Planning before 40
Building financial foundations as your life and responsibilities take shape
While our core client base is typically aged 40 and over, we also work with the adult children of our clients and with people who experience financial complexity earlier in life — such as receiving an inheritance or building wealth more quickly than expected.
Planning and managing your financial situation from starting work until around age 40
Starting work – whether as a student or in your first full-time role – is often the beginning of your financial life.
Income becomes more regular, KiwiSaver starts to build, and early decisions begin to matter more than they feel at the time.
This stage is less about getting everything “right” and more about setting habits, protections, and structures that give you flexibility later.
As you move into full-time work, your financial situation changes quickly. Regular income brings more choice - and more responsibility. After the initial freedom of earning, this is often the right time to start thinking beyond the next pay cycle and towards the future.
For many people, this stage includes saving regularly, working towards a first home, or balancing competing priorities such as travel, study, or career changes.
Understanding what you can afford, and how your decisions today affect your options later, becomes increasingly important.
Long-term commitments often start to appear during this phase. Buying a home usually involves taking on a mortgage, and how that mortgage is structured can make a significant difference over time. Protecting your ability to earn an income also becomes more relevant, as illness or injury can quickly disrupt financial progress.
For some, this stage includes starting a family or planning for one. This often brings a shift in priorities, with greater focus on budgeting, managing cashflow, and ensuring financial stability for others as well as yourself.
While retirement may feel a long way off, gradually building KiwiSaver and avoiding decisions that limit future flexibility can make later stages of life far easier. The goal during this phase is not perfection, but progress - putting foundations in place that support the next stages of your financial life.
Each of these areas plays a role in a well-considered financial plan. Explore what matters most to you.
Debt and Mortgages
Income
Insurances
KiwiSaver
Legal and Taxes
Savings and Investments
Moneyworks NZ Ltd
P: 0800 225 621
E: contact@moneyworks.co.nz
7c Hall Street, Cambridge 3434
Licensed Financial Advice Provider - FSP 15281
Regulatory Information: Moneyworks is a Licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP15281), and AML Reporting Entity and is supervised by the Financial Markets Authority.