What I've actually found useful
Books, tools, and platforms — curated from 25 years of investing. No affiliate links. No sponsored content. Just things I use or have used.
Books
If I could recommend only one book, this is it. Clear, direct, and genuinely useful for anyone building toward financial independence.
The foundational text for the passive investment case, first published in 1973 and updated regularly. I wish I'd read it 20 years earlier.
Not narrowly about investing — about how to think, reason, and avoid the mental errors that cost you money and time.
The best book written about the non-mathematical side of investing. Short chapters, no jargon, endlessly quotable. Required reading.
A deliberately provocative case for spending your money during your lifetime rather than optimising for a large estate. Worth reading even if you disagree.
The foundational case for low-cost index investing. Bogle founded Vanguard and invented the index fund. Short, clear, and still correct.
A philosophical examination of what wealth is actually for. Slower going than the others, but asks the most important question.
Practical decumulation strategies with a focus on sustainable income in retirement. More technical than the others but highly practical.
NZ Platforms & Tools
The Commission for Financial Capability's free financial guidance site. The KiwiSaver fee calculator and retirement planner are particularly useful.
A NZ-based investment platform with access to a wide range of low-cost managed funds and Vanguard funds. No platform fee for many fund types.
Low-cost index funds specifically built for NZ investors, including US500, NZ20, and global funds. Simple, transparent fee structure.
Not-for-profit KiwiSaver and managed fund provider. Consistently among the lowest fees in NZ, with straightforward fund options.
NZ-based retail investment platform giving access to NZX and ASX listed shares, ETFs, and US markets. Well-designed interface and low minimum investments make it a good starting point for new investors building familiarity with markets.
NZ-based platform focused on US market access — NYSE and NASDAQ listed shares and ETFs, including the full Vanguard ETF range. Flat USD fee per trade rather than percentage-based, which makes it cost-effective for larger trades.
Useful Reading
Free online, going back over 50 years. Start with a recent one and work backwards. Invaluable — not just for investment thinking, but for understanding how to think about business and value at all.
The best short-form treatment of the active vs passive debate I've found. Rigorous, evidence-based, and freely available as a documentary. Watch it.
A well-reasoned breakdown of different portfolio structures and the thinking behind them. Lyn Alden is one of the more rigorous independent analysts writing today — this page is a useful reference when thinking through your own allocation.
Research Tools
Fund research, fund ratings, and long-form thinking on investing. The NZ site is less comprehensive than the US version but still useful.
The most comprehensive ETF screening tool available. Filter by asset class, fee, exposure, and performance — useful when comparing funds before committing.
Portfolio tracking and investment research with a strong community of contributors. Useful for monitoring holdings and staying across developments in specific sectors or companies.
The reference site for any financial concept you need to understand. Clear explanations, good examples — bookmark it and use it freely.
For getting up to speed on a sector, understanding FIF tax treatment, or stress-testing your thinking — a well-prompted AI conversation gets you there faster than most alternatives. Perplexity for current research with cited sources; Claude for deeper conceptual discussion.
Note: These resources are listed because I've found them personally useful. I have no commercial relationship with any of them and receive nothing for listing them here. This is not financial advice — it's a reading list. Always form your own view.