Quote Originally Posted by mfd View Post
13 years is a strange timeline. Here's my source

https://seekingalpha.com/article/415...vs-s-and-p-500

Looks like they did well around 2007 which bumps up your quoted 13 year returns. The trend is pretty clearly towards matching the market in the future, as you'd expect as the size of the company increases. Not a terrible place for your money, but don't expect the future returns to look like the past.

I can fully understand not wanting to be in kiwisaver if it's too inflexible. On a pure financial returns basis, I will take it over Berkshire anyday due to my employer and the tax man more than doubling all my contributions.
The author's can pick the timeline to suit what every spin they want, also I would question where that SeekingAlpha link gets it's data from as their chart doesn't seem to reflect what I posted.

The employer matching of contributions is not always double. The minimum is 3% of person's income and the employer doesn't have to match any higher if the employee chooses to contribute more (up to 8% - a far cry from 18% that Canada allows).

My notion is at the minimum, the 3% matching contributions can easily be eaten up by the fund's mgt fees and this you lose out on compounding returns. More importantly, contributions only come if you're employed. What does that leave to those with disabilities or on the benefit? This is why I wonder if the NZ gov't would of been better to boost their superannuation pension fund by directly buying the S&P500 index so that everyone will see the benefit at retirement. Not just those that are able to work.