Castle Trust Financial Planning

15/06/2026

KiwiSaver reminder - act before the 30 June!

A quick review of your KiwiSaver contributions could make a real difference. If you’ve put in at least $1,042.86 this year, you’ll get $260.72 from the government – and if you’re not quite there, a small top-up may be all it takes.

𝘾𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 - 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚

11/06/2026

Most people are in the wrong KiwiSaver fund and don't know it.
When you joined KiwiSaver - whether you chose a fund or got auto-enrolled - there's a decent chance you ended up in a conservative fund. That's the default for a lot of providers, and it's designed to protect your balance from short-term volatility.

The problem: if you're in your 20s, 30s, or even your 40s and you're not planning to retire for decades, a conservative fund is almost certainly costing you money in the long run.
Conservative funds invest mostly in cash and bonds.
Growth funds invest more in shares and assets that tend to outperform over time - with more volatility in the short term, but significantly better long-term returns for most people.

For example: $50,000 in a conservative fund returning 3% per year over 25 years becomes around $104,000. The same amount in a growth fund at 7% per year becomes around $271,000.

Same money.
Very different outcome.

Log into your provider's app or website right now and check two things: your fund type, and your current balance. If you've never actively chosen a fund, there's a real chance you're in the wrong one.

Our team are happy to run through this with you. Book a free chat with us today - https://castletrustinitial.timetap.com/

𝘾𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 - 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚

08/06/2026

Many people think they need 20% saved before they can even talk to a bank.

That’s not always true.

In reality, many first home buyers are getting in with 5–10% deposits, depending on income, lending criteria, and whether it’s an owner-occupied home.

Here’s the part people miss: the deposit isn’t the only hurdle. The real question is whether your income can comfortably handle repayments, rates, insurance, and the “life stuff” that keeps happening in between.

Our tip - before house hunting gets serious, ask a broker to run your numbers based on today’s rates, not last year’s assumptions. It changes decisions fast.

Buying your first home doesn’t need to start with perfection. It starts with clarity.

𝘾𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 - 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚

04/06/2026

We are there when things are going well, AND when things need that extra care and support.
Thank you Sarah for your kinds words, we are proud to support you every step of the way!

𝘾𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 - 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚

01/06/2026

Let's go Giants 🏀

Chevaun and Stu were the hosted guests of NBS at the Nelson Giants game late last month, great to connect with one of our mortgage partners and supporting our local team!

Thank you Gina and Linda at for your hospitality 😊

𝘾𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 - 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚

29/05/2026

Our team have been on the move this month! 🏃‍♀️

Anna-May joined ‘Team AIA’ and has walked over 100km this month to raise money for the Heart Foundation’s MyMarathon, helping them fund life-saving heart research that makes a real difference for people living with heart disease.

Anna-May wanted to get involved as she has had a number of client heart related claims over the last few months, so it was only right to do this and join Team AIA - one of our insurance partners - to raise the money.

Brilliant work Anna-May - love your work! 😊

𝘾𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 - 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚

AIA NZ

28/05/2026

Home ownership felt out of reach.
Then Jess & Mia came to see us.
One conversation changed everything - turns out they were ready to buy all along. 🏡

If you've been wondering whether now is the right time, let's talk.

Book a free chat with our team - https://castletrustinitial.timetap.com/ #/

𝘾𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 - 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚

14/05/2026

First home.
Insurance sorted.
Future investments underway. 🏡
That's the kind of journey we love being part of!

Huge congratulations to our client on such a fantastic milestone - and a well-deserved shoutout to Chevaun and Anna-May for the care they put in every step of the way.

Ready to start your own journey? Book a free chat with us today - https://castletrustinitial.timetap.com/

𝘾𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 - 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚

13/05/2026

Great initiatives don’t just change lives - they shape futures.

That’s why we’re pleased to share a new wellbeing programme from AIA, designed specifically for New Zealand primary schools. It’s completely free, gives teachers practical tools to support tamariki in building lifelong healthy habits, and includes an impressive $80,000 prize pool for participating schools.

Strong financial futures are built on strong foundations - and wellbeing plays a big part in that. Supporting our young people to thrive, both physically and mentally, is an investment that pays dividends for generations.

If you’re connected to a local primary school, this is well worth a look.

Learn more or register here 👉 https://ahs.aia.com/nz/en/
Or share this with a school that would benefit

The AIA Healthiest Schools Programme provides young people across Australia, Hong Kong, Thailand and Vietnam with educational resources that enable them to learn about healthy habits and implement changes to make their schools and communities healthier and happier.

11/05/2026

Most people don’t need more financial noise.
They need a plan that actually makes sense.

We take a “big picture” approach to your finances - because your mortgage, insurance, KiwiSaver, investments and retirement goals don’t exist separately from each other. They all need to work together.

Sometimes the best financial decision isn’t about chasing the lowest rate or the highest return. It’s about creating balance, flexibility, and long-term confidence for you and your family.

Whether you’re buying your first home, planning for retirement, restructuring debt, protecting your income, or building wealth for the future, we help you step back and see the bigger picture - with advice tailored to your life, goals and priorities.

Learn more about our Big Picture Thinking approach here:
https://castletrust.co.nz/mortgages/big-picture/

𝘾𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 - 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚

NZ mortgage advisers & financial adviser. We sort your home loan, insurance & KiwiSaver together - one plan, nothing missed. Talk to our team today.