NZ Investment Planning: How to Invest A Lump Sum in Your 50s

Losing a partner is devastating. Then on top of the grief, there’s paperwork, big life changes, and financial decisions that feel urgent and overwhelming. In this episode of Ask the Experts, we’re answering a listener question from a woman in her early 50s who recently lost her husband. They had just finished putting their kids through school and were about to ramp up retirement savings. Instead, she’s now navigating life solo, with a $500,000 lump sum from a payout and the sale of the family home. Will White from Heartland Bank is in the Expert hot seat, ready to talk through: Where to start when you’re grieving and facing big financial decisions KiwiSaver vs managed funds – the pros, cons, and access rules How to think about timeframes when retirement is 10–15 years away Building a safety buffer before you invest Risk tolerance, and how grief and life changes can affect how much volatility you can handle If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) and you might feature on our next episode! Follow me everywhere! Facebook /   / francescooknz   Instagram /   / francescooknz   TikTok /   / francescooknz   Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne Audio engineering by Tash Chittock #MakingCents #FrancesCook #MakingCentsPodcast #Investing #MoneyPodcast #FinancialFreedom 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:56 The letter: navigating grief and sudden financial responsibility 00:01:50 Don't rush: give yourself time to grieve and think clearly 00:02:28 Diversification matters: don't put all your eggs in one basket 00:05:30 Short, medium, and long-term priorities: working backwards from retirement 00:07:41 Investing in your 50s: you can't afford too many market shocks 00:08:36 Get a financial advisor: half a million dollars deserves professional advice 00:09:24 Emotional safeguards: when are you ready to make big decisions? 00:12:09 Invest in your mental well-being too: grief counseling is just as important 00:13:39 Wrapping up: take your time and lean on support