This month in Beyond Investing, our Chief Executive Margaret Bearsley asked if she could say a special thank you to two very important people and also to our wonderful members, and so we very gladly hand the reins over to you Margaret.
Thank you Bruce.
Many of you will know Bruce Dutton, the manager of our Member Services Team. Bruce is retiring at the end of this month and so I wanted to take this opportunity to say a very big thank you to Bruce from myself and the entire team at AFC.
Bruce has been with us since May 1994. That’s 32 years! And in the short few years that I have been at the helm, there hasn’t been a day go by when he hasn’t given 110% to me as CE. The consummate professional, Bruce gives total support to management, his team, the staff, and to you as members of AFC’s schemes. Bruce has been our expert, mentor, friend, colleague and the go-to-guy whenever a question about just about anything to do with AFC has come up.
Bruce is a private person and does not like to be in the spotlight, but I wanted to take a few liberties here and let Bruce know how much we all appreciate him:
Bruce, we will miss your down-to-earth approach, your calm demeanour, your Grumpy socks, big smile and bigger heart! Your colleagues at AFC wish you a very happy and well-deserved retirement, and we hope that you visit us whenever you come into town, when the football isn’t on of course! 😊I’m going to miss you, friend.
While Bruce leaves behind big shoes to fill, and will be greatly missed, I am excited to announce that Jo Cheramie, Team Leader in Member Services, will be taking on the manager role in the Member Services Team from 1 June. Jo has worked with Bruce in the Member Services Team for the past 11 years, and she has been with AFC for 22 years.
We are very fortunate to have this long-standing experience and continuity of knowledge across AFC, and I wish Jo well in her new role: Jo, we’re going to carry on a great tradition of total collegiality!
Thank you to our members.
While I have the opportunity, I’d like to extend a thank you, to you, our members, and those considering joining us. You are the purpose of our existence. We value the trust you place in us to manage your money every day.
Recently, we asked members of Christian KiwiSaver Scheme to share their experience with us, what we’re doing well and where we can improve. We were genuinely pleased with the response. Not because it was all positive, but because it was honest. That honesty is what allows us to understand what we do well and improve where we should.
We’ve taken your feedback on board, and I’d like to share some of the improvements we’re planning this year:
Website and member portal.
Reinvigorating the website was a significant focus for us last year. We know there’s more to do, particularly around the speed of the member portal. This is something we are actively working on, and we appreciate your patience as we work with our web developer to improve it.
Communications.
The monthly newsletter was an important step forward, and your feedback told us you value it, while also wanting more of a personal touch. This year, we’ll be introducing a new section on the website called “Knowhow.” which will house a range of financial resources. We’ll also begin sharing more tailored, one-to-one emails, connecting you with content that’s relevant to the financial decisions you’re facing.
Where is my money invested?
Regardless of the scheme you’re in, it’s natural to want a clear understanding of where your money is invested. Transparency is one of our core values. While we already provide a range of information, we know we can do better, and we’re committed to improving how we share this with you.
The team has started developing new Fund Fact Sheets, starting with Christian KiwiSaver Scheme. You can access these here:
- Christian KiwiSaver Scheme – Growth Fund Fact Sheet
- Christian KiwiSaver Scheme – Balanced Fund Fact Sheet
- Christian KiwiSaver Scheme – Income Fund Fact Sheet
Fund Fact Sheets for the Pension Fund and The Retire Fund will be prepared over the next few months, and we will let you know when these are available.
Did you know?
On our website we have three ways you can learn more about our schemes and funds:
- Scheme webpages – Each scheme and fund page includes a 10-year performance graph, along with an interactive breakdown showing where your money is invested.
- Investment holdings – A full list of all investment holdings is available in the Documents section of the website.
- Fund updates – Each year, we publish fund updates for the Pension Fund and
Christian KiwiSaver Scheme funds, which you can access in the Forms and Documents section of the website here. The newest fund updates will be available in July.
Final words.
Thank you to everyone who completed the survey, we truly value your feedback. We’ll continue to run surveys from time to time across all our member groups, as every member’s voice matters to us.
If you’re in Christian KiwiSaver Scheme and haven’t yet taken part, the survey is open and available here, until 20 May. As you can see, we take your feedback seriously and will continue working to improve the services we provide.
On a personal note, I feel deeply privileged to be leading AFC and to be working alongside such a dedicated team whose goal is serving you, our members. I look forward to what we will achieve together from here.
Margaret Bearsley
The above information is for information purposes only and is not financial advice. Past returns are not a guarantee of future returns. We recommend you seek advice from a licensed financial advice provider when making decisions about your investments.
📩 Christian KiwiSaver Scheme, The Retire Fund, and the New Zealand Anglican Church Pension Fund are managed and issued by The New Zealand Anglican Church Pension Board (trading as Anglican Financial Care). The Product Disclosure Statements can be found here: https://angfincare.nz/news-and-knowhow/forms-and-documents/