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KiwiSaver

A KiwiSaver's pandemic panic

FSCL chief executive Susan Taylor.
Wednesday 21st of April 2021

The warning comes as FSCL found in favour of a KiwiSaver provider after a member made the panicked decision to change their fund type from growth to conservative because of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting market-wide downturn last March.

“It is usually not recommended to switch funds immediately when there is a sudden market downturn, because then any losses are crystallised,” says FSCL chief executive Susan Taylor.

"While it is understandable that people panic when there is market volatility, it is wise to wait it out as the market will inevitably improve," Taylor says.

Janet, 60, had contacted her KiwiSaver provider in late 2019 to make sure she was in the right KiwiSaver fund to reach a target balance by the time she was 65.

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