Outstanding Questions

Priority 1 — Needed for Investment Analysis

What funds are you invested in on Kernel? → Infrastructure, EM, World ex-US, Div Aristocrats, Global 100, S&P 500, Cash Plus
What are the current allocations/balances per fund? → See snapshot
Are you making regular contributions, or is this a lump sum sitting there? → No regular contributions
Any planned changes to Kernel allocation? → Rebalance approved: 27% S&P 500, 33% World ex-US, 13% Global 100, 15% EM, 8% Infra, 4% Div Aristocrats, 0% Cash Plus

What funds/investments do you hold on InvestNow? → Foundation Series US 500 Fund ($726K)
Current balances per fund? → $726,462
Regular contributions or static? → Static

What is your current RSU vesting schedule? → See StockExport.xlsx analysis; 1,321 shares through Aug 2030
Are you receiving new annual RSU grants? → Yes, every August, ~$210K USD, vesting over 5 years
Do you participate in the ESPP? If so, at what rate? → Yes, 15% of salary, 10% discount
Have you sold any MSFT shares recently, or do you hold everything that vests? → Stopped selling recently; 286 shares held
What's your strategy for vested shares — hold indefinitely, or diversify on vest? → Decision: resume sell-on-vest

What is your current base salary (NZD)? → $291,813
What is your current total compensation (base + bonus + RSU annual value)? → ~$737K NZD
What marginal tax rate are you on? → 39%
What PIE rate do your KiwiSaver/fund investments use? → 28%
Do you have a tax advisor handling FIF calculations? → Yes; provisional tax $150K/yr
Any other income sources (rental, side business, Julia's income)? → Julia ~$1-1.5K/month locum vet work

What are your approximate monthly household expenses? → $8,000-$10,000/month
What is your current monthly savings/investment rate? → Effectively $0 free cash (ESPP and KS are the "savings")
Any large upcoming expenses? → No (just annual tax bills)

Which provider and fund are you with? → Kernel KiwiSaver (Global 100, S&P 500 Hedged, High Growth)
What contribution rate are you making? → 4%
Growth, balanced, or conservative fund? → Growth-oriented individual fund picks

Is the $8M/$10M FIRE target based on a specific withdrawal rate? → $150K/year spend + kids uni + first homes + generational wealth
What does your ideal FIRE lifestyle cost per year? → $150K NZD
Would you fully retire or semi-retire (e.g., consulting, part-time)? → No strong preference; currently quiet-quitting to maximise accumulation
How would you feel about a 30% market drawdown? Would you stay the course or would it cause stress? → Stay the course
Is Julia working? Does her income factor into FIRE calculations? → Minimal income (~$1-1.5K/month), not material