From blogs and books to podcasts and online tools, the personal finance resources below are designed to help you embark on your own personal journey towards financial wellbeing.
The resources listed on this page and ones that you can use to do your own research into money-related topics.
*This list was last updated on 8 November 2021.
Looking for financial advice?
If you are looking for help with your finances, you may want to consider financial advice, in which case we recommend you approach a financial adviser.
You can find out more about financial advice and how to find a financial adviser on our blog: What is financial advice?
General resources
There are some great online resources out there for Kiwis who are looking to manage their money better or learn more about particular topics.
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Financial Markets Authority – the FMA’s YouTube channel provides helpful videos explaining investment basics, KiwiSaver and more.
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He Reo Whairawa – A vocabulary of 100 wealth and investment terms designed to help you discuss financial matters in Te Reo Māori.
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Inland Revenue – the IRD provides factual, current information about KiwiSaver, income tax, support for families and more.
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Interest.co.nz – an independent resource that covers the latest Business news, as well as issues important to Kiwis including mortgages, KiwiSaver, credit cards, term deposits, property, insurance, banks, finance companies and personal loans.
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Life-Info – an independent guide to life insurance in New Zealand. Compare types of life insurance and read their blog for tips and advice about navigating this subject.
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Money and You – that's us! An initiative of the Financial Services Council including tips, conversations and resources to grow your financial confidence and wellbeing.
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MoneyTalks - provides resources for those just starting out on their personal finance journey, including a budget worksheet, a financial plan of action and handy tips for making cheap eats.
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Sorted – tools, guides and resources for budgeting, retirement planning, managing your debt, investing and much more.
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Work and Income – this government site lets you know what financial support you may be entitled to and how it works.
FSC member resources
Helpful resources provided by Financial Services Council members:
- AA | Insurance Glossary - a glossary of terms related to insurance, helpfully explained for the everyday Kiwi.
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AIA | Vitality Content Hub – resources to improve your financial literacy alongside your mental health and physical wellbeing.
- ANZ | Your Guide to Healthy Finance – this online guide provides information about topics such as managing your credit card and starting a savings plan.
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ASB | Calculators and Tools - calculate your mortgage repayments, see how soon you could be debt-free, discover which KiwiSaver fund is right for you and more.
- BNZ | Life Moments – these resources are designed to help you make the most of life at any stage.
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Cigna | Insurance Glossary - a list of need-to-know terms relating to insurance.
- Craigs Investment Partners | Investor Education - develop an understanding of the basics of investing with know-how videos, a glossary of investing terms and an insights blog where experts share their investing tips.
- HealthCarePlus | It's Good to Know - A library of guides, ebooks, practical tools, events and training aimed specifically at helping you protect what's important and grow your financial resilience.
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Kiwi Wealth | Blog and Knowledge Centre - the Kiwi Wealth blog is a handy resource to boost your investing know-how, while the Knowledge Centre features interactive tools, fact sheets, free guides and videos that make KiwiSaver and investing easier to understand.
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Mercer | Mercer Magazine - an online hub of articles focusing on KiwiSaver and investing.
- Milford Asset Management | Investor Centre - an on-demand investment platform for KiwiSaver, Investment Funds and general investment insights, guides, calculators, tools, digital advice and more. With new content being loaded every week, keep it as a favourite on your browser.
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Momentum Life | Stories – blog articles covering topics relating to funeral and life insurance.
- nib | free resources - blog articles discuss health, parenting, life hacks and health insurance.
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Partners Life | Learn the lingo - a glossary of terms to do with life insurance.
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Pinnacle Life | Help Me Choose – tools and calculators from Pinnacle Life to help you determine how much funeral and life insurance cover you might need.
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Westpac | Learning resources - online tools that will help you manage your money better, reduce your debt and plan your retirement.
Money books & magazines
Personal finance books written by finance writers and experts are great for people who digest information by reading. Always be mindful that the world of finance is constantly changing, so while some advice in books and magazines is timeless, other advice may only be relevant at a particular time.
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Informed Investor Magazine (formerly Juno magazine): This quarterly magazine aims to simplify investing through insightful articles from financial experts about topics as wide-ranging as debt, retirement, mental health, property, investing during a pandemic and the psychology behind money. Many articles are also available online – you can read one the FSC’s CEO Richard Klipin contributed on the topic of financial advice in the Summer 2020 issue here.
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Rich enough? A laid-back guide for every Kiwi - Mary Holm: Mary Holm is one of New Zealand’s leading financial journalists, running a regular column in the NZ Herald answering readers’ questions about money issues and hosts the Your Money podcast on RNZ. In this book she offers some advice from her years in the field that is easy to understand.
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Tales from a financial hot mess – Frances Cook: Frances Cook is a journalist and podcast studio manager at the NZ Herald who runs the popular personal finance podcast Cooking the Books. Her book is all about her own journey from being a spender to someone who saves and invests for her future. She’s not a financial adviser, but her journey is inspiring and she includes advice from financial experts throughout.
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The Barefoot Investor – Scott Pape: This book took the Australian best-seller lists by storm. Using a simple, easy-to-understand formula that works for everyday people, Scott Pape makes personal finance fun. Not everything in here is applicable to New Zealanders, but it’s a good read with plenty of valuable tips that apply to anyone interested in becoming better with their money.
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The Joy of Money: The Australian Woman’s Guide to Financial Independence – Kate McCallum & Julia Newbould: This book is also written for Aussies, but there are a tonne of valuable insights and lessons, along with practical tools and exercises that Kiwi women can also benefit from. Kate is an award-winning practitioner and Director of Multiforte Financial Services, while Julia is a finance writer and journalist currently editor-at-large for Money Magazine. Give this a read to rediscover the joy of financial independence. Read or listen to the FSC's interview with Kate and Julia here, which was recorded for our February 2021 Get In Shape Advice Summits.
Personal finance podcasts
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Cooking the Books - Journalist Frances Cook interviews experts to help listeners make better money decisions - using language all of us can understand. Listen to the FSC's Richard Klipin chat to Frances on one of the Cooking the Books podcast episodes here.
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Money Talks – Well-known Kiwis share their best and worst money stories.
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Newstalk ZB’s Smart Money - Industry experts give their top tips on a range of topics.
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The NZ Everyday Investor - Hosted by authorised financial adviser Darcy Ungaro, this podcast aims to make financial knowledge more accessible to everyday Kiwis.
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Your Money with Mary Holm - This RNZ podcast hosted by well-known Kiwi money expert Mary Holm gives tips and advice on a range of money topics.
Money resources for kids
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ASB Teen Banking - helpful tips for teenagers wanting to improve their saving and spending habits, get their first part time job and bank online. Featuring personal money tips from other teens and easy-to-follow info, it's a resource you can point your older kids towards.
- Banqer app - Banqer is a financial education tool for primary, intermediate and high school students that lets them engage with financial concepts in a safe and fun way.
- MoneyTime - MoneyTime is a gamified, online financial literacy programme for students in years 7-8, that provides an introduction to managing money before students start Sorted for Schools.
- Sorted in Schools - A free, government-funded financial capability programme fully aligned to the New Zealand Curriculum.
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Westpac Youth Financial Education - if you’re struggling to explain banking and other finance concepts to your teenagers, this online resource can do it for you. Westpac’s tools and resources can help your kids with a budget, set savings goals and track their spending.
Financial harm resources
Specialist helplines
For men
Places to go
In immediate danger?
Call 111, and press 55 if unsafe to speak.
Other resources
Personal finance isn’t just about money – there are a whole range of other subjects that come into play, from legal matters to the property market, mental and physical wellbeing and online safety.
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Law Society – Some useful resources on common legal issues that arise in situations of buying and selling property, going into business and so on.
- Cert NZ - practical guidance on how to keep your money safe and secure online.
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NetSafe – learn how to stay safe online and how to know if you’ve been targeted by online scammers.
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The NZ Property Market Podcast – this podcast from CoreLogic delivers the latest news, data and insights from New Zealand’s residential property market.
Disclaimer:
This information is general information only. It is not intended to constitute financial advice and does not take your individual circumstances and financial situation into account. We encourage you to seek assistance from a trusted financial adviser or other professional advice.
The links that are provided or names of third parties are additional resources that you access at your own risk and the FSC takes no responsibility for any third party content.
The FSC and its employees make no express or implied representations or give any warranties regarding this information and we accept no responsibility for any loss, damage, cost, or expense (whether direct or indirect) incurred by you as a result of any error, omission, or misrepresentation in this information.
4 November 2021.
