{"id":49144,"date":"2025-11-19T16:51:15","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T03:51:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/milfordasset.com\/?p=49144"},"modified":"2025-11-19T17:08:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T04:08:03","slug":"finding-your-fund-understanding-conservative-kiwisaver-funds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/milfordasset.com\/insights\/finding-your-fund-understanding-conservative-kiwisaver-funds","title":{"rendered":"Finding your fund: Understanding Conservative KiwiSaver Funds"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In today\u2019s world, we\u2019re surrounded by choices \u2013 from what to eat for breakfast to which tie you should wear to your cousin\u2019s wedding. The same goes for your KiwiSaver account. With more than 300 fund options\u00b9 on offer across dozens of KiwiSaver providers, it can be a little overwhelming.<\/p>\n<p>Choosing to opt into KiwiSaver is one decision. Deciding which provider to invest with is another. Then comes one of the most important choices of all \u2013 selecting the right type of KiwiSaver fund. You\u2019ve probably heard terms like growth, balanced, or conservative thrown around, but what do they actually mean for you?<\/p>\n<p>To help make sense of it all, we\u2019ve created a three-part series on the main fund types: conservative, balanced, and growth. Each plays a different role in building your long-term wealth. Let\u2019s start with conservative funds.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What you need to know about conservative funds<\/strong><br \/>\nConservative funds are designed for people who want stability above anything else. They aim to preserve your money and provide steady returns, rather than chasing higher growth. That\u2019s why they\u2019re generally considered lower risk.<\/p>\n<p>A typical conservative fund invests:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u2022 80% to 85% in fixed income assets such as bonds, term deposits, and savings accounts<br \/>\n\u2022 15% to 20% in shares \u2013 often in large, established companies<\/p>\n<p>Many people think conservative funds avoid shares completely, but that\u2019s not the case. They often include shares in companies involved in the utilities, infrastructure, or telecommunications sectors \u2013 but specific holdings vary by provider and can change over time.<\/p>\n<p>For investors, these companies sometimes pay dividends \u2013 small payments made to shareholders from a company\u2019s profits. While dividends aren\u2019t guaranteed, they can provide a steady stream of income, similar to earning interest from a bond or term deposit.<\/p>\n<p>These shares can also offer the potential for capital growth, which helps the fund preserve the value of investors\u2019 capital over time.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Things to consider: The pros and cons<\/strong><br \/>\nAs with any investment, there are things to consider when assessing your options, such as your risk tolerance, investing timeframe, and financial goals. Here\u2019s how conservative funds stack up against the other fund types we\u2019ll be covering \u2013 balanced and growth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The pros of conservative funds<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u2022 Lower volatility and less risk of large swings<br \/>\n\u2022 More predictable, steady returns<br \/>\n\u2022 Reduced exposure to major market downturns<\/p>\n<p><strong>The cons of conservative funds<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u2022 Lower long-term growth potential compared to other fund types<br \/>\n\u2022 Inflation risk, as rising costs can outpace returns over time<\/p>\n<p>Because conservative funds are less exposed to short-term market shifts, they can be better suited to people with a shorter investment timeframe and a lower risk threshold, like retirees who value capital preservation and more steady returns from their savings , or first-home buyers who plan to use their KiwiSaver soon.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Milford difference<\/strong><br \/>\nAt Milford, we believe choosing the right fund for you is one of the most important decisions you can make for your financial future. A conservative fund may be a good fit if stability is your priority. But if your goals or timeframe are different, another fund type may suit you better.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why we offer free, no-obligation KiwiSaver advice, even if you\u2019re not a Milford client. You can also explore your options with our online <a href=\"https:\/\/milfordasset.com\/digital-advice-tools\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">digital tool<\/a>*.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/milfordasset.com\/insights\/finding-your-fund-understanding-balanced-kiwisaver-funds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Part two<\/a> of this series will look at balanced funds and how they aim to strike the middle ground between stability and growth.<\/p>\n<p><sup>\u00b9 www.canstar.co.nz\/kiwisaver\/new-zealands-top-10-kiwisaver-schemes<\/sup><\/p>\n<p><sup>*The Milford KiwiSaver Plan digital advice tool is not suitable for persons aged 65 or older.<\/sup><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In today\u2019s world, we\u2019re surrounded by choices \u2013 from what to eat for breakfast to which tie you should wear<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":49151,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[849],"tags":[],"media_type":[701],"fund_category":[],"class_list":["post-49144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kiwisaver-101","media_type-read"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.2 - 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