Cliffe Consulting - Investment Advisers

03/04/2026

Happy holidays!

We hope that you are having a restful long Easter weekend, whether you are having a 'staycation' at home or travelling.

11/12/2025

🚨A timely warning for NZ Superannuants this Christmas

Thanks Susan Edmonds for our chat today and for confirming my suspicions that there is no “Christmas bonus” being paid to NZ Super recipients - despite convincing scam messages circulating online.

Here are some quick ways to spot a scam:

✅ Be wary of unexpected “free money”
✅ Never click links in surprise texts or emails
✅ Government agencies will never ask for bank logins or passwords
✅ Urgent “act now” language is a red flag
✅ Messages encouraging you to “share with other pensioners” are almost always scams

Pause. Verify. Ask someone you trust.

One calm check could prevent serious financial and emotional harm.

If you have friends, parents or grandparents on NZ Super, please share this with them.

A simple conversation can make all the difference.

Superannuitants are being warned not to fall for a new scam.

07/12/2025

A great day to be retired

09/08/2025

Happy weekend!!

What a glorious day for a beach walk at

A bit too brisk to try out the beach front sauna though 😀

25/07/2025

Hey friends, please give generously to Red Nose Day today to support the wonderful work that Cure Kids do.

You can donate at www.curekids.org.nz

And, make sure that you have tissues handy when you watch the nzherald.co.nz video below featuring our own lovely Lucca Holecliffe and her mum Jordanna Holecliffe (John's daughter) who share their story about how Cure Kids saved Lucca's life.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/video/herald-now/from-worst-case-scenario-to-hope-the-impact-of-red-nose-day-donations/NY2HYEFITGQGZMRB5AJ7EIKPOM/

Cure Kids Ambassadors Jordanna and Lucca Holecliffe talk to Herald NOW as Red Nose Day appeals for donations. Video / Herald NOW

15/07/2025

At the start of July, Rachelle competed in Sydney’s Hyrox event—a grueling competition combining running with eight gym-type exercises. She participated in the Women’s Doubles event, and you can see a short video of her highlights below.

At Cliffe Consulting, we share a belief in the value of staying active for a healthier, longer life (though John and Treena are adamant that they will give Hyrox a miss!).

Whether it’s regular gym sessions or beach walks at Murrays Bay, incorporating daily movement is one proven way to support longevity (a subject that is close to many of our clients’ hearts).

Some of our clients even pack walking shoes when visiting us—though the Mairangi Bay coastal path is best tackled at low tide to avoid wet feet!



https://www.instagram.com/reel/DL_3RLrx05K/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MTUzZnhoYXFiY2ZvbA==

09/06/2025

Hi friends and followers,

We are supporting and other Rotary Clubs around NZ in their quest to collect one million cans or non-perishable food items to help bolster the supplies at local food banks.

We would love your support, and our red chilly bin is out by our front gate (or if raining under cover by the front door).

The support so far from our friends and neighbours has been amazing, and every single item will make a difference for those struggling to feed their families this winter.

A huge thank in advance

19/04/2025

Happy Easter!

We hope that you are having a restful long weekend wherever you are (despite the weather!), and enjoying these extra few days off with family, friends, hot cross buns and chocolate!

See you when we're back in the office on Tuesday!

09/04/2025

If you are one of our portfolio clients, you will have received a message in your In Box this week along these lines:

You may have seen recent news about volatility in global sharemarkets. Naturally, such news can be unsettling, and I wanted to reach out with some reassurance and perspective.

Short-term market fluctuations, while concerning, are a normal part of long-term investing. Our portfolios are deliberately structured with this in mind. They are globally diversified, meaning your investments are spread across different countries, sectors and asset types. This approach helps reduce the impact of any single market event.

Importantly, your portfolio contains a mix of growth assets (such as shares) and defensive assets (such as cash and bonds). If you need to draw on your investments in the short term, we can access funds from the defensive assets - allowing the share component of your portfolio time to recover. This helps avoid the need to sell growth assets when prices are temporarily low.

History has shown that markets do recover, often more quickly than many expect. For example, during the Global Financial Crisis, global sharemarkets (as measured by the MSCI World Index) fell sharply from late 2007, reaching their lowest point in March 2009. But, by early 2010 (less than a year later), a significant portion of those losses had already been regained.

More recently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the MSCI World Index dropped over 30% of its value between February - March 2020. However, by November 2020, the index had recovered to the levels seen in early 2020.

Investors who remained patient and stayed the course were rewarded as markets rebounded.

We believe that now is not the time to make changes based on short-term movements. History has shown us that reacting emotionally to market volatility can often do more harm than good. Staying the course and remaining invested during periods of uncertainty is key to long-term success.

If you have any concerns, would like to review your financial position, or just have a chat, please do not hesitate to get in contact.

Regards
Rachelle Bland
www.cliffeconsulting.co.nz

08/02/2025

A Cliffe walking by a cliff

Happy summer!!

02/01/2025

Happy New Year to you all!!

In between watching cricket and tennis while on holiday this week, Rachelle chatted to Susan Edmunds about . In particular, the disparity of KiwiSaver account balances for wives/partners who take time out of work to raise families. She included some of her comments in her nzherald.co.nz rald article below (it's in front of the paywall, yay!).

The tax advantages of contributing to a lower income earning partner's KiwiSaver are considerable, AND it means that they could be eligible for the annual Government contribution (the maximum Government contribution is $521.34 if they contribute $1,042.68 in the twelve months ending 30 June).

If in the previous two financial years, your partner's total earning were under $14,000 per annum, their KiwiSaver tax rate is 10.5% (for earnings between $14,001 to $48,000, it is 17.5%). And, they can use the lower of the two tax rates in the past two years. For earnings over $48,001, your KiwiSaver tax is 28%.

Your KiwiSaver tax rate is known as your Prescribed Investor Rate (or PIR). If you are unsure what this is, it is set out for you in your myIR account (in the KiwiSaver section). Make sure that your provider has your correct PIR rate on record for you, to make sure that you don't underpay or overpay tax.

Note: the PIR tax rate scales are changing from 1 April 2025 too so it's a good idea to keep a closer eye on it!

Now, back to watching the tennis. We hope that you are enjoying your holidays and having a relaxing start to 2025. Our office officially opens on 13 January, although we are available by email before then if you need to get in contact.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/her-kiwisaver-balance-is-15000-his-120000-women-face-motherhood-penalty-how-to-avoid-it/Y7CCKOTT3RGOPDH3S2VEOTVAJI/?fbclid=IwY2xjawHi6flleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHUldvELkN-zDJRb0VeyKmu-7xVfpCxh3CP_a9WbWIH_cvs7jvgfV2iqqhw_aem_JjC0yjLu2C05Zqsib2tLFA

What to do if you are worried about time out of the workforce affecting your savings.