November 02, 2022
Early start puts Whai Rawa ahead
The manager Ngai Tahu’s $123-million dollar Whai Rawa financial services scheme says key to the iwi’s future is helping their tamariki become “money smart”.
Whai Rawa started a year before KiwiSaver scheme and has some similarites.
But Sam Kellar says it’s more tailored to whanau needs, such as help with tertiary study or buying a house, and it also has a focus on children.
“We’re very passionate about producing some really tailored material and getting our tamariki members into our kids club and starting to educate them. Their parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles do a really good job of signing up their tamariki,” he says.
Since 2006, Whai Rawa has paid out $25 million dollars towards home deposits, tertiary education costs and retirement benefits, which can start from age 55.