With economic uncertainty comes investing jitters, but it can also be an opportunity, writes Frances Cooke.

Checked your Kiwisaver balance lately? Yeah, it’s probably not looking great. Well, at first glance, anyway. 

Your Kiwisaver going down can actually be a good thing for the future – yes, I’m serious. But first we have to learn how to knuckle down and make it through a dip, smartly and strategically. 

When the market gets rough, and you’ve got a sea of red swamping your money, don’t panic. Take a deep breath – this is normal. You could even turn this around to make money from it. 

Why your Kiwisaver looks ugly right now

The sharemarket has been bouncing around like a toddler on a sugar high, thanks to global uncertainty. Your Kiwisaver invests into shares, and the share market is just a bunch of businesses that let you buy a small piece of ownership. 

This means you can share in the profits in good times, but when shit hits the fan, you will also see the value of your investments go down. 

Many businesses right now are having a tough time, through no fault of their own. Profits are down, and that means they’re worth less. But just like when the housing market takes a dip, this only matters if you want to sell. Would you sell your home when property prices are down? Not unless you really, really needed to. The same goes for the shares in your Kiwisaver. 

There are plenty of strong and stable companies in there (think Apple) that simply go down in value because the economy itself is in a tough spot. Do I think those companies are set to collapse any time soon? No. So I’m sticking around. 

The true sharemarket nemesis

OK, but why are those companies doing so badly? Uncertainty. The ultimate nemesis of the business world.

Sometimes even bad news can see a stock price go up, because at least then investors know what’s happening. If you know what’s going on, even if it’s bad, you can make a plan.

But then Trump moved back into the White House, and to quote John Mulaney, now it’s like we’ve got a horse in the hospital. Who knows what’s going to happen next? Certainly not the horse.

Every day, there’s a fresh round of news affecting investments: interest rate speculation, geopolitical tensions, and market corrections. Not to mention war.

Then there’s tariffs, maybe up, maybe down, maybe yes, maybe no. It’s impossible for businesses to plan, to know whether to hire or fire, to start exporting to a particular market, or not.

So companies dither, and their bottom line suffers for it.

Uh, hello, the rest of the world

A note of caution that financial news out of the US can dominate our headlines, but it’s not the full story. There may be a sea of red coming out of the US, but many other countries are powering on to stay in the green.

Parts of Europe (hi Germany and Italy) and Asia (hi Japan and Korea) are actually doing great right now, thankyouverymuch. 

On the latest Making Cents podcast, seasoned trader and AMP general manager, investment management Aaron Klee, told me he sees emerging markets as a strong performer right now. So that’s where they’re happily hunting for opportunities.

Think, countries that aren’t fully developed, but are getting there. They’re charging ahead, starting new businesses, innovating, and still reaching out to the rest of the world. They’re likely to make quite a bit of money, if given the time to solidify these exciting business plans.

Which reminds of us the most important point of all. Kiwisaver is designed for the long game. Your balance will go up and down, but historically, markets recover over time.

Your Kiwisaver going down can be good, actually

When you put money into your Kiwisaver, it buys up investments on your behalf. So if the market is going down, and investments have lost value, you can buy more.

Let’s break this down with some simple maths: Say you’ve got just $10. The market is doing well, so you can buy shares for $2 each. You get five of them.

But then the market dips, and those same shares drop to $1 each. You put in another $10 and now you’re buying 10 of them.

You might think, on average, you’ve paid $1.50 per share. But actually, because you now own 15 shares for a total investment of $20, the real average price per share is $1.33. 

You’ve bought more shares for less, just by keeping going. Why does this matter?

Because when the market eventually recovers (as it always has in the past), those shares increase in value, and now you own more of them. That means a bigger gain when prices rise again, and a bigger slice of any future dividends.

And this is exactly why investors who stay the course and keep contributing tend to do better over time. Market dips aren’t just survivable – they can be opportunities.

This applies to funds, not individual companies

One crucial thing to remember: this strategy only works when you’re investing in diversified funds, not individual companies. A company can go bust. But the broader stock market? It’s survived world wars, depressions, and pandemics—and still kept growing.

So your Kiwisaver, or other diversified fund investment, is actually the perfect way to look after your money at a time like this. It’s buying hundreds of companies, all at once.

You’re spreading your money across many companies, so if one fails, it won’t take your whole investment down with it.

How I learned to stop worrying and love the crash

If looking at your Kiwisaver balance right now stresses you out, here’s a better approach:

1. As a general rule of thumb, your personal timeline matters more than what the market is up to. Don’t need it for at least 5-10 years? Growth or aggressive will probably work well for you. Need it in under 5 years? You should already be in balanced or conservative, in order to protect your money from dips right before you need to spend it. 

2. If you’re feeling spooked, get in touch with your Kiwisaver provider. You pay them fees, and part of the deal is that they can provide financial advice to you at times like this. It’s not only free – you’ve actually pre-paid. Make them give you your money’s worth. 

3. Keep contributing. If anything, downturns are a great time to be putting money in, as you’re buying in at lower prices.

4. Make a decision based on your needs, not noise. Sometimes it’s right for you to be in a conservative fund, whether it’s because you need the money soon, or you simply can’t stomach the market going up and down. But make a strategic decision rather than reacting to a bad week in the markets.

5. If you know a growth Kiwisaver is best for you, but you’re finding it all a bit horrible to watch… stop watching. Go meet up with a friend for coffee, smack talk someone you both know, and pretend the world isn’t going crazy. It’ll recover.

A new report suggests a focus on export industries will provide the best opportunity for growth in an expanding Māori economy.

The Māori economy is at a turning point, with rapid growth, a diversifying asset base and untapped export potential creating new opportunities. But despite nearly doubling in five years – from $17bn in 2018 to $32bn in 2023 – significant challenges remain, particularly in closing the gap between Māori and non-Māori in skilled employment and income levels.

The Māori economy has surpassed its estimated $100bn milestone years ahead of a 2030 forecast. Of the $126bn in assets, $66bn belongs to Māori businesses, $19bn to self-employed individuals, and $41bn to Māori trusts and collectives. The number of Māori-owned businesses has grown to 23,748, up 7% since 2018, with the workforce expanding by 19% to 390,700 workers.

Once dominated by agriculture, forestry and fishing, the Māori economy is diversifying. In 2023, professional, scientific, and technical services became the largest Māori GDP contributor at $5.1bn, followed by real estate ($4.1bn) and administrative services ($4.2bn). While primary industries remain vital, particularly for iwi, the shift toward high-skilled, knowledge-based sectors signals a transformation.

“Māori economic activity is moving up the value chain,” economist Hillmarè Schulze told a crowd gathered at Eden Park for the Auckland launch of the report late last week. She highlighted horticulture, technology, and manufacturing as sectors with significant export potential. Tama Potaka, minister of Māori development agreed, emphasising that future growth will come from Māori youth leveraging professional expertise and global markets.

Industries currently contributing less than $1bn to Māori GDP include wholesale trade, retail and accommodation, information, media, and telecommunications, and arts and recreation services. Schulze identified these sectors as key areas for expansion, particularly due to their export potential. She emphasised that Māori businesses should focus on growing international markets, leveraging unique cultural branding, and securing more trade opportunities to drive further economic growth.

Self-employed Māori increased 49% and Māori employers grew 31% since 2018, reflecting a surge in entrepreneurship. For the first time, more Māori workers hold high-skilled jobs (46%) than low-skilled jobs (40%), a shift driven by greater participation in professional industries.

Despite these gains, Māori remain underrepresented in high-paying roles and boardrooms. Non-Māori workers still dominate high-skilled occupations (57%), highlighting an ongoing gap in access to leadership and specialist careers. This imbalance is reflected in income disparities – Māori employers earn nearly $80,000 on average, but a significantly lower proportion of Māori hold those positions compared to non-Māori. Potaka stresses the importance of education and mentorship to retain and develop Māori talent within Aotearoa.

A key factor in the reported economic surge is improved data collection, with Schulze estimating that 20-30% of the growth stems from better measurement rather than entirely new economic activity. The latest report integrates data from Te Matapaeroa, census records, and Māori Land Court valuations, painting a clearer picture of Māori contributions.

“Māori businesses were always contributing more than previously measured. Now, we have the numbers to back it up,” Schulze explains.

Māori businesses continue to prioritise whakapapa, kaitiakitanga, and intergenerational wealth over short-term profit. Speaking to the media last week, Helmut Modlik, chief executive at Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, described iwi investments as long-term and community-focused: “We invest to sustain our people and whenua, not just to generate returns.”

This values-driven approach has become a competitive advantage, particularly in branding and export markets. The global demand for indigenous authenticity is fueling Māori business expansion, from manuka honey to high-end Māori-designed tech and creative enterprises.

While growth is undeniable, economic disparities remain. Māori home ownership (52%) still lags behind non-Māori (67%), and Māori households rely more on government support. Access to capital is another barrier, with Adrian Orr, Reserve Bank governor, calling the financial sector’s lack of Māori-inclusive lending models “disappointing.”

The government has launched whenua Māori lending reforms to make it easier for Māori landowners to secure financing, and iwi-led funds like Rauawa are working to bridge Māori investors with lenders. However, banks and policymakers must do more to ensure Māori businesses have the capital needed to scale.

As the Māori economy continues to expand, the challenge is ensuring this growth delivers real benefits for whānau and communities. Investment in education, innovation, and capital accessibility will be crucial in sustaining momentum. Strengthening pathways for Māori into high-value industries, global markets, and leadership roles can accelerate not only Māori success but Aotearoa’s broader economic prosperity.

Schulze believes the Māori economy could double again by the late 2020s, as long as structural barriers are addressed. The expansion of Māori businesses into export-driven sectors will be key, alongside leveraging cultural identity as a competitive strength.

The Māori economy is no longer a niche contributor – it is a powerful, growing pillar of New Zealand’s economic future. With strong leadership, inclusive policies, and a focus on long-term prosperity, it has the potential to drive transformational change for generations to come.