Roadmap to a better retirement: launch of the 2025 Review
What will retirement look like in Aotearoa in the decades ahead—and are we making the right choices today to shape it?
Every three years, the Retirement Commission is required to undertake a review of retirement income policies. Launched in November 2025, the review provides a deep dive into how New Zealand’s retirement system is serving its people and where it needs to go next.
We were privileged to hear from Hon Scott Simpson, Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs on the Government’s priorities including recent KiwiSaver changes, followed by insights from Retirement Commissioner Jane Wrightson and a panel of experts who unpacked the review’s findings.
Our panel included:
- Jane Wrightson, Retirement Commissioner
- Antonia Watson, Chief Executive, ANZ
- Ana-Marie Lockyer, Chief Executive, Pie Funds
- Sarah Baddeley, Partner, Martin Jenkins
- Dr Patrick Nolan (Chair), Director Policy and Research, Retirement Commission
Whether you're shaping policy, supporting communities, or planning your own retirement, this is a conversation that matters.
Read the full 2025 Review of Retirement Income Policies here.
Event recording – 14 November 2025
Connection Series panel discussion
Connection Series panel discussion
Women, work, and retirement
New Zealand has a 25% gender savings gap in KiwiSaver balances, along with systemic barriers affecting women across their lives. New research by MartinJenkins for the Retirement Commission provides a life-course analysis of women and retirement income and the effects of those differences for women’s retirement income, and the key policy levers that are available to address these issues.
The Connection Series panel discussed sector-led solutions, cross-sector collaboration, and the role of leadership in driving change.
Our panel of speakers included:
- Jane Wrightson, Retirement Commissioner
- Tracey Cross, FSC’s Empower Women
- EeMun Chen, Martin Jenkins
- Zebunisso Alimova, Financial Advice New Zealand's Women in Financial Advice
Event recording – 17 September 2025
Connection Series panel discussion
Connection Series panel discussion
Event recording – 23 July 2025
Connection Series panel discussion
Connection Series panel discussion
Building financial capability through financial education in schools
We’re excited that financial education is now explicitly embedded into the school curriculum, with social sciences joining maths as the latest area for inclusion. This is something many of us have been advocating for and will ulitmately be transformational for improving the financial capability of our children and young people.
As the focus of our second Connection Series, we shared the work already underway between the Retirement Commission, Ministry of Education and existing financial education providers to make this happen and what comes next.
Our panel of speakers included:
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Retirement Commissioner, Jane Wrightson
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Kylie Begg, Ministry of Education
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Simon Brown, Banqer
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Yasmin Frazer, Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission
Event recording – 28 May 2025
Connection Series panel discussion
Connection Series panel discussion
Aotearoa New Zealand 2050
What Aotearoa New Zealand will be like in 2050 is up to us.
Our first National Strategy Connection Series event delved into what key demographic shifts could mean for the country’s future wellbeing, what the next 25 years could bring and how the decisions we make today will impact tomorrow.
Panellists responded to the key trends from Stats NZ and Treasury data to imagine a future in which everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand has access to rewarding and meaningful participation in society, contributes to sustainable growth, and experiences a stable retirement.
Our great panel of speakers included:
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Susan Livingood, Director of Sustainability and Financial Inclusion, Te Pūtea Matua Reserve Bank of New Zealand
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Steve Armitage, CEO, Hospitality NZ
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Dr Patrick Nolan, Director of Policy and Research, Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission
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Lillian Grace, Founder Figure NZ, co-founder Victory & Grace