Why diversification is key when navigating your Investment options

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 14:44:30 +1200

Investing can sometimes feel overwhelming. With so many options (shares, bonds, ETFs (exchange-traded funds), KiwiSaver), it’s easy to feel unsure about what’s right for you. In reality, there’s no one size fits all answer. The best strategy depends on your personal goals, your timeframe, and how much risk you’re comfortable with.

At The HTL Group, our focus is on helping clients grow their wealth through managed funds. Managed funds are one of the most cost-effective ways to access a diversified portfolio, whether that’s through KiwiSaver or a multi-manager approach held on a platform. Diversification means your money is spread across a wide range of investments, helping reduce risk and smooth out returns over time.

How do we determine the right mix for you?

Your investment mix is completely tailored to your situation. We look at:

Your age and timeframe – how long you plan to invest before needing the money.

Your goals – are you looking for income now, or growth in the future?

Your risk profile – does the strategy pass the “sleep at night” test?

Your understanding of investment markets – what you’re comfortable with.

The right balance between growth assets (like shares) and income assets (like bonds) will be different for everyone. That’s where it’s important to get advice.

A real world example

Recently, we reviewed the portfolio of a family trust we’ve advised. Over the past five years, the trust achieved an average after tax and fees return of 6.33% per year.

By comparison, bank term deposit rates over that same period ranged between 0.90% and 6.00% per year — before tax.

Despite the inevitable ups and downs in the markets, the diversified portfolio was significantly ahead of a term deposit strategy. While bank deposits may feel “safe” in the short term, they often fail to provide the returns investors need to grow their capital over the longer term.

Riding out market changes

Markets are constantly moving — interest rates, commodity prices, exchange rates, share prices, even legislation changes. No one has a crystal ball.

That’s why our philosophy is simple: “spread the eggs”. By diversifying and staying invested for the medium to long term, you ride out short-term volatility while pursuing higher overall returns.

The most important step? Start.

If you’re not sure where to begin, here’s the best advice: just start. Do some research or talk to a financial adviser, and then take action.

Procrastination is the thief of time. Thanks to the power of compounding, even small investments made early can grow into something much larger over time. We see this clearly in long-term KiwiSaver balances - the difference between starting early and starting late is enormous.

Ready to explore your options?

Let’s meet! Our team at The HTL Group can help you build a strategy that fits your goals, timeframe and comfort level.