Next Steps

You’ve read the guide. Now here’s what to actually do — in order, this week if possible.

The Checklist

This Week (30-60 Minutes Total)

Calculate your essential monthly expenses — add up housing, food, utilities, insurance, transportation, minimum debt payments, healthcare. (Cash Cushion)
Open an online or bonus savings account if you don’t have one — it takes about 10 minutes. Check the conditions for the bonus rate. (Cash Cushion)
Check your super or KiwiSaver — in Australia, check your employer is paying your super and what fees you pay. In New Zealand, check your contribution rate, and that you’re on track to put in $1,042.86 a year (from 1 Jul 2025) for the full government contribution. (Investment Accounts)
Set up one automatic transfer — from your everyday account to savings or an investment account. Any amount. (Before You Start)

This Month

List all your debts with balances and interest rates. If anything is above 8%, make a payoff plan. (Tackle Debt)
Australia: decide on salary sacrifice. If your income is above the 15% tax bracket (2026-27), try the salary sacrifice calculator and ask your employer to set it up. (Investment Accounts)
Pick a simple investment — one low-cost diversified fund or a global index fund. (Investment Choices)
New Zealand: check your KiwiSaver fund type — a growth fund usually suits a long time to 65; a conservative fund usually doesn’t. (Investment Choices)

This Quarter

Sort out who gets your money — your super nomination or your will (see below).
Write a one-page investment plan — your target allocation, what you’ll invest in, and what you’ll do during a downturn (nothing). (Staying the Course)
Review your fees — check every fund you hold, including your super or KiwiSaver. (Investment Choices)

Once a Year

Review your allocation — rebalance if needed.
Increase your savings rate — by 1% every year, or by half of any pay rise.
Review your cash cushion target — has your spending changed?
Check the new year’s limits — super caps change each 1 July (ato.gov.au); NZ tax rates and KiwiSaver settings each 1 April (ird.govt.nz)

Decide Who Gets Your Money

This is a short task with enormous consequences, and it works differently in each country.

Reading from New Zealand? Choose New Zealand above.

Super isn’t automatically covered by your will. You tell your fund who should get it with a death benefit nomination:

Binding nomination: the fund must pay the people you name, as long as they’re your dependants or your estate. Lapsing binding nominations must be renewed every 3 years.
Non-binding nomination: guides the fund, but the trustee makes the final decision.
No nomination: the fund decides.

Action items:

Australia: log into your super fund and check your nomination type and who’s named
New Zealand: make or update your will
Check any life insurance policies too
Update after marriage, separation, a new child or a death in the family, and set a yearly reminder

When to Get Professional Help

Some situations genuinely benefit from professional advice:

Consider a professional if you:

Have a complex tax situation (business ownership, employee share schemes, investment property)
Are going through a major life change (inheritance, divorce, early retirement)
Have a high net worth and want tax optimisation beyond the basics
Feel overwhelmed and want someone to build a plan with you

If you do hire someone, look for:

Someone on the official register: in Australia, the Financial Advisers Register (an adviser not on it can’t legally give you personal advice on investments, super or life insurance). In New Zealand, the Financial Service Providers Register, where advice providers must be listed.
Someone who must put you first — in Australia, advisers giving personal advice must act in your best interests (Corporations Act s961B). In New Zealand, advisers must give priority to your interests when they conflict with their own, and treat you fairly (Code of Professional Conduct for Financial Advice Services).
Fee-for-service — you pay them directly, rather than through commissions. New Zealand advisers must tell you about any commissions they get.
CFP (Certified Financial Planner) credential

Keep Learning

Moneysmart — ASIC’s free money guidance for Australians, with calculators for super, budgets and loans.
Sorted — free money guidance for New Zealanders from the Retirement Commission (Te Ara Ahunga Ora), including Smart Investor for comparing KiwiSaver and managed funds.
Ramit Sethi — personal finance education focused on building a life you love. His book I Will Teach You to Be Rich is the best “getting started” guide available.
Morgan Housel — author of The Psychology of Money. Essential reading for the Staying the Course mindset.
Bogleheads Wiki — the definitive community resource for index fund investing.
John Bogle — founder of Vanguard, inventor of the index fund for individual investors.
Matt Levine — the best writer working today for understanding how financial markets actually work.
Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger — their consistent advice to individuals: buy a low-cost index fund and hold it forever.

The most important thing you can do is take the first step this week — open an account, set up an automatic transfer, buy one low-cost diversified fund. The details can be refined over time. The action can’t wait.