SuperEasy : Iran conflict and KiwiSaver volatility. Why you shouldn’t panic

3 March 2026

SuperEasy Summary

  • Geopolitical events historically cause short term volatility, but markets tend to recover.
  • Equities (shares) may lose value as investors sell and reinvest on safer assets like cash and bonds.
  • KiwiSaver investments are designed for long term investment, so it is important to remain calm.
  • A temporary drop in the market is often a good opportunity to invest.
  • SuperEasy Automatic fund is a great choice for KiwiSaver investment as your level of exposure is linked to your age. Older members, who might want to access their funds soon, have a higher proportion of their investment in cash and bonds already.

The events in the middle east over the weekend have caused come concern with investors around fuel prices and investment markets…. and therefore KiwiSaver balances.

You will know that our SuperEasy funds are managed by Mercer, a global investment firm who manages over $1 trillion in funds, and Harbour Asset Management, founded in Wellington and who focus on our local investments.

We contacted Craig Stent, Head of Equities at Harbour, for his thoughts on the recent developments. Craig says it is common for a knee-jerk reaction in these situations to cause a move away from equity markets (shares) and towards the relative safe havens of bonds and cash.
“In the very short term, we could expect energy (oil) to go up and be a negative for sectors which are large consumers of it.”

Craig recommends SuperEasy members remain calm saying “History has generally shown that Geopolitical shocks rarely derail underlying phases of equity cycles, however we do typically see a brief volatility spike followed by market stabilisation.  Equities dip briefly but tend to recover losses in the short term.”

Geopolitical volatility is nothing new for the investment market. Hear from Civic Financial Services CEO, Charlie Howe below, in a short 3 and a half minute video, with subtitles.

If you have any questions about your investments, we would love to hear from you via the contact us page on our website.