These aren't trading tips. They're the disciplines that separate wealth that lasts from wealth that evaporates — drawn from how the best-governed funds in the world actually operate.
Save the surplus first
Norway pays every dollar of oil revenue into the fund before spending. For you: build a cash buffer for emergencies before you invest a cent, and only ever invest money you won't need soon and can afford to lose. Nothing here is a reason to skip that step.
Spend only the return — never the capital
Norway's rule is to withdraw only about its expected long-run return (~3% a year) and never touch the principal. That's how a fund lasts generations. Drawing down your capital to live on is the fastest way to run it to zero — treat gains, not your balance, as what's spendable.
Diversify — don't concentrate
These funds hold thousands of assets across the whole world, precisely so no single bet can sink them. Concentration is how fortunes are lost. Spreading risk is boring, and it's the entire point.
Keep costs low
Fees compound against you exactly like returns compound for you. The best funds are ruthless about cost. On a small account, broker fees and spreads matter more than almost anything else — which is why matching your activity to your account size is the single biggest lever.
Long horizon — don't chase returns
Returns are volatile and tend to mean-revert. Any plan that depends on high, consistent trading gains to pay the bills is fragile. The funds that win think in decades and let compounding do the work — they don't bet the house on a hot streak.
Rules before money — and stick to them
The best funds write their governance and spending rules before they invest, then follow them through booms and busts. Decide your own rules — how much you'll risk, when you'll stop, what you'll never do — while you're calm, and hold to them when you're not.
The funds this is drawn from
How Satis fits in
Satis is a tool — it automates a spot-only strategy on your own account. It is not a fund, not an adviser, and it cannot change these principles. Used well, it's one small, disciplined part of a picture that should always start with a buffer, diversification, and money you can afford to risk. On a small balance, treat any live run as a test, not income — see the Starting Small guide and Resources.
For the decisions that are yours — get proper advice
These principles are general education. What's right for your situation needs a qualified human who knows it. Most of these are free:
Licensed financial adviser
The only people who can legally give you personalised investment advice. Find one via the FMA register (fma.govt.nz).
MoneyTalks — 0800 345 123
Free, confidential NZ budgeting and financial-mentoring helpline. The best first call for getting on solid footing.
Sorted.org.nz
New Zealand's free, government-backed money guidance — budgeting, saving, KiwiSaver, debt.