The obvious reason to invest beyond New Zealand is that you spread your risk much more, says personal finance columnist and author Mary Holm.
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Many industries are not represented in the NZ markets. And when the local markets fall, world markets sometimes rise to cancel that out – although of course the reverse is also true. If NZ markets rise world markets might be falling. But over all you will probably get a smoother ride.
You can make international investments through KiwiSaver, other managed funds or by buying the investments directly. But it’s easiest through managed funds - KiwiSaver or otherwise.
Foreign exchange risk scares some people off overseas investing. But Mary explains why holding international investments can actually reduce your foreign exchange risk. She also considers whether investing offshore is disloyal to New Zealand, explains hedging, and discusses whether it’s good to choose a hedged fund.
You can listen to more from Mary here.
