international fixed interest (5%) and cash and cash equivalents (5%)

We say:
  • The Summer New Zealand Fixed Interest​ Fund is the second most conservative fund, but has performed ahead of the Cash fund because of its higher-interest investments. 
  • Despite the performance, the fees remain relatively high. Charging 0.90% p.a. to return around 2.50% on average makes it one of the more expensive cash/conservative funds available to KiwiSaver members.
  • We're unsure why the fees are so high for such a fund that doesn't require active investment judgement.
  • Just like Summer's Cash Fund, Fixed Interest fund has reported historically low returns and is best described as a wealth-protecting investment option.
3: Summer Global Fixed Interest Fund
​This fund invests predominantly in international bonds and deposits, meaning interest rates will be different to those offered in New Zealand. Recent holdings included an ANZ cash deposit and medium-term bonds with the government of Japan, United States Treasury and New Zealand, among others
  • Average annual net return since fund launch (2016): ~2%
  • Annual fund charges: 0.9% p.a. of the value of your investment
  • Risk factor: 3
  • Suggested minimum investment timeframe: At least three years
  • Investment Composition: International fixed interest (80%), New Zealand fixed interest (15%) and Cash and cash equivalents (5%)

We say:
  • The Summer Global Fixed Interest Fund offers investors exposure to government bonds in relatively stable countries, such as the US, Japan and New Zealand. These investments are fully backed by their respective governments, making them a very popular investment among low-risk investors.
  • Because some bonds earn below market rates in New Zealand, this will affect the performance of the fund. Japan, for example, has much lower interest rates than New Zealand, so the return will be lower from any Japanese government bond investment.
  • We take the view that the fees remain relatively high. Charging 0.90% p.a. to return around 2% on average makes it one of the more expensive low-risk funds available to KiwiSaver members.
  • We are unsure why the fees are so high for such a fund that doesn't require active investment judgement.
​4: Summer New Zealand Equities Fund
This is Summer's fund that focuses on investing in New Zealand listed companies. In essence, it is a growth-orientated fund. Summer is one of the few schemes which offer investors a fund that only invests in New Zealand listed companies. The New Zealand Equities Fund is actively managed, and recent holdings included heavyweights such as Meridian Energy, A2 Milk, Genesis Energy, Mainfreight, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Ebos, Infratil, Fletcher Building, Spark and Z Energy. This fund is designed to appeal to those who want to invest locally in robust companies known throughout New Zealand.
  • Average annual net return since fund launch (2016): ~12%
  • Annual fund charges: 0.9% p.a. of the value of your investment
  • Risk factor: 4
  • Suggested minimum investment timeframe: At least five years
  • Investment Composition: Australasian equities (85%), listed property (10%) and cash and cash equivalents (5%)

We say:
  • The Summer New Zealand Equities Fund can attribute its growth to the strong NZX50 index, which increased around 20% per year between 2014 and 2019. 
  • The fund would be popular for anyone wanting to invest in shares but stick to local companies. 
  • Forsyth Barr, alongside with Craigs, is a major investment manager in New Zealand, and for these reasons, it would be realistic to believe that their expertise and market knowledge will lead to sensible investment choices.
  • The annual fee charged (0.90%) is in line with actively managed funds, although still around three times higher than index funds like the Simplicity Growth fund.
5: Summer Australian Equities Fund
This fund allocates up to 95% of money into Australian shares, making it a highly aggressive growth fund. Recent investments included banks such as NAB, Westpac, CBA and Macquarie, and companies such as BHP, Telstra, Cole, Woodside Petroleum and Brambles. The fund is designed for long-term investment given the growth potential of such sharemarket investments.
  • Average annual net return since fund launch (2016): ~8%
  • Annual fund charges: 0.9% p.a. of the value of your investment
  • Risk factor: 6
  • Suggested minimum investment timeframe: At least five years
  • Investment Composition: Australasian equities (85%), listed property (10%) and cash and cash equivalents (5%)

We say:
  • The Summer Australian Equities Fund is bank and blue-chip heavy, representing the heart of the ASX share index.
  • The fund would be popular for anyone wanting to invest in shares within Australia, as the fund doesn't invest in equities in another other countries.
  • ​The annual fee charged (0.90%) is in line with actively managed funds, although still around three times higher than index funds like the Simplicity Growth fund.
6: Summer Listed Property​ Fund
This fund invests up to 95% of its money in listed property and shares and other growth assets, leaving a small portion in cash deposits. Investments include Kiwi Property Group, Precinct Properties, Goodman Property, Argosy Property and Stride Property, among others. These companies specialise in commercial property and make money from leasing their office towers, malls and retail units, as well as capital gains from any rise of property prices. 
  • Average annual net return since fund launch (2016): ~7%
  • Annual fund charges: 0.9% p.a. of the value of your investment
  • Risk factor: 4
  • Suggested minimum investment timeframe: At least five years
  • Investment Composition: Listed property (70%), Australasian equities (20%), international equities (5%) and cash and cash equivalents (5%)

We say:
  • The Summer Listed Property​ Fund is laser-focused on commercial investment properties, with Australia and New Zealand being the target areas. 
  • Summer's investment managers select each company based on the potential of future returns, given that property is very much a long-term investment.
  • The biggest risk is that the commercial property market suffers due to economic conditions, but the fund is diversified among many companies with different focus areas (i.e. retail, health care, offices and industrial). 
  • Around 5% of the fund is retained in cash, usually to facilitate any members joining and exiting. 
  • ​The annual fee charged (0.90%) is in line with actively managed funds, although still around 50% higher than index funds like the SmartShares Superlife Australian Property Fund.
  • The Listed Property Fund is very much a long-term fund for this reason, and Summer suggests a five year minimum investment period.​
7: Summer Global Equities Fund
This fund invests up to 90% of its money in international shares and other growth assets, and will (usually) have some invested in cash and fixed interest assets. Recent investments include Comcast, FedEx, Visa, ING, Siemens, Amazon.com, Alphabet (the owner of Google) and Apple, among others.
  • Average annual net return since fund launch (2016): ~10%
  • Annual fund charges: 0.9% p.a. of the value of your investment
  • Risk factor: 6
  • Suggested minimum investment timeframe: At least five years
  • Investment Composition: International equities (90%) and cash and cash equivalents (10%)

We say:
  • The Summer Global Equities Fund invests exactly how it should do, with 90% in international shares. This means that day-to-day returns will be volatile, but over the long-term, the aim is to beat market indexes.
  • With around $15m invested, it is Summer's second most popular KiwiSaver fund.
  • The annual fee charged (0.90%) is in line with actively managed funds focused on equities.
8: Summer Conservative Selection Fund
This fund "aims to achieve positive long-term returns by choosing exposure across asset classes". As such, it's a low-risk-leaning mixed fund with 70% if its investments in bank deposits and fixed interest.
  • Average annual net return since fund launch (2019): New fund
  • Annual fund charges: 0.9% p.a. of the value of your investment
  • Risk factor: 3
  • Suggested minimum investment timeframe: At least three years
  • Investment Composition: Cash and cash equivalents 23%, New Zealand fixed interest 31%, international fixed interest 16%, Australasian equities 13%, international equities 12% and listed property 5%

We say:
  • Launched in April 2019, the Summer Conservative Selection will "include more cash and fixed interest investments with fewer equity and property investments, and members can expect a fund with low to moderate levels of movement up and down in value" per its press release.
  • Based on the investment class targets above, the fund offers relatively low-risk investment opportunity with a 30% exposure to growth assets. 
  • The 0.90% fee is on the higher side, but not the highest among conservative funds. For reference, Superlife, ANZ, ASB, and Simplicity are some of the conservative funds with lower fees.
9: Summer Balanced Selection Fund
This fund is Summer's most popular fund, with over $70 million invested. As a balanced fund, it targets a 45% investment in income assets, like cash deposits, fixed interest and commercial property, and 55% in New Zealand and international equities. Recent investments include ANZ and Westpac cash deposits, government and Contact Energy bonds, and shares in Kiwi Property Group and BHP.
  • Average annual net return since fund launch (2016, previously titled the Summer Investment Selection Fund): ~7%
  • Annual fund charges: 0.9% p.a. of the value of your investment
  • Risk factor: 4
  • Suggested minimum investment timeframe: At least five years
  • Investment Composition: Cash and cash equivalents 15%, New Zealand fixed interest 20%, international fixed interest 10%, Australasian equities 25%, international equities 25% and listed property 5%

We say:
  • The Summer Balanced Selection Fund​ is Summer's flagship fund, and offers a 'middle of the road' investment option. 
  • Since 2016 it has been a solid performer, and its annual fee of 0.90% is competitive for an actively managed fund.
  • Those wanting higher returns and more sharemarket investments can consider the Summer Growth Selection (see below), Summer's Global Equities, Australian Equities and/or New Zealand Equities funds.
10: Summer Growth Selection Fund
This fund invests up to 80% of its money in shares and other growth assets, and will (usually) have some invested in cash and fixed interest assets. The fund was launched in 2019 to give investors a diversified growth fund similar to those offered by other KiwiSaver schemes.
  • Average annual net return since fund launch (2019): New fund
  • Annual fund charges: 0.9% p.a. of the value of your investment
  • Risk factor: 4
  • Suggested minimum investment timeframe: At least five years
  • Investment Composition: Cash and cash equivalents 7%, New Zealand fixed interest 9%, international fixed interest 4%, Australasian equities 38%, international equities 37% and listed property 5%

We say:
  • The Growth Selection Fund is a welcome addition to the Summer KiwiSaver scheme, and will possibly give it some traction to target new members who prefer diversified growth assets and not those geographically focused.
  • It's too early to see how the fund has performed, but the 0.90% annual fee is competitive among actively managed funds. 
  • Those wanting a growth fund that focuses on global, Australia or New Zealand markets can consider the Summer's Global Equities, Australian Equities and/or New Zealand Equities funds respectively.

Summer in the News

Recent media reports highlight the following:
  • The (two) new funds would be known as the Summer Conservative Selection and the Summer Growth Selection.
  • The Summer Conservative Selection fund will include more cash and fixed interest investments with fewer equity and property investments. Members can expect a fund with low to moderate levels of movement up and down in value.
  • The Summer Growth Selection fund will focus on more equity and property investments, members can expect moderate to high levels of movement up and down in value and to receive longer-term returns that are higher than those of the Summer Balanced Selection.
​- Hawes' scheme launches more funds, GoodReturs.co.nz, April 2019

Who is the Summer KiwiSaver Scheme Suited To?

Ultimately, our view is that the Summer KiwiSaver scheme is a late-starter but has tremendous potential to challenge the established bank schemes. The 0.90% management fee offers excellent value for money if you're in a growth fund, but isn't ideal if you're in a cash or conservative fund. With most 80%+ of member investments in non-conservative funds, it is clear that Summer investors prefer growth-focused funds.

Summer has had stunted growth, and lacks brand awareness, but the tie-up with Martin Hawes may give it a second life. Right now, it's too early to tell, but we watch with interest and continue to update this guide regularly. 

For such a small scheme, having ten funds may seem excessive, but we take the view that each fund has its own unique investment strategy that will find its own audience.

In our view, we believe the Global Equities, Australian Equities, New Zealand Equities and Growth Selection funds have the potential to compete alongside other active managers like Milford, Fisher Funds, Booster and Generate.
​
Standout Features:
  1. The My Plan option allows you to create your own portfolio of investments by choosing any combination of any of the Summer funds.
  2. Summer has a socially responsible investment policy, which prevents investments in tobacco, controversial and nuclear weapons, whaling and whale meat processing, companies with highly unethical behaviour or involved in, defence and firearms, gambling services, thermal coal, among others.
  3. Unlike KiwiSaver schemes run by many banks, Summer is New Zealand owned and operated.

Pros
  • Ten funds that offer a sliding scale of risk and return, clearly defined in investor statements.
  • Investments are diversified and include cash deposits, NZ government bonds and NZ corporate bonds, New Zealand shares and global equities.
  • Up to date fund performance and balances are available 24/7 via Summer's website.
  • As part of Summer’s commitment to helping investors make informed decisions, their product disclosure statement meets the WriteMark Plain Language Standard. The WriteMark is an internationally recognised plain language quality mark.

Cons
  • Low-risk funds still incur the 0.90% management fee, which is much higher than similar low-fee, index-following funds offered by Simplicity, SuperLife, as well as the ASB (although none of the ASB funds are actively managed, and therefore not designed to beat markets).
  • Recent data from our KiwiSaver comparison tool, which uses Financial Markets Authority data, reported Summer's Cash Fund as having one of the lowest returns among all cash funds. This is due to the high management fee. 
  • The funds are actively managed and state their objective is to "achieve positive long-term returns after fees, taxes and other expenses". They are not aligned to a benchmark other than for performance comparative purposes.
  • There is no life/age program option, which moves your money into more conservative (i.e. less risky) funds as you get older as a way to protect your KiwiSaver balance, is offered. However, the My Plan option allows you to do this, but you'll have to do it manually (there is no fee for switching and their investment profile tool can guide investors). For example, as you age, you could put a portion of your KiwiSaver balance into the New Zealand Cash, New Zealand Fixed Interest and/or Global Fixed Interest funds.

Be aware:
  1. 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.
  2. Summer's default fund, the Conservative Selection Fund, lacks growth potential, given its low exposure to shares (30% of the portfolio). This means unaware savings are likely to lose out on potential returns by staying with the default option. Summer has a proactive communication program to engage with members who have been automatically enrolled via their employer into the Summer Conservative Selection.

Summer KiwiSaver Scheme - The Bottom Line

  • We see promise in the Summer KiwiSaver scheme, and the lack of public awareness and low number of members (i.e. under 10,000) should not deter potential investors.
  • The growth-orientated funds are the best value and are designed to offer the most long-term potential, with Forsyth Barr's experienced investment managers at the helm of each fund.
  • The cash and conservative funds have a relatively high management fee which stifles returns and better opportunities are likely to be found outside of Summer.
  • ​It's important to keep in mind that 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.​

8 things to know about the Summer KiwiSaver scheme

Summer is one of the smallest KiwiSaver schemes around

The Summer KiwiSaver scheme launched in 2016, and right now total around $140 million in funds under management as at 31 July 2019. This represents a fraction of one percent of the total KiwiSaver investments, and is most likely due to the late start in launching (most providers kicked off in 2007) and lack of marketing. Summer is also promoted by investment advisors Forsyth Barr, albeit not aggressively.
​

No matter what your employer's default KiwiSaver provider or fund is, you are entitled to select Summer as your KiwiSaver scheme

Your employer may offer another KiwiSaver provider as their preferred provider, but you are free to choose Summer as your provider if you feel it's right for you. ​You don't have to be a client of Forsyth Barr either - Summer is available to everyone.

Summer has easy-to-understand fees, and there is no minimum investment

No matter what your fund is, As a Summer KiwiSaver scheme member, you'll pay a streamlined fee:
  • 0.90% p.a. of of the value of your investment per year, which represents the management and administration fees.
  • $36 per year, which is the membership fee for being in the Summer KiwiSaver scheme.

If you want to contribute to your fund at a level above your fixed salary contribution, you can do this via the online banking or manually by contacting the client services team. If you stop contributing, you will still pay both fees. 

Dividends your fund receives are reinvested, meaning more cash is invested on your behalf

Many of the Summer KiwiSaver scheme funds invest in shares, and many will pay dividends. These cash payments represent the profits from companies returning it to the shareholders, i.e. you. When a company declares a dividend, your fund will receive money, and it is re-invested into more shares, growing the value of your fund. Despite being a cash payment, and as is the case with ALL KiwiSaver funds, there is no option (other than permitted early withdrawals) to take this money as cash until you turn 65. 

All of Summer's funds are actively managed, but the management is conservative with its investment objectives

While some KiwiSaver funds have objectives stating that they will make decisions with the aim of beating the markets, Summer is much more cautious. Instead, Summer states in its Product Disclosure Statement:
  • We are active managers. We respond to market opportunities rather than tracking an index
    irrespective of changing market circumstances.
  • We aim to achieve positive long-term returns by investing (in the specific sector). 
  • The returns you receive are dependent on the investment decisions of Forsyth Barr Investment Management Limited, and the performance of the investments.
  • We are investment specialists. As part of Forsyth Barr, we bring over 80 years of investment
    experience. 

This means the funds are actively managed - each fund has its own key personnel, tasked with the responsibility of portfolio management and analysis. Summer will then select specific investments it sees as undervalued, anticipating that in time, the value of the investment will grow and ultimately make a profit for the fund.

How does this work in practice?
  • Each Summer fund and its investment team follows the agreed-upon target investment mix. For example, the target of listed property investments in the Summer Listed Property is 70%.
  • This allows the fund manager to invest up to 70% of the fund in assets that fall within the category of 'listed property'.
  • The manager can use all of the allocation on one listed property company, or diversify into many investments (which is what happens in practice). As listed property is not without its risks, investment managers will diversify and purchase many different listed property companies.
  • A recent report into the holdings of the Summer Listed Property Fund shows investments in Kiwi Property Group, Precinct Properties, Goodman Property, Argosy Property and Stride Property.
  • As market conditions change, the investment manager buys and sells individual investments as they see fit.
  • Remember, past fund performance is no guarantee of future results; what you ultimately invest in will be determined by your level of comfort with a fund.
​

​Signing up to Summer isn't complicated, and you are not limited to only one fund

Signing up to the Summer KiwiSaver scheme is easy, and you can create your own portfolio of investments by choosing any combination of the funds. This means you can allocate 20% of your money to one fund, 40% to another, and 10% to another two, giving you diversity. But if this doesn't interest you, Summer makes it easy to pick one fund. Helpfully, the names of the funds are free of buzzwords or spin, with New Zealand Cash, New Zealand Fixed Interest, Australian Equities, Listed Property and Growth Selection being examples of plain English titles. 

If you don't select any funds, your contributions will be invested in the Summer Conservative Selection fund. Generally, if you're looking for a safe investment with the lowest risk of seeing your original investment fall, a conservative fund could be a suitable option. But many investment professionals would suggest being in a conservative fund for the long term. If you're looking for a higher return and are prepared to have your money in higher risk investments which could fall in value, balanced and growth funds operate in this manner.

Generally, if you want to grow your KiwiSaver fund for the long-term, and unless you're risk-averse, the Conservative Selection fund isn't likely to make you high returns. Share investments are limited to a 30% target, meaning 70% of the money sits in bank accounts, low-interest bonds and other fixed-interest. 

If you are in this fund and would prefer a more aggressive fund, you have the option to switch free of charge. Best of all, because every Summer fund charges the same annual fee, you won't be worse off by way of costs. You can switch to another Summer fund, or any other KiwiSaver fund operated by another scheme.

If you're not sure of what to invest in and want to have a range of options to pick from, look at MoneyHub's KiwiSaver fund comparison tool which includes all Summer funds.

The performance data is easy to follow, and updated regularly

​Fund performance details are published on the Summer website every three months. Unit prices, which track the performance, are updated daily. And, as a member, you can also check a fund balance 24/7 by logging in to the Summer website.

Summer offers a fund dedicated to investing in New Zealand shares

Relatively rare within KiwiSaver, Summer is one of the few schemes which offer investors to pick a fund that only invests in New Zealand listed companies. The New Zealand Equities Fund is actively managed, and recent holdings included heavyweights such as Meridian Energy, A2 Milk, Genesis Energy, Mainfreight, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Ebos, Infratil, Fletcher Building, Spark and Z Energy.

Our Conclusion​

  • Summer has an enormous number of funds to pick from despite its small size and total funds under management. The introduction of two selection funds in April 2019 is likely to complete the offering in the short to medium term. 
  • With a flat management fee of 0.9% p.a. of the value of your investment, we take the view that investors will get better value for money by selecting a growth-focused fund given the costs of running such a fund are much more than a cash/conservative fund.
  • With the three multi-asset class funds, investors can get exposure to the New Zealand sharemarket, Australian sharemarket, local and global bonds, global property as well as New Zealand cash deposits.
  • The active management means particular shares will be bought, at the discretion of the fund manager, so there is a risk of negative returns if the investment doesn't perform.
  • With every fund offered, the higher the weighting of growth assets vs income assets, the higher the annual management fee. This is expected to be offset by the long-term performance of the fund.
Do you have experience with Summer's KiwiSaver scheme that you would like to share with our readers? Email our research team who would be delighted to hear from you.