Sorted’s Smart Investor is an online tool to that enables you to search and compare New Zealand investments such as KiwiSaver, shares and bonds .
For example, it lets you find your current KiwiSaver fund easily and see everything about it – especially how it stacks up with others in terms of costs and past results. Or if you’re shopping around for a new KiwiSaver fund, it groups types of funds together so you can browse that way.
When you’re ready to invest beyond KiwiSaver, Smart Investor lets you explore other managed funds that are not KiwiSaver, as well as New Zealand share and bond offers.
There are more New Zealanders than ever these days who are investors, especially because they are in KiwiSaver. Smart Investor is for anyone investing – and you don’t need heaps of money, either. Even if you’re just getting started with KiwiSaver, or want to start investing in other products, Smart Investor has you covered with introductory guides, videos, tools and blogs.
Providers of investment offers in New Zealand are required to communicate key facts so investors can make informed choices. The data and documents are collected on a central register called Disclose; Smart Investor takes this information and displays it in a way that’s easy to find, compare and understand.
Smart Investor is updated daily with the latest data and documents from the Disclose register.
Sorted Smart Investor covers regulated investment offers in New Zealand, focusing on:
- KiwiSaver and other managed funds
- Bonds and other debt securities
- Shares and other equities
It also includes some other managed investments like forestry blocks, for example.
Other kinds of investments, although they may be regulated, are not included, unless they are within the mix held by a managed fund (which can hold property, for instance). This is largely driven by the data available, whether it makes sense to compare, and whether something is an investment at all (and not speculation).
You won't find the following:
- Superannuation and workplace savings schemes
- Cash or term deposits
- Some shares or bonds that were previously listed, and some not listed
- Property or property syndicates
- Derivatives
- Privately held businesses or start-ups
- Gold or other commodities
- Currencies or cryptocurrencies
Smart Investor is set up to compare "apples with apples" by grouping, for example, all KiwiSaver funds together (and even specific types of funds). You won’t see a bond offer next to a share offer.
However, it can also be useful to compare "apples with pineapples" and look at how investments such as bonds and shares differ. Smart Investor allows you to see how the different kinds work, pointing to the varying degrees of risk they bring as you seek returns.
Like all Sorted tools, Smart Investor gives you a free, independent and impartial look at your financial options. It was developed by three agencies of the New Zealand government: the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment; the Financial Markets Authority; and the Commission for Financial Capability, which produces all Sorted resources.
By not trying to sell you anything, Smart Investor can give you a unique view of the investment landscape and help you make the best decisions for your situation.
To use Smart Investor, you don’t need to input any personal information. The tool simply serves up heaps of helpful facts for you to make savvy decisions. It’s a safe environment to compare the many investment options out there so you can get ahead financially.
