Investing with purpose through active fund management
At Christian KiwiSaver Scheme, we view investing as a form of stewardship; a responsibility to manage resources in ways that reflect our faith and values. A key part of this faith-led approach is active fund management.
So, what does ‘active management’ mean, and how does it shape the way we invest on behalf of our members? To help explain this, we spoke with Manher Sukha, Investment Manager here at Anglican Financial Care, who shared his insights on how active management guides our approach.
What is active management?
At its simplest, active management is about being hands-on. We make decisions every step of the way, rather than simply following market movements. As Manher explains, “Active management involves carefully selecting the investments we want to include or exclude, and putting our investors’ funds to work in a considered, purposeful way.”
Active management happens on two levels:
- Choosing where to invest – known as asset allocation. This might mean deciding how much of our funds should go into shares, bonds, or alternative assets, based on our outlook and our members’ risk profiles.
- Choosing what to hold within each area – actively selecting which shares, bonds or alternative asset to invest in, rather than simply tracking an index.
This approach ensures that every investment is chosen with care, in line with our commitment to ethical investing and accountability.
In contrast, passive funds track an index, following the market’s ups and downs. They typically have lower fees, but offer less flexibility to change direction, as the market moves. “In a passive fund, you’re following the market,” Manher adds. “But when markets go down, you go down too. Active management means constantly reassessing and refining our approach.”
Active management in practice at Christian KiwiSaver Scheme
For our investment team, active management means staying constantly engaged. It’s about asking the right questions every day: which shares, bonds or alternative assets offer real value and align with our faith and our Ethical Investment Policy? How much should we hold in each area? When is it time to make a change – and when is it better to hold steady?
As Manher explains, “I look after cash, which often goes into term deposits, and I’m always checking whether to reinvest for four months, six months, or another timeframe. Our offshore assets are partially hedged against currency changes at all times, so I think about where the exchange rates are going daily and decide whether to change cover levels (i.e. increase or decrease hedge)!”
This daily attention doesn’t mean we’re making constant changes. In fact, Manher says, “Being active means looking at the situation, thinking about it carefully, and then deciding whether to make a change or to do nothing at all – and doing nothing can be an active decision too!”
Day-to-day decisions and long-term thinking
Our team meets weekly to discuss what’s happening in the markets, in the world, and in our portfolios. Manher shares that these meetings are both formal and informal, reflecting our collaborative culture. “Because we’re a small team, we have ongoing conversations about what we’re reading, what’s happening, and how it might affect our approach,” he says. “We also listen to others’ views – not just our own – and bring that into our decisions.”
We report to our Investment Committee and Board every three months. This ensures there’s always accountability and oversight, which is a vital part of our promise to members that their savings are looked after with integrity.
Balancing risk and return
Active management is also about managing risk and return in a thoughtful, long-term way. Manher says, “We’re always balancing risk and return. If something is expensive, compared to what we think it’s worth, that’s a risk. If it’s below what we think is fair, that can also be a risk – because the market view might be overly negative at that time.”
In other words, active management is about more than finding low prices or avoiding high ones; we work to understand why the price is where it is, and whether the market’s view reflects deeper issues.
Rather than reacting to short-term market movements, we focus on whether an investment offers real value in the long term. “We don’t react to every headline,” Manher says. “Unless we think there’s a fundamental change, we stay true to our investment strategy.”
This approach ensures we stay aligned with the risk profiles of each fund, whether it’s the Growth Fund, Balanced Fund, or Income Fund. While we might make slight adjustments within each fund if needed, we always respect our members’ overall appetite for risk.
Ethical investing at the heart of our approach
Ethical investing is core to Christian KiwiSaver Scheme. Before an investment is made, we check that it aligns with our ethical policy. This involves working with an external provider who reviews every investment in shares, and alerts us if there are any concerns.
Manher says, “Before we make any investment in shares, we check it with an external provider to ensure it aligns with our Ethical Investment Policy. If an investment no longer meets that standard, we remove it from our portfolio.”
This approach reflects our commitment to Christian values.
Navigating global uncertainty
We know that global events and economic shifts can affect markets. But rather than being driven by fear, we look at how these events impact the big picture and our members’ long-term financial wellbeing. Our approach is measured and considered – we focus on what we can control, and avoid knee-jerk reactions to market volatility.
Manher says, “Yes, we’re cautious right now because there’s so much uncertainty out there. But we’re not reactionary. We’ve positioned ourselves to take on the right level of risk – not too much, not too little – and we watch closely to see if anything truly changes that picture.”
By staying disciplined and aligned with our members’ values, we aim to navigate uncertainty with integrity. This means staying alert to global challenges, but also keeping sight of the long-term goals that matter most to our community.
Stewardship in action
For us, active fund management looks like this in practice:
- Making careful decisions on what to include and what to avoid.
- Monitoring investments every day, every week, and every quarter.
- Acting if something no longer aligns with our values.
- Prioritising members’ needs for a long-term sustainable investment.
- Staying true to our shared faith and ethical commitments.
Manher sums it up well: “At the end of the day, investing is half science, half art. Over time, you learn what to trust and what to watch out for. Our team here is exceptionally experienced, and we apply that experience to make the best decisions for our members.”
Active fund management is a practical way of using solid Investment Knowhow, to put Faith into Action, every day
Call us today to learn more about Christian KiwiSaver Scheme, and discover how simple it is to join.
Christian KiwiSaver Scheme is managed and issued by The New Zealand Anglican Church Pension Board (trading as Anglican Financial Care). The Product Disclosure Statement can be found here Documents | Christian KiwiSaver Scheme.
