Annual fee load vs peer-class median
Is the Lifetime Balanced Fund expensive?
Lifetime Balanced Fund charges 0.99% p.a. in annual fund charges, versus a peer-class median of 0.99% across 67 New Zealand diversified funds. On fee alone it is cheaper than 50% of peers.
Sorted Smart Investor (mirror of FMA Disclose Quarterly Fund Update)
$10,000 over 5 years — fee-only impact (worked example)
Compounded annual charge on a NZ$10,000 starting balance, assuming zero return and no tax (this isolates the fee cost the investor controls).
Lifetime Balanced Fund
NZ$485
at 0.99% p.a.
Peer-class median
NZ$485
at 0.99% p.a.
Difference vs median: NZ$0 over 5 years on NZ$10K.
8 cheaper peers in the same category
Diversified funds with a lower annual fund charge than Lifetime Balanced Fund, ordered cheapest first. All figures from FMA Disclose Quarterly Fund Updates.
| Fund | Annual charge | vs Lifetime Balanced Fund |
|---|---|---|
| Simplicity Conservative Investment Fund Simplicity | 0.25% | −0.74pp |
| Simplicity Balanced Investment Fund Simplicity | 0.25% | −0.74pp |
| Simplicity Growth Investment Fund Simplicity | 0.25% | −0.74pp |
| Simplicity High Growth Investment Fund Simplicity | 0.25% | −0.74pp |
| Simplicity Homes and Income Investment Fund Simplicity | 0.25% | −0.74pp |
| Kernel Conservative Fund Kernel | 0.25% | −0.74pp |
| Kernel Balanced Fund Kernel | 0.25% | −0.74pp |
| Kernel High Growth Fund Kernel | 0.25% | −0.74pp |
What fee level should I expect?
For the diversified cohort across NZ retail managed funds, the annual fund charge spans roughly 0.25% at the cheapest to 2.14% at the priciest, with a median of 0.99% across 67 funds. Index/passive structures tend to sit at the lower end; active strategies at the higher end.
Frequently asked
What is the annual fund charge for Lifetime Balanced Fund?
Lifetime Balanced Fund charges 0.99% per annum, per the latest Quarterly Fund Update on the FMA Disclose register.
How does Lifetime Balanced Fund's fee compare with peer diversified funds in New Zealand?
The peer-class median annual charge across 67 New Zealand diversified funds is 0.99%. Lifetime Balanced Fund sits at 0.99% — cheaper than 50% of peers.
What does the annual charge cost over 5 years on a NZ$10,000 investment?
At 0.99% per year and assuming the fee is the only cost (zero return, no tax), the compounded fee drag on NZ$10,000 over 5 years is approximately NZ$485. That is NZ$0 less than the peer-class median fee-drag of NZ$485.
Where does this fee figure come from?
The annual fund charge is published by the manager in the Quarterly Fund Update (QFU) on the FMA Disclose register and mirrored on Sorted Smart Investor. Each QFU is signed and dated; the figure refreshes each quarter.
Sources
Mechanical comparison of annual fund charge against peer-class median. Not regulated financial advice. For personalised advice consult a licensed financial adviser. See the methodology page for how this comparison is built.