Good Money

I was five years old when I got my first bank account. It was a school savings account and I diligently deposited money every week. Then, when KiwiSaver started I signed up to that too. Beyond getting a reasonable return and good service, I never really thought much about who I was banking or investing with. That was, until I discovered that the choices about where we put our money can play a really big role in our impact on people and the planet. We can be blissfully unaware that our money is being used to invest in things with harmful consequences. The great news is, that with a relatively small amount of effort – we can reduce the detrimental impacts and even turn how we use and invest our money into a significant force for good.

Here are a few ways to get started:

• Individual KiwiSaver: A super simple way to get started, is to understand more about your current KiwiSaver investment. To make it really easy, Mindful Money is an independent charity who has a handy online tool that shows what different funds are invested in and how they perform. It allows you to compare and find options that align with your personal values, and switching funds is often a pretty straight forward process.
• Workplace KiwiSaver: A lot of organisations have a default KiwiSaver fund. It’s the one that people will be automatically be signed up to if they don’t make an alternative choice. Consider encouraging your workplace to do research on their default offering to see if there is a better option.
• Investments: When it comes to other types of financial investments, have a conversation with your provider or financial advisor, do your own research or check out the investment comparison tool at Mindful Money.
• Bank: Read up on your bank and understand what they are investing in and how they are taking action when it comes to sustainability. Most banks will publish their sustainability reports on their websites, but it can also be helpful to have a conversation with a real person. If you do end up changing banks, let your existing bank know why so they understand what is important to their customers.

Being more mindful of how and where we invest and use our money is a simple thing we can all do to make a difference for the world around us.

This blog has been written for information purposes and is not intended as financial advice. We encourage you to seek advice from a trusted financial adviser.