High earner?
High income means more going into KiwiSaver. The return you keep after fees is the point.
Independent advice for people putting more in each payday. Summit Wealth Limited is a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP768791) with six providers on our panel, not owned by or aligned with any bank or fund manager, and Kyle, our only adviser, does every review himself. Extra contributions compound on the return you keep after fees, which is what the numbers below are built to show, using your own figures.
Starting from $250,000 today, a well-matched fund and a mismatched fund (same balance, same contributions) end 20 years from now at $1,012,367 versus $586,510, net of fees.
Higher-growth funds tend to swing more from year to year on the way there: more growth potential, more short-term movement.
This comparison is a fixed, sitewide illustration. It doesn't change with the fund type you select above.
Verified fee data only covers growth and balanced funds. Fees are already netted off both lines above.
Illustration only. Assumes a flat $400/month in contributions and 3.0% p.a. (default/mismatched fund) vs 6.0% p.a. (well-matched fund), net of fund fees, before tax and inflation, the same comparison used across this site. Fee ranges shown separately are the market's real spread within each category (Sorted Smart Investor, fund data as at 30 June 2026), never a named provider. Not a projection of any particular fund or of your own KiwiSaver. Returns are not guaranteed and past performance is no guide to the future. The two rates are a fixed illustration, not a return any adviser can promise.
On $250,000, the fund decision is worth more than most pay rises. It deserves an hour of expert attention.
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More on how this works
Why the return you keep after fees matters more when you earn more.
High earners put more in every payday, so a small difference in the return you keep after fees compounds on every contribution, not just on a lump already sitting there. Fund fees still sit on the balance as a percentage, and the market range is wide (Sorted Smart Investor, fund data as at 30 June 2026). The illustration is the return you keep after those fees, not the fee line on a statement.
Growth vs Balanced, in brief.
A growth fund holds more shares and property, aims for higher long-term returns, and moves up and down more from year to year. A balanced fund holds a mix of growth and income assets, aiming for a smoother ride with a lower long-term average. Which one suits someone depends mostly on how soon they'll need the money and how comfortable they are with the swings along the way: the same class-level explanation the Health Check gives, never an opinion about which one is right for you specifically.
See published KiwiSaver fund returns, updated each quarter →What Kyle actually does.
Independent advice on the whole picture (fund, provider, and fit for your own goals and timeframe) from Summit Wealth Limited, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP768791) with six providers on its panel, and not owned by, or aligned with, any bank or fund manager.
Related reading: the government contribution has an income cut-off, so it is worth knowing how it works (the $260.72 government contribution explained), and your fund type shapes how a bigger balance behaves (growth, balanced or conservative funds).