What does financial wellbeing mean to you?

What does financial wellbeing mean to you?

For some, it’s the freedom to make choices without money stress.
For others, it’s knowing their family would be supported if life took an unexpected turn.
And for many, it’s having a clear plan and feeling confident about the future.

What financial wellbeing isn’t is just a number on a balance sheet.
It doesn’t mean growing wealth per se, but rather feeling at the helm of your life – today, tomorrow and well into the years ahead.

Here’s how quality advice can help you achieve it.

Seeing the bigger picture

Financial wellbeing is often mistaken for “having enough”. Enough income. Enough savings. Enough assets. But how much is “enough”, and how do you even measure it?

True financial wellbeing comes from knowing how everything fits together:
* How your income supports your lifestyle today
* How your investments are working towards future goals
* How risks are managed along the way.

It’s understanding the trade-offs you’re making, the options available to you, and the long-term impact of your decisions. When these pieces are aligned, money becomes a tool rather than a goal in itself.

As author and investor Morgan Housel puts it in the “The Psychology of Money”*:
“Wealth is the ability to do what you want, when you want, with who you want, for as long as you want.” And that level of freedom starts with a plan.

Keeping a clear mind

Money decisions are rarely driven by logic alone. They’re shaped by emotions, past experiences, fears and expectations – often without us even realising it.

In investing, behaviours like loss aversion, overconfidence and recency bias(1) can take the wheel, leading to poor decisions. Once again, that’s where a plan comes in.

Without a clear strategy, it can be easy to feel anxious and stuck, even when you’re doing all the “right things.” A structured, long-term approach can reduce stress and support better-decision making.

Financial wellbeing and life wellbeing

There’s also a strong link between financial wellbeing and overall wellbeing. Research from the Financial Services Council(2) shows that Kiwis who feel financially secure also report better mental health, less stress and greater life satisfaction.

Importantly, it’s not just about income levels. Financial wellbeing is closely tied to feeling in control of day-to-day expenses, having the ability to absorb financial shocks, and feeling confident about the future.

How financial advice can help

It’s a complex financial world out there, with many cogs and wheels turning at once. You may be balancing investing, financial protection, property choices, cash flow and retirement planning – all while your life and priorities continue to evolve.

Professional financial advice helps bring these elements together. It provides structure and direction, turning uncertainty into clarity and goals into action.

Each part of your financial picture needs to support the others:

  • Investing helps you build wealth over time and work towards long-term goals.
  • Having the right insurance in place protects the life you’re building, safeguarding your income, family, home and business if things don’t go to plan.
  • The right mortgage structure matters too. Whether you’re buying a home to live in or a rental property, it can help strengthen your financial position.

And you don’t have to navigate this alone. Through the wider Link Financial Group network, you can access quality advice across many key areas of your financial life – from investing with Invest Link, to mortgage advice with Mortgage Link, personal risk with Insurance Link, and protecting assets through FG Link.

Ready to talk it through?

If you’d like help shaping an investment strategy that supports your version of financial wellbeing, your Invest Link adviser is here to help. A simple conversation can bring clarity and confidence to your next steps.

*The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness, by Morgan Housel, first published in New Zealand by Pan Macmillan on 20 December 2023

(1) Recency bias: A behavioural bias where people give greater weight to recent events or experiences when making decisions, often assuming current trends will continue, even when longer-term data or historical patterns suggest otherwise.

(2) Source: Financial Services Council – Financial Resilience 2025


Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Every individual’s financial situation is unique, and financial decisions should be made based on your specific circumstances and goals. We recommend consulting with a qualified financial adviser before making any investment, insurance, or mortgage-related decisions.

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