In this episode of Jess Learns to Invest, Jess sits down with Tom Hartmann, Personal Finance Lead at Sorted, to unpack one of the most important concepts in investing: portfolio diversification.

Together, they break down what a portfolio actually is, why diversification matters, and how spreading your investments across different assets, industries and regions can help manage risk over time. They also explore how diversification works inside managed funds and KiwiSaver, the difference between diversification and asset allocation, and why “set and forget” doesn’t mean “never check”.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
• What a portfolio is (and why it’s more than just one investment)
• What diversification really means and how it helps manage risk
• The difference between diversification and asset allocation
• How managed funds and KiwiSaver can help you diversify from day one
• Why rebalancing matters and how fund managers do it for you
• Common diversification mistakes and how to avoid them
• Why fees matter over the long term

🎧 Jess Learns to Invest is a podcast helping New Zealanders understand investing in a clear, practical way.

🔗 Find tools mentioned in this episode at sorted.org.nz

This podcast is general information only and is not financial advice.

Jess Learns to Invest is back for Season 2! In Episode 1, Jess is joined by Dr Pushpa Wood, Director at Massey University, to unpack investment psychology and explore how emotions and biases influence the way we make money decisions.

This episode covers loss aversion, anchoring, and herd behaviour along with practical, behaviour‑based strategies to keep investing aligned with your goals.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How emotional investing can impact money decisions
• The most common decision-making biases (and what they look like in real life)
• How to avoid FOMO investing

Important: This episode is for general information only and is not financial advice.

#JessLearnsToInvest #Investing #FinancialWellbeing #InvestmentPsychology #FOMO #BehaviouralFinance

Jess Learns to Invest season 1 offers a comprehensive introduction to investing, emphasising the importance of starting small, being consistent, and learning progressively. The series covers fundamental concepts such as compounding interest, market volatility, and different investment types, while also addressing practical tips and ethical considerations.

Some of the key takeaways from this season include:

• Start investing with small steps: Jess highlights that perfection is not required to begin investing; consistency and gradual learning are key. Starting with manageable amounts builds confidence over time.
• Investing grows wealth beyond saving: Simran Kaur explains that investing helps money grow through compounding, unlike saving which merely keeps money safe. Regular contributions, even if small, can accumulate significantly.
• Automate investments for ease: Frances Cook advises setting up automatic transfers to savings and investments to build good financial habits effortlessly and avoid procrastination.
• Understand managed funds: Managed funds pool money from multiple investors and are managed by professionals who invest in income-generating or growth assets, making them a good starting point for new investors.
• Be patient during market volatility: Brad Olsen explains that market volatility involves rapid price changes; investors should maintain perspective and avoid panic during downturns.
• Creative approaches to property investing: Vanessa Williams discusses that property investing can involve strategies beyond buying a home to hold, such as renting rooms or partnering with others, tailored to individual goals.
• Invest in familiar companies through shares: Natalie Ferguson notes that buying shares means owning a part of a company, and starting with companies one knows can be a practical approach.
• Ethical investing aligns with values: Victoria Harris emphasises that investing in companies supports their growth and success, essentially voting with one’s wallet for the future one wants.
• Stay vigilant against scams: Samantha McGuire warns about increasingly sophisticated scams targeting everyday investors, urging caution, verification of credentials, and scepticism of offers that seem too good to be true.
• Crypto is a digital means of payment. If you’re curious about Crypto, Peter explains that you should start small, stick to reputable platforms, and never invest more than you can afford to lose.

Season 2 is in the works so stay tuned!

Join FMA Head of Audit, Financial Reporting and Climate Related Disclosures, Jacco Moison, as we unpack the latest Audit Quality Monitoring Report.

✔ Why audit quality matters
✔ Key findings from this year’s review
✔ What auditors and directors should focus on

Watch now and stay informed about how we’re building trust in New Zealand’s financial markets. Read the full report here: Audit Quality Monitoring Report 2024/25

Join Jess from the FMA External Communications team for a deep dive into the world of cryptocurrencies! In this episode of Jess Learns to Invest, tech journalist Peter Griffin shares his insights on what crypto is, how it works, and how to invest safely. Whether you’re a curious beginner or a seasoned investor, you’ll learn about the evolution of crypto, market risks, scams, and practical tips for getting started. Discover why trust and research matter, and how crypto might shape the future of money.

Key topics:

What is cryptocurrency?

How does blockchain work?

Investing safely in crypto

Market volatility and risk

Avoiding scams

The future of digital money

As part of their CoFI licence obligations, financial institutions have a legal obligation to comply with a set of standard conditions. Two of these – Standard Condition 4 and Standard Condition 5 – are critical to operational resilience.

Standard Condition 4 relates to outsourcing.

If a financial institution outsources any system or process essential to providing services, it must ensure the provider can deliver to a standard that allows the financial institution to meet all its market services licensee obligations, including fair treatment of customers.

Standard Condition 5 is focused on business continuity and technology systems.

This means maintaining a business continuity plan tailored to the financial institution’s scale and scope. For any critical technology systems, where disruption would materially affect service provision or other obligations, the financial institution must ensure operational resilience by preserving confidentiality, integrity and availability of information and systems.

A financial institution’s business continuity plan and technology systems must be established, implemented and maintained in a way that supports compliance with their fair conduct programme.

Any event that materially impacts the operational resilience of its technology systems must be notified to the FMA as soon as possible, and in any case, no later than 72 hours after discovering the event.

All licensed Financial Advice Providers must submit an annual regulatory return as part of licensing conditions. With seven more calendar days to go have your submitted your return? The submission period closes on 30 September 2025.

Regulatory returns should be submitted through the FMA Online Services portal: https://www.fma.govt.nz/business/online-services

You can find frequently asked questions and an information sheet on regulatory returns on our Financial Advice Providers regulatory returns page.

In this episode of 5 Minutes with the FMA, host Heidi Norman is joined by Executive Director Licensing and Conduct Supervision, Clare Bolingford to discuss why complaints are a focus for the FMA the We want financial service providers to ensure their complaints processes are accessible, fair, and effective, not only by making it easy to complain, but also by understanding and addressing the reasons some consumers don’t. We see complaints as moments of truth, revealing not just what went wrong, but how well firms respond when it matters most.