Child’s Financial Future Guide

Reviewed and Updated: August 29, 2023

Investing for your child's future can be a daunting prospect but with expert guidance, it needn't be. This comprehensive guide from MoneyHub provides parents and guardians with the essential advice they need to secure their child's financial future. It covers topics including setting goals and expectations, choosing the right investment platforms and strategies, teaching financial responsibility, and exploring the various pathways to taking care of a child's financial future including Sharesies' recent fee changes, KiwiSaver, tertiary education costs and their eventual entrance into adulthood. With this diverse range of knowledge, you'll be well-prepared to navigate life's major milestones with your child and provide them with the tools they need to achieve success.

When it comes to securing your child’s financial future, it’s never too early to start planning. Investment is an invaluable tool for building wealth and providing financial security, but it’s equally important to understand the potential risks associated with investing on behalf of children. This guide explores the fundamentals of investing for kids, from the basics of shares, bonds and KiwiSaver, to setting realistic financial goals and teaching your child about financial responsibility. With our comprehensive overview, tips, and tricks, you’ll be equipped with everything you need to ensure your child’s financial success.

  1. Securing Your Child’s Financial Future: An Introduction
  2. Sharesies Fee Change: What You Need to Know
  3. Preparing for Tertiary Education Costs: Investing vs. Student Loans
  4. Financing a First Home Deposit: The Bank of Mum and Dad
  5. KiwiSaver for Kids: Starting Retirement Savings Early
  6. Investing for Life’s Major Milestones
  7. The Pros and Cons of Cash Investments
  8. Your Guide to Investing for Kids: A Comprehensive Overview
  9. Why it’s Never Too Early to Start Investing for Your Child
  10. The Key Investing Platforms for Kids: Hatch, InvestNow, and Sharesies
  11. The Importance of Setting Goals and Expectations for Your Child’s Investments
  12. Teaching Financial Responsibility and the Value of Hard Work
  13. MoneyHub’s Student-Focused Guides: Essential Reading for Your Child
  14. Exploring Specific Investment Accounts for Kids: Hatch, InvestNow, and Sharesies
  15. Further Resources: Workshops, Apps, and School Activities for Financial Education

    Securing Your Child’s Financial Future: An Introduction

When it comes to the financial future of your children, you may feel a mixture of excitement, anticipation, and even anxiety. But worry not, because we’re here to guide you through the various paths to ensuring your child’s financial success, from the earliest days of their lives to their eventual entrance into adulthood.

Sharesies Fee Change: What You Need to Know

Sharesies, a popular New Zealand investment platform, recently introduced a new fee structure that impacts individuals investing on behalf of children. Understanding these changes is vital to maximising your investment potential with Sharesies. The new fees may affect your child’s portfolio, so be sure to familiarise yourself with the ins and outs of the platform’s fee structure to avoid any surprises.

Preparing for Tertiary Education Costs: Investing vs. Student Loans

The costs of tertiary education are on the rise, and while student loans are an option, they can burden your child with debt for many years. This makes investing for tertiary education an increasingly attractive alternative. We explore the advantages of investing in a portfolio aimed at covering education costs, as well as tips on selecting the right investment vehicles to help your child graduate debt-free.

Financing a First Home Deposit: The Bank of Mum and Dad

Saving for a first home deposit is a significant milestone in any young adult’s life, but it can also be a major challenge. Supporting your child’s journey to becoming a homeowner involves a combination of sensible saving tactics, selecting the right investments, and – in some cases – offering financial help yourself. Navigating the “Bank of Mum and Dad” can be a rewarding experience for both parents and children alike.

KiwiSaver for Kids: Starting Retirement Savings Early

KiwiSaver, New Zealand’s national retirement savings scheme, offers fantastic benefits for children, despite its focus on retirement savings. By enrolling your child in a KiwiSaver scheme, you can provide them with valuable financial education and instil the importance of saving for their future. Additionally, enrolling early maximises compound interest to boost their savings over time.

Investing for Life’s Major Milestones

Life is full of big moments, and a well-thought-out investment strategy can ensure your child is financially prepared for each one. From purchasing their first car to planning a wedding, a strategic approach to investing enables your child to focus on achieving their dreams without financial stress.

The Pros and Cons of Cash Investments

While cash investments may seem like the safest way to safeguard your child’s financial future, they aren’t always the best option. We’ll explore the benefits and drawbacks of cash investments, as well as alternative investment vehicles that may provide better returns for your child’s future needs.

Your Guide to Investing for Kids: A Comprehensive Overview

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for investing on behalf of children, which is why we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide to the world of investing for kids. From understanding the fundamentals of risk and reward to selecting the right investment platforms, this guide equips you with the knowledge to confidently secure your child’s financial future.

Why it’s Never Too Early to Start Investing for Your Child

Starting early gives your investments more time to grow, ultimately increasing the wealth you can build for your child. We delve into the powerful effect of compound interest and explain why the sooner you begin investing on behalf of your child, the brighter their financial future will be.

The Key Investing Platforms for Kids: Hatch, InvestNow, and Sharesies

New Zealand’s prominent investment platforms – Hatch, InvestNow, and Sharesies – offer unique benefits and features suitable for investing on behalf of children. We compare each platform’s offerings and evaluate which may align best with your child’s financial goals and your investing philosophy.

The Importance of Setting Goals and Expectations for Your Child’s Investments

Setting clear, achievable goals for your child’s investments is crucial to ensuring their long-term success. By establishing expectations, you can better monitor and manage their financial growth while teaching them valuable lessons about accountability and responsibility.

Teaching Financial Responsibility and the Value of Hard Work

A strong financial foundation starts with understanding the value of money and the importance of hard work. Guiding your child in the principles of financial responsibility early on will set them up for a lifetime of success and independence.

MoneyHub’s Student-Focused Guides: Essential Reading for Your Child

MoneyHub, a leading New Zealand personal finance website, offers a wealth of resources tailored for students. From budgeting tips to investment guides, these student-focused materials are an excellent resource to support your child’s financial education journey.

In Conclusion: Securing Your Child’s Bright Financial Future

In a world filled with economic uncertainties, ensuring your child’s financial wellbeing requires foresight, dedication, and smart decisions. By laying the groundwork now, you can feel confident in their ability to navigate future financial milestones with ease. It’s never too early to start investing, teaching financial responsibility, and setting clear goals and expectations for your child’s financial future.

Consider the array of investment platforms available in New Zealand, including Sharesies, Hatch, and InvestNow, as they each have unique benefits suitable for children. Remember to stay informed about any changes in fees, policies, and opportunities on these platforms to maximise returns and minimise risks.

Moreover, preparing early for tertiary education costs and encouraging homeownership can shield your child from financial burdens and increase their chances of a successful and comfortable adult life. Along with these strategies, do not ignore the potential benefits of enrolling your child in a KiwiSaver scheme, as it exposes your child to the importance of retirement savings and hones their financial skills over time.

MoneyHub remains an invaluable resource for both you and your child’s financial educational journey, so peruse and utilise their student-focused guides to strengthen your child’s financial acumen from an early age.

Taking these steps not only empowers you to make educated investment choices on behalf of your child but also equips your child to make informed decisions about their own financial future. The path to financial success takes time, patience, and planning. It’s not always an easy one, but the payoff is an invaluable, lifelong gift you can pass down to your child.

Your Next Steps: Invest in Your Child’s Financial Education

  1. Review the comprehensive guide to investing for kids provided

Save Money With Guides & Discounts

Join 1000's of Kiwi's Saving Money 

Scroll to Top