Relevately new at investing and looking for advice...
Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some opinions on how to structure my investments as a NZ resident.
Current situation:
* Living in New Zealand
* Around NZD $20k in savings/emergency cash
* Around USD $16k available to invest
* Long-term horizon (10+ years)
* No immediate need for the money
I was originally planning to convert the USD into NZD, but with the current exchange rate I’m considering keeping it in USD and investing directly instead.
I’m mainly interested in:
* low-cost ETFs/index investing
* long-term growth
* keeping things relatively simple
* understanding the NZ tax implications (especially FIF rules)
A few questions:
Does it make sense to keep the investments in USD as a NZ resident?
Would you invest directly into US ETFs (VTI/VXUS etc.) or use NZ-based funds instead?
Is currency risk something I should actively hedge/manage at this level?
Would you invest the lump sum immediately or phase it in over time?
Any recommended platforms for NZ investors holding USD?
At the moment I’m leaning toward something simple like:
* 70–80% global equities
* 10–20% international diversification
* 10–20% bonds/cash
But I’m still learning and would really appreciate hearing how more experienced NZ investors would approach this.
Thanks!