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by Editor | 5 Dec, 2019 | General
It is a pleasure to send you Christmas greetings on behalf of the Board of Anglican Financial Care, as we approach this holy season, and await the longed-for birth of Christ. In our celebrations we give thanks that God is continually reaching out to us, longing to be born in us, longing for us to be in God’s company and drawn into the divine life of God. This is why Christmas is a special time. It means tasting something of heaven on earth as Love comes to surround us and indwell us.
Christmas tells us that all human life is profoundly sacred, so much so that God comes to us in human form to speak to us on our level and in our language. In this festival God is telling us and showing us that human beings in their fragility and humility can be full of God; very holy, very precious. In the message of the birth of Christ about which the angels sing and shepherds rush to adore, we see that all life is held in God and surrounded by God, and that God can reach out to us at any time and in any place, especially to the places engulfed in the darkness of suffering and pain.
Given the events of the last year and the moral issues currently being debated in our Parliament at present, this message is needed in our world more than ever. That someone could be so filled with hate that it was possible to destroy so many lives in the Mosque shootings last March is unfathomable. Every Christmas we celebrate God becoming fully human, thus making our humanity holy. If we are to take this message to heart, and open our own hearts to the indwelling of God, then we need to embrace those who appear to be ‘other’, to overcome our fear of those who are different, learn to move beyond tolerance of others to being in relationship, and to celebrate our common humanity.
For when the heavens are opened on that first Christmas night, what is disclosed? God. God revealed in the flesh; God, full of grace and truth. We see the fragility and vulnerability of human existence in the new-born baby. When we look toward that holy Child, we see only Love; Love that is offered freely, that is not manipulative, controlling, fearful, or violent. It is Love that is simply present, that we can choose to receive and to adore, or not. It is Love that has come to win us over, to draw us to God. It is the same Love that moves the stars and stirs our hearts. It is a Love that invites our total allegiance. This Love also helps us see our humanity from a fresh angle; it is fragile, dependent, but more holy than we could ever have imagined. It tells us that our own very being comes from the heart of God and is the result of the creative outpouring of Love who looks upon all that has been made and pronounced it to be very good.
“Come, Holy One, come, my Redeemer; come Lord Jesus, and be born in me, live in me, grown in me, until my life is transformed by your life and I seek only to know your love and make your love known. Amen.”*
May you and yours have a holy and blessed Christmas and a happy New Year.
Dean Lawrence Kimberley
Chairperson
*Christopher L. Webber Ed., Advent with Evelyn Underhill, Morehouse Publishing, Harrisburg-New York, 2006.
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by Editor | 29 Oct, 2019 | General
As parents, you understand how important literacy is for children. You sit for hours reading to your children. This can be the beginning of a life-long love of reading.
Learning how to think about money and manage it wisely is an equally important life skill.
It is important to patiently help your children learn many ways to control money. Most children will learn by doing.
Having your children help while you shop for groceries can help them learn the value of money versus the costs of items. Letting them use a calculator to add up the total spend as you work your way around the supermarket can keep them occupied and learning at the same time. For older children, you can set a meal budget and have them work out which items they could buy to make the meal which would remain in the budget.
In the end, you hope that your children will grow into financially responsible adults. The rewards are life-altering: living within their means, free from the anxieties of debt, and secure in their future.
Joining your children up to KiwiSaver is the perfect way to start them on their savings journey. As a Christian KiwiSaver Scheme member both you and your children can log-in and see their money grow over time. With time on their side, starting the savings habit young will return dividends in the future.
Members of the Christian KiwiSaver Scheme are not charged any fees while they are under age 18.
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by Editor | 29 Oct, 2019 | General
Earlier this month we tweaked the website. We believe the changes will make it easier for visitors to the website to find information and to navigate around. In a nutshell, we split up a large amount of information that had been under one menu heading into two separate pages.
- “Ethical Investing” now contains the investment-related information, i.e. our ethical approach and investment style, what being a member of Christian KiwiSaver Scheme can offer you, your investment choices, investment returns and fees.
- “KiwiSaver” now contains information mainly about KiwiSaver, how to join, contributions, withdrawals, your options at 65, children and Christian employers.
- All forms, documents, guides and reports can be found under “Documents”.
We welcome suggestions from you on how we can improve your experience on our website. Phone us on 0508 738 473 or email at info@christiankiwisaver.nz
by Jo Cheramie | 8 Aug, 2019 | General, Investment, KiwiSaver
Many of us have grown up with the stories of Winnie the Pooh. If we didn’t, some of us may have seen the recent movie called ‘Christopher Robin’ which re-introduces Winnie the Pooh to a wider audience.
Many of us would be surprised to know that Winnie the Pooh owned a gun in 100 Acre Wood. We would be puzzled as to why they would own guns in that wood as they don’t hunt, and they don’t have target practice. Yet, in one account of Winnie the Pooh’s exploits, there was a knock on the door of his tree. Winnie answered the door … with a gun in his hands.
When A. A. Milne started writing about Winnie the Pooh in 1926, it was a different time with a different attitude toward guns. Like climate change, guns and munitions have increasingly become something that people are concerned about.
After the attacks on the Al-Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch earlier this year there has been a growing concern about whether New Zealand KiwiSaver providers have invested funds in arms or munitions. There are some providers that have invested in this industry. But the Christian KiwiSaver Scheme is not one of those; it is among a small number of KiwiSaver providers that provide ethical investments and excludes munitions.
In a recent Colmar Brunton survey, over 70 percent of respondents answered that it was important for them that their KiwiSaver money was not invested in weapons. The survey found that a lot of members didn’t know if their funds were invested in munitions at all.
In New Zealand, there are over 2.7 million people signed up with KiwiSaver. The New Zealand Herald quoted a 2018 Consumer survey finding that around seven out of 10 people wanted their money invested ethically. But only around 8,600 people had signed up to specifically targeted ethical investment funds. While some people may hesitate in investing in ethical funds as they may feel these funds give lower returns, some of the best companies in the current market are those that are the most sustainable companies – they look after the environment and their employees. So thinking seems to be changing among investors.
Remember you can log into your account and check which fund your money is invested in. Or, if you prefer, give us a call on (0508) 738 473.
Winnie the Pooh image from www.disneyclips.com
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by Jo Cheramie | 8 Aug, 2019 | General, Investment
Some of you are asking what’s a PIR and what’s the fuss about them? Your PIR is your Prescribed Investor Rate and this is the tax rate that applies to investment earnings in certain types of investments including KiwiSaver. Having the wrong PIR will cost you money.
There are three PIR rates: 10.5%, 17.5% and 28%. As a general rule if your taxable income is above $48,000 then your PIR should be 28%.
It’s important to have the correct PIR. If your PIR is too high then you will be paying more tax than you need to. We understand that Inland Revenue hasn’t been giving refunds in these situations. If your PIR is too low then you could be facing a tax bill.
Has Inland Revenue been in touch with you about your PIR? Earlier this year Inland Revenue identified 450,000 New Zealanders who they determined were on the wrong PIR. Inland Revenue has started contacting those who appeared to have a PIR that was too low and advising how much tax they owe.
Inland Revenue recently replaced their computer system and that means it can now check your PIR against your personal taxable income. Your PIR is based on your income. If your income changes (up or down), this might mean a change in your PIR. Your residency status can also affect your PIR.
A guide to calculating your PIR is available to help you.
You can log into your Christian KiwiSaver Scheme account and check your PIR. If you need to change your PIR then send us an email. If you’re not sure then you can phone us on 0508 738 473.
by Amit | 1 Feb, 2019 | General, Investment
As Christian KiwiSaver Scheme members we are a group of “ethically-minded Christians” who believe in the value of sound stewardship and in investing in assets that reflect Christian values. That could sound rather boring and dull.
However, one of our investments is neither boring nor dull but rather exciting. Back in 1992, The New Zealand Anglican Church Pension Board had the foresight to purchase a block of land in the Tukituki Valley, a spectacular part of the Hawkes’ Bay.
The Māori word ‘Tukituki’ means to demolish; this possibly refers to the power of the river when it is in full flood. The Tukituki River flows all the way from the Ruahine Ranges out to the Pacific Ocean in the southern part of the Hawkes’ Bay coastline.
Aerial view of Hapua Forest Park before harvesting.
While that English translation of Tukituki has that meaning of demolition, the Board’s investment in the Tukituki Valley had the opposite meaning. The Board purchased that block of land and developed a 672 hectare pine forest which it named Hapua Forest. That block is bringing new life and growth.
The first forest was planted during the 1992-1993 season. This planting occurred at a time when planting trees were not seen as positively as today in terms of countering the effects of global warming. During their lifetime, these trees bring new life and contribute positively to their environment by, such things, providing oxygen and improving air quality, conserving water and stabilising the soil.
As you can see from the picture below, that first forest has now matured and is in the process of being harvested. Harvesting started back in 2016 and should be completed during 2019.
Harvesting in the Hapua Forest.
But the land is not being left barren once that first crop is harvested. As land becomes available after the harvesting, further tree planting is occurring. This process started during the 2018 winter. So far, approximately 62,500 new seedlings have been planted. Up to now, one quarter of the forest area has been replanted.
New seedling growing in Hapua Forest Park.
Whereas members in other KiwiSaver schemes may have shares in a forestry company, Hapua Forest is something that Christian KiwiSaver Scheme members directly own part of. While the Board bought the Hapua Forest back in the 1990s, the Christian KiwiSaver Scheme has owned a portion of it since the Scheme started in 2007.
Just as the trees in the Hapua Forest take up to 25 years to mature before they could be harvested, KiwiSaver savings are also a long-term investment looking toward when we retire and can benefit from the savings. For younger members that could be around 40 years – a period akin to nearly two crops of maturing pine trees at the Hapua Forest. Like the value of those trees in the Hapua Forest our KiwiSaver investment will fluctuate in value over time but will benefit Scheme members and our climate over their life.
