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| Hi <first name>, |
| The national Alert Level 4 lockdown in August was challenging for many, and we want to
especially acknowledge those members who are still stuck at home and potentially having
to endure teaching online. We all hope for a sense of normality sometime soon, and a sunny summer ahead! |
| Despite the national lockdown announcement in August, share markets continued to
perform well for the month. However, September provided to be a difficult month for share
markets due to various factors that weighed on investor sentiment. More information on the
financial markets and scheme returns is included in this newsletter. |
| If you have any questions about the Scheme, this newsletter, or your member statement, please contact Helpline on 0508 4 TEACH (0508 4 83224) or email teachersretire@mercer.com. |
| We wish you all a great summer season ahead! |
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| Year-end documents out now! |
| We are delighted to announce that the 2021
Annual Report, Annual Financial Statements,
Annual Fund update and Benefit Statements
are now available. You should have recently
received your Annual Report and your Benefit
Statement either by email or by post,
depending on which method you told us
works best for you. If you did not receive
these documents, or would like to change the
way you receive future communication,
please login to the scheme website. This
year’s Annual Report features a member
story on Steve Zonnevylle who has been a
part of the Teachers’ Retirement Savings
Scheme since 2004. Steve is a Principal at
Gleniti School in Timaru. Read the full story in
the annual report. |
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| Changing your contribution rate |
To change, suspend or restart your contributions you will need to complete Form 5 - Vary
or suspend contributions form which is available on the TRSS website under the
‘Documents’ tab.
This form also allows you to make contribution changes to your KiwiSaver contributions if
you have KiwiSaver. As of 01 October 2016, lump sum contributions to your account are
not available for the TRSS. |
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| Investment news |
| The global economic recovery remained steady in July as the Coronavirus vaccination
roll-out continued. The vaccination roll-out was somewhat strengthened by the spread of
the Delta variant of the virus, which has created a degree of uncertainty amongst the global
population. Share markets pushed higher in July, supported by increased consumer
spending and ongoing monetary and government support, with the MSCI World Index (a
broad global equity index that represents performance across all 23 developed markets
countries) returning 1.9%. |
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| In August the global restoration continued and more countries eased lockdown restrictions.
The MSCI World Index returned 2.6% (in local currency) for the month and 19.2%
year-to-date. The NZX 50 returned 5.0% in August, a positive result in the face of the latest
COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent level 4 restrictions. |
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| September proved to be a difficult month for global share markets due to an array of factors
that weighed on investor sentiment. The MSCI World Index returned -2.2% for the month.
The index declined on evidence of a global economy suffering from on-going supply
constraints, tightening monetary policy in Europe, multiple economic challenges in China
such as the Evergrande credit crisis, and political uncertainty in Germany and Japan.
Additionally, major central bank announced slowdowns in their asset purchases and, in
some cases, rate increases. |
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| On 6 October 2021, The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) agreed to increase the
official cash rate (OCR by 0.25 making the current OCR 0.50, and Statistics New Zealand
in October announced that inflation rose to almost 5%. This decision was made in efforts
to combat growing inflation pressures resulting from increasing prices throughout the
economy, the heated housing market and tight labour market. |
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| Scheme returns |
| The table below shows the returns of each investment fund for the first four months of the
Scheme year, along with a comparison to the returns from the year prior. |
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| You can find the latest information on monthly return here. |
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| Online threats on the rise |
| New Zealander’s are being impacted by cyber security threats more frequently at work
and at home. The increasing number of incidents shows that it’s vital to take steps to keep
ourselves safe online. This year Cyber Smart Week in October, run by CERT NZ, focused on empowering New Zealanders to step up their online security so they are less
vulnerable to cyber-attacks. |
| Cyber Up with these four simple steps: |
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Upgrade to two-factor authentication |
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Update your apps and devices. |
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| Online investing platforms
transform attitudes to investing |
| The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) great debate in early August 2021 focused on
DIY investing. It is estimated that more than 250,000 New Zealanders are using online
investing portals such as Sharesies, Hatch, and InvestNow, three-quarters of them aged
25-44. Eight out of 10 New Zealand investors have a more favourable view of investing
and financial markets after using online investing platforms, according to research released
by the FMA. The research shows that investing becomes “social”, with new investors
more likely to be influenced by online forums and an emotional connection with a
company’s brand than their financial reports and disclosures. The theme of the latest World Investor Week focused on ‘Investing FOMO? Take a Mo’ which encouraged DIY
investors to carefully consider investing decisions by using the ‘Five D’s of DIY Investing’
and not be primarily influenced by the fear of missing out. |
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| Take time to kōrero |
| With everything that’s happening at the moment,
how can we keep upbeat and feel good – including
financially well? Sorted.org.nz recently published
an article titled “For wellbeing, a short chat can
go a long way” during the Mental Health
Awareness Week. It’s well worth a read especially
during this disruptive time due to the impact of the
global pandemic and local lockdowns. |
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| Sorted turns 20! |
| Since its inception in 2001, Sorted.org.nz has helped millions of Kiwis make sense of their
money. They provide information and tools for budgeting, saving, investing, and retirement. Sorted.org.nz is one form of free financial advice available to you. |
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