Fund-vs-fund · Diversified
ACI Conservative Fund vs Harbour Balanced Fund
Both are Diversified funds available to NZ retail investors. Numbers below are sourced from the FMA Disclose register via Sorted Smart Investor and reflect the latest published quarterly fund updates.
Why these two differ
The most material difference in this comparison is data availability: the Harbour Balanced Fund snapshot contains no disclosed figures — fee, risk indicator, fund size, growth asset allocation, five-year return, and top holdings are all absent from our current data pull. Any structural comparison is therefore one-sided, and readers should treat this summary accordingly.
On the ACI Conservative Fund side, FMA Disclose data shows an annual fund charge of 1.50%, a risk indicator of 4 out of 7, and a fund size of approximately NZD 4.39 million — a relatively small pool by retail managed fund standards. Growth assets sit at 23.37%, consistent with a conservative positioning, while income assets dominate the portfolio. The largest single holding is the Dimensional Global Bond Sustain Trust AUD Class at 42.65%, followed by the Dimensional Two Year Sustain Fixed Interest Trust at 18.77% and cash at BNZ comprising 8.41%. The remaining disclosed positions include global real estate (5.07%) and emerging markets equity (4.37%), both via Dimensional sustainability-labelled vehicles. No five-year return figure is available for ACI in this snapshot.
Harbour Balanced Fund, by its name, implies a higher growth-asset weighting than a conservative peer, but our snapshot discloses nothing to confirm allocation, fees, or historical returns. Readers cannot make a meaningful fee or risk comparison on current data alone.
Always verify current fees, returns, and fund details against each fund's Product Disclosure Statement and latest Quarterly Fund Update on FMA Disclose before relying on any figures here.
Comparison generated 2026-07-05 from each fund's FMA Disclose QFU facts as at that date. If the underlying facts change, this narrative is withheld until it is regenerated — the tables on this page always reflect the current data.
What's different at a glance
- Both are New Zealand PIE funds — investor tax is capped at the Prescribed Investor Rate (PIR), maximum 28%.
Where each fund sits in its cohort
Percentile rank vs all 67 diversified funds we've matched on Sorted Smart Investor. Mechanical only — no opinion, no forward-looking view.
Annual fund charge
Lower is better
ACI
1.50%
Highest 7% of cohort
Harbour
—
—
5-year return p.a.
Past performance — not a predictor
ACI
—
—
Harbour
—
—
Fund size
Larger = more stable, lower close-risk
ACI
NZ$4m
Smallest 10% in cohort
Harbour
—
—
| Metric | ACI | Harbour | Lower / higher is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fund charge | 1.50% | — | Lower is better |
| Risk indicator (1–7) | 4 | — | Higher = more volatility |
| 5-year return p.a. | — | — | Higher is better (past not future) |
| Fund size | NZ$4m | — | Larger = more stable, lower close-risk |
| Growth / income split | 23% / 77% | — | More growth = higher long-run return + volatility |
| NZ tax structure | PIE (PIR-capped) | PIE (PIR-capped) | PIE = simpler. FIF = annual return. |
| Currency hedging | — | — | Hedged smooths NZD/foreign FX moves at a small cost. |
| Responsible investment screening | No | No | Specific exclusions live in each fund's SIPO. |
| Available via | Direct | Direct | Platforms accepting retail subscriptions. |
What each fund says it does
ACI
ACI Conservative Fund
Exposure to asset classes is achieved by primarily investing in DFA Australia Limited (Dimensional) funds, utilising their Sustainability Trusts where available. The allocations include a bias towards international diversification. Certian underlying Dimensional funds have an increased exposure to shares in small companies, value companies and companies with higher profitability with the objective of benefitting from a premium return from these companies over time. Such premiums are not always present year on year, which can drive shorter term differences in retuFull ACI ACI Conservative Fund profile →
Harbour
Harbour Balanced Fund
Strategy summary not yet ingested.
Full Harbour Harbour Balanced Fund profile →Common questions
What's the difference between the ACI Conservative Fund and the Harbour Balanced Fund?
Are both funds PIE-taxed in NZ?
Where can I read the official documents for these funds?
