Serious balances deserve a second set of eyes.
Independent advice, whatever your balance. 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. On a larger balance, small differences in fund fit compound into real money, which is exactly 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 fees matter more on a larger balance.
A KiwiSaver fee is charged as a percentage of the balance it sits on, so the same percentage-point difference is worth far more in dollar terms on $400,000 than on $40,000. Fund fees across the market range widely — from as low as 0.25% to as high as 1.67% p.a. for a growth fund, and 0.25% to 1.60% for a balanced fund — and that spread compounds every year it's left unchecked. (Sorted Smart Investor, fund data as at 30 June 2026.)
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 — not owned by, or aligned with, any bank or fund manager.