ASB Investment Podcast

Nigel Grant is joined by Chantal Giles, BlackRock’s APAC Head of Strategic Clients and Business Development, and Jason Collins, Head of Australasia at BlackRock, to unpack the Great Wealth Transfer and what it could mean for investors and families. They explore why longer lifespans could make this less about simply passing wealth between generations and more about moving it across life stages and asset classes, the growing role of women as wealth creators and financial decision-makers, and why families may need to become more comfortable talking about money. Chantal and Jason also share why setting clear goals, starting small, seeking advice and staying diversified could help more people participate in the opportunities created by investing.

Interests in the ASB KiwiSaver Scheme and ASB Investment Funds (Schemes) are issued by ASB Group Investments Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of ASB Bank Limited (ASB). ASB provides administration and distribution services for the Schemes. No person guarantees interests in the Schemes. Interests in the Schemes are not deposits or other liabilities of ASB. They are subject to investment risk, including possible loss of income and principal invested. For more information see the ASB KiwiSaver Scheme Product Disclosure Statement or the ASB Investment Funds Product Disclosure Statement available from this website and the register of offers of financial products at www.disclose-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz (search for ASB).The Morningstar disclaimer: Morningstar Awards 2026 © Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ASB is awarded Fund Manager of the Year, KiwiSaver category, New Zealand.​

(00:00) - Introduction: The Great Wealth Transfer & 5 Years with BlackRock

(02:00) - Meet Chantal Giles and Jason Collins

(03:15) - Five years of the ASB and BlackRock partnership

(06:31) - What is the Great Wealth Transfer?

(08:43) - Why it may be more than a transfer between generations

(11:19) - Retirement, business owners, and changing wealth decisions

(15:09) - Women, wealth, and investing with purpose

(16:50) - Why financial plans should involve the whole family

(18:21) - Are we improving financial literacy fast enough?

(20:36) - How families can prepare for future wealth decisions

(22:02) - Why investing isn't about greed and shouldn't be intimidating

(24:28) - Talking to an adviser: where should you start?

(27:01) - The power of starting small and investing regularly

(27:48) - One thing investors shouldn't lose sight of: diversification

(28:57) - What advisers need to know about modern families

(29:41) - Recommendations: books, films and music

(32:03) - Key takeaways and final thoughts

Nigel Grant is joined by Kirk Hope, Chief Executive of the Financial Services Council (FSC), to unpack the FSC’s Prosperity Agenda and its vision for strengthening New Zealand’s financial future. Kirk breaks down why the FSC wants KiwiSaver contributions to gradually rise to 12%, the case for automatically enrolling New Zealanders at birth, and how a larger pool of national savings could give individuals, businesses and the country more choices over time. They also explore the role of insurance in building financial resilience, how New Zealand savings could support investment and economic growth, and why the FSC believes greater regulatory stability and a more coordinated approach to financial services could help turn long-term ambition into action.

Nigel is joined by Ben Speedy, ASB's Executive General Manager of Business Banking, to unpack why productivity matters for every New Zealander, not just economists. Ben breaks down how New Zealand's productive output compares to other economies, why an ageing population makes the productivity challenge more urgent, and why we need to think about the opportunity cost and the impact on NZ's growth if we don't balance capital flows to both housing and productive businesses. He also shares how AI adoption, through practical initiatives within ASB's Pathway to Productivity could help Kiwi businesses achieve more with less, and why reinvesting the gains rather than pocketing them could be key to genuinely growing the economic pie.

Nigel Grant is joined by returning guest Gertjan Verdickt, Associate Professor of Finance at the University of Auckland, to unpack the behavioural biases quietly shaping how we invest. From why we chase yesterday's best-performing stocks to why investors sell their winners and hold onto their losers, Gertjan breaks down salience, overconfidence, selection neglect and loss aversion, and shares the simple habit that could help investors see their own decisions more clearly.

Frank and Nigel unpack the sharp correction in AI-linked memory stocks, why South Korea's market has fallen heavily from its highs, and what a resilient US earnings season means for portfolio positioning. They dig into the US Fed's decision to hold rates, why the bond market reacted sharply to comments from new chair Kevin Warsh, and what it signals about control over the inflation story. Plus, Frank breaks down how ASB weighs transition and physical climate risk in portfolios, prompted by the wildfires across Western Europe.