New Zealand?ÇÖs Financial Markets Authority Issues Guidance Note of KiwiSaver Scheme Performance Fees

New Zealand?ÇÖs Financial Markets Authority (?Ç£FMA?Ç¥) recently issued guidance setting forth the criteria against which FMA will assess the reasonableness of performance fees for purposes of KiwiSaver schemes and outlining the requirements for disclosure of these fees. Under the guidance, performance fees should only be charged in limited circumstances such as actively managed growth funds and must take account of the effective allowance already in the base fee for an element of active management. The FMA indicated it looks for the following elements related to performance fees: hurdle rate of return with an appropriate benchmark; high water mark (with no resets); crystallisation periods of not less than a year; and a performance fee cap. Managers and trustees for KiwiSaver schemes should review the performance fees charged to their schemes in light of this new guidance. The guidance can be found here.