Become Wealth's Blog

Real financial guidance for New Zealanders, from professionals advising on over $1 billion in client funds. Independently ranked a top 50 worldwide finance and investing blog.

Shares vs Property: Which Is the Better Investment in New Zealand?

Shares vs Property: Which Is the Better Investment in New Zealand?

NZ return data, tax rules, costs, and practical advice on shares vs property to help you build the right investment mix.
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Why Small Businesses Fail in New Zealand

Why Small Businesses Fail in New Zealand

About half of NZ businesses don’t survive five years. Here’s what the data says, and what owners can do to beat the odds.
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Liquid vs Illiquid Wealth: Why Net Worth Isn't Enough

Liquid vs Illiquid Wealth: Why Net Worth Isn't Enough

Same net worth, different realities. Why liquidity separates the truly wealthy from the merely asset-rich.
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Listed Property and REITs: A Guide for NZ Investors

Listed Property and REITs: A Guide for NZ Investors

A practical NZ guide to listed property and REITs: how they work, recent performance, and how they fit in your portfolio.
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What Is Dollar-Cost Averaging and How It Works

What Is Dollar-Cost Averaging and How It Works

How DCA works in practice for NZ investors, including KiwiSaver, managed funds, and lump sums. Honest pros, cons, and when to use it.
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Learn to Spend in Retirement Without Guilt

Learn to Spend in Retirement Without Guilt

Retirees often fear spending their nest egg. Learn how to enjoy retirement income without running out.
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Retirement Fears and How To Overcome Them

Retirement Fears and How To Overcome Them

Ten common retirement fears Kiwis face, from running out of money to losing purpose, with practical planning steps for each one.
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Retire on Your Terms with Smart Financial Planning

Retire on Your Terms with Smart Financial Planning

Raising the NZ retirement age to 70 is gaining attention, but relying on it is risky. How to plan for a retirement you control, not one forced on you.
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Can You Trust a Retirement Calculator?

Can You Trust a Retirement Calculator?

Can you trust retirement calculators? Learn what they get right, where they fall short and how to use them wisely for planning.
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Where to Retire in New Zealand

Where to Retire in New Zealand

A practical financial guide to choosing where to retire in New Zealand, covering the trade-offs of staying put, downsizing, relocating, and retirement village costs.
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Is Your Retirement Plan a House of Cards?

Is Your Retirement Plan a House of Cards?

Find out why many traditional retirement plans are broken, and how personalised retirement investment planning can better match your NZ lifestyle.
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Do I Still Need Life Insurance?

Do I Still Need Life Insurance?

When to keep life cover in retirement, when to drop it, and how to decide based on your actual financial position.
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Making Retirement Drawdown Work for You

Making Retirement Drawdown Work for You

Learn how to draw down your retirement savings with purpose, so your money lasts and supports your lifestyle throughout retirement.
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What To Do With Investment Property In Your Retirement

What To Do With Investment Property In Your Retirement

Low net yields, concentration risk and illiquidity can make rental property a poor fit for retirement. Why diversifying often works better.
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How Much Do You Need to Retire in New Zealand?

How Much Do You Need to Retire in New Zealand?

NZ Super, real spending data, the savings gap, and a worked example. What retirement actually costs and how to plan for it.
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NZ Superannuation: How Much You Get, Who Qualifies, and Why It Probably Won't Be Enough

NZ Superannuation: How Much You Get, Who Qualifies, and Why It Probably Won't Be Enough

NZ Super pays up to $28,870/yr. How it works, who qualifies, and why most retirees need more.
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High‑Income Skills That Boost Your Earning Power

High‑Income Skills That Boost Your Earning Power

Nearly 40% of job skills are expected to change by 2030. The highest-paying skills in New Zealand span technology, trades, and business.
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How to Save Money on Petrol and Fuel Costs

How to Save Money on Petrol and Fuel Costs

Where to buy, how to pay, and the driving habits that make the biggest difference to your fuel costs in NZ.
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How Much Should You Have in an Emergency Fund?

How Much Should You Have in an Emergency Fund?

Four scenarios showing how much to set aside, and why your emergency fund and insurance need to work together.
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How the Rich Spend Their Money (and What They Don’t)

How the Rich Spend Their Money (and What They Don’t)

Data reveals the wealthy save most, spend on time and experiences, and quietly avoid the things most people assume they buy.
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Prenuptial Agreements in New Zealand: What Your Finances Are Really at Stake

Prenuptial Agreements in New Zealand: What Your Finances Are Really at Stake

A financial adviser's guide to prenups, the PRA, and what's at stake in NZ.
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The Reserve Bank of New Zealand: What It Does, Why It Matters, and Its Track Record

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand: What It Does, Why It Matters, and Its Track Record

What the RBNZ does, how its decisions affect your mortgage, savings and KiwiSaver, and its 90-year track record including bailouts, money printing, and governance crises.
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Term Deposits vs Bonds in NZ: What Investors Are Missing

Term Deposits vs Bonds in NZ: What Investors Are Missing

Term deposits are safe, but are they the right tool for every dollar? What NZ investors miss when comparing TDs with bonds, and when each works best.
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How to De-Risk Your Investments Before Retirement

How to De-Risk Your Investments Before Retirement

Protect tomorrow by derisking your investment portfolio on the approach to retirement.
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What’s the Difference Between Saving and Investing for Retirement?

What’s the Difference Between Saving and Investing for Retirement?

After tax and inflation, bank savings often go backwards. Why investing in productive assets is the only reliable way to build retirement wealth.
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Become Wealth Surpasses $1 Billion in Funds Under Advice

Become Wealth Surpasses $1 Billion in Funds Under Advice

Become Wealth reaches $1 billion in funds under advice. A milestone reflecting DIMS portfolio growth, the NZDF partnership and national expansion.
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Is Cash Really Trash? When to Hold and When to Invest

Is Cash Really Trash? When to Hold and When to Invest

Interest rates have changed, but too many savers haven't changed with them. The arithmetic of why cash destroys wealth, and what to do about it.
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Financial Mistakes to Avoid in Your 40s, 50s, and 60s

Financial Mistakes to Avoid in Your 40s, 50s, and 60s

The seven most common financial mistakes people make in their 40s, 50s, and 60s in New Zealand, and how to avoid each one.
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Are You Putting Too Much Into KiwiSaver?

Are You Putting Too Much Into KiwiSaver?

KiwiSaver is valuable, up to a point. If you contribute above the minimum, here's what to consider.
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Is Your Money Safe in a New Zealand Bank?

Is Your Money Safe in a New Zealand Bank?

Learn why NZ banks are safe, how the Depositor Compensation Scheme works, and how to protect savings beyond the $100,000 limit.
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Don’t Just Save Money – Make It Work for You

Don’t Just Save Money – Make It Work for You

You may have heard the old saying that ‘cash is king’. Once upon a time, this was a true statement. Since then, cash has been toppled from the throne.
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Why Your Term Deposits Could Be Your Worst Enemy

Why Your Term Deposits Could Be Your Worst Enemy

Term deposits feel safe, but inflation, low returns and limited access can quietly erode your wealth. Seven drawbacks every NZ saver should know.
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The Top Sources of NZ Passive Income

The Top Sources of NZ Passive Income

A practical guide for New Zealand investors building income they do not have to work for. Covers dividends, rental property, bonds, REITs, and more.
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Negative Real Rate of Return on Term Deposits

Negative Real Rate of Return on Term Deposits

After inflation and tax, many NZ term deposits deliver a negative real return. How the maths works and what alternatives could protect your wealth.
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Index Funds Explained: What Kiwi Investors Actually Need to Know

Index Funds Explained: What Kiwi Investors Actually Need to Know

Simple and cheap? Mostly. But index investing from New Zealand has a few wrinkles worth knowing about.
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How to Teach Yourself to Invest

How to Teach Yourself to Invest

A practical guide to self-directed investing in New Zealand. Build real financial knowledge, avoid costly mistakes, and grow wealth with confidence.
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What to Do With a Large Sum of Money

What to Do With a Large Sum of Money

Practical guidance for anyone in New Zealand with a financial windfall. Covers universal principles, common mistakes, and how to put a lump sum to work.
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Best Term Deposits: The Surprising Truth

Best Term Deposits: The Surprising Truth

Have term deposits done their dash? Weigh up returns, inflation and risk, and when Kiwi investors might look beyond term deposits.
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Eight Ways to Protect Yourself From Inflation

Eight Ways to Protect Yourself From Inflation

Eight practical steps to protect your finances from inflation in New Zealand, from shares and property to reviewing your mortgage and getting professional advice.
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Sold a Property? How to Put the Proceeds to Work

Sold a Property? How to Put the Proceeds to Work

Sold a property in New Zealand? The common mistakes, tax considerations, wholesale investment traps, and how to put the proceeds to work.
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