Top 10 New Zealand Personal Finance Experts

We publish our list of quiet achievers and resource websites which diligently break-down the complexities of New Zealand personal finance products

Updated 13 January 2020

MoneyHub has the utmost respect for (quietly achieving) individuals behind the following resources, all of who take the time to publish without any commercial aspect. The topics covered and explained in these resources include index funds, passive income, retirement, budgeting, interest rates and a near-infinite number of other products and concepts.

Note: MoneyHub has no relationship with any of the resources listed below. The list below is not in any order, and we believe each of these resources is equally educational, helpful and purposeful.

Our Top 10 List

MoneyKingNZ.com

Arguably one of the most insightful investment educators in New Zealand, the Money King NZ goes into beautiful detail and breaks down the complexity of popular products. New posts are published weekly and cover investment platforms, ethical funds and a range of other hot topics.

​​Favourite resources:

• 9 ways to invest in New Zealand - A great walk-through of all the options, explained clearly 
• Bonus Bonds: Is it investing or gambling? - MoneyHub isn't a fan of bonus bonds, and this piece supports our view

Website: Money King NZ

The Happy Saver

Ruth is 'the Happy Saver' and publishes an enjoyable account of her financial journey and reviewing products. The blog is updated weekly, while the excellent podcast series is updated more sporadically. 

​​Favourite resources:

• Pocketsmith Review - Ruth walks readers through the pros and cons of the budget app
• NZX 50 performance report - a summary of the performance of investing in a NZX50-tracking fund, aimed at beginners.

Website: thehappysaver.com

Mary Holm (Radio New Zealand Podcasts)

Mary Holm is the closest thing New Zealand has to a trusted personal finance authority. While her column runs behind the NZ Herald paywall, you can read everything for free on her website. The website is useful for anyone looking to keep up to date with topics like housing, mortgages, index funds, KiwiSaver and the sharemarket, with updates published regularly. 

​​Favourite resources:

• Radio New Zealand podcasts - useful 15-minute segments which cover all things money
• Financial Advisers - Mary explains AFAs and lists those who charge a fee, which is a good sign

Website: Mary Holm

Henk Hustle (Youtube)

Henk is a Christchurch-based Youtuber who uploads a new video every week, with a range of topics covering index funds, passive income and financial independence. We're big fans of Henk's thorough research and presentation. 

​​Favourite resources:

• 4 Step Guide For Where To Invest for Short/Long Term/Retirement -
• Quit Your Day Job? What is Financial Independence for Complete Beginners
  

Website: Henk Hustle (Youtube videos)

Following the Barefoot Investor

For anyone who follows the Barefoot Investor (see our guide to know more), this active Facebook group has a lot of useful tips to save money with quick wins that make long-term differences. You'll need to ask to join, and on average there are at least ten posts a day. Members are very responsive and supportive.

Website: Following the Barefoot Investor (a Facebook group)

Joshua Wang (Youtuber)

Josh documents the movements in his Sharesies portfolio, which started with a $1,000 investment in July 2019. His monthly updates walk viewers through how the Sharesies portfolio is performing, which is encouraging and explanatory to any viewer. In between the monthly updates, Joshua uploads videos covering stock picks and analyses particular companies.

Website: Joshua Wang (Youtube)

Reddit Personal Finance NZ​​

Reddit can be overwhelming, but clicking on the Personal Finance NZ page reveals a small community of helpful and pragmatic Kiwis. Between two to five new posts go up every day, and there's a huge resource to search through to avoid asking an already-answered question. Reddit's community wants to help, and we're big fans.

​​Favourite resources:

• Too many to list; this Reddit page is well worth the time investment

Website: Reddit PersonalFinanceNZ​​​

Interest.co.nz (guides and resources)

Interest.co.nz has been running for 20+ years and offers a wealth of knowledge, resources and tools. It is primarily a financial news website, but its team does delve into product reviews and guides. It remains the go-to resource for the latest interest rates.

​Favourite resources: 

• Interest.co.nz/saving/term-deposits-1-to-5-years - the latest term deposit rates
• Interest.co.nz/borrowing - the latest mortgage rates

Website: interest.co.nz

Passive Income NZ

Passive Income NZ is all about making investments to (as the name suggests) earn a passive income, with a mixture of money-saving and investing topics discussed. The 'Journey To Financial Freedom' monthly updates are a pragmatic report which detail the author's journey to financial happiness.

​​Favourite resources:

• Investing in Index Funds: A fantastic walk-through of index funds, and why they're seen as a solid long-term investment. 
• Investing in Vanguard (from New Zealand): Everything you need to know about buying into the world's most reputable index funds.

Website: Passive Income NZ

The Smart and Lazy

The Smart and Lazy is, sadly, no longer being updated. But a lot of the information is still relevant and useful to anyone making personal finance decisions.

Its purpose is simple - a "laid back guide" to New Zealand personal finance. The principles behind the guides are to help users "achieve financial freedom by being smart on just a few things, and then to be lazy by not doing much else".

​Favourite resources:

• Start Investing: An excellent beginners outline to the options available. 

Website: The Smart and Lazy

Know something we don't?
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