About Ask Cassie
Personalised advice for life's money moments.
Most people don't seek financial advice because they want a financial plan.
They seek it because something has changed – or because they want the confidence they're making the right decisions.
Why Ask Cassie exists
Life is full of moments that shape your financial future.
Starting a new job. Buying your first home. Taking time away from work. Going self-employed. Wondering whether you're on track.
The questions those moments create are usually quite specific. The consequences can be surprisingly large.
The challenge isn't a lack of information. Most people are already overwhelmed by information. Articles, calculators, podcasts and opinions are everywhere, and many are genuinely useful. What they can't do is tell you what makes sense for their situation.
At the same time, much of the financial advice available to everyday New Zealanders is either attached to a product or designed around a much larger and more comprehensive advice relationship. That's understandable. Traditional advice takes time, expertise and process to deliver well. The result, however, is that many people end up making important financial decisions without ever speaking to an adviser.
Ask Cassie was created for that gap.
The idea is simple. Start with the moment. Understand your situation. Then answer the question you're actually trying to solve.
By focusing on the questions that arise at life's important financial moments, Ask Cassie makes personalised financial advice available to far more people. Instead of paying for a lengthy advice process, you pay for a clear answer to the question you're actually trying to solve. The advice is paid for by you because that keeps the recommendation focused on one thing: helping you make a good decision.
Why trust it
Rhiannon McKinnon
Founder, Cass Advice
Ask Cassie is part of Cass Advice, a licensed Financial Advice Provider founded by Rhiannon McKinnon.
Rhiannon has spent more than twenty years working in financial services, including as CEO of Kiwi Wealth, one of New Zealand's largest KiwiSaver providers. Her career has spanned investment management, retirement savings, governance and regulation. She has worked with boards, regulators, government agencies and industry leaders on issues ranging from long-term financial security to the barriers that prevent many New Zealanders from building wealth.
Jane Wrightson is New Zealand's former Retirement Commissioner. During her time in the role, she championed financial capability and helped shape national conversations about retirement and long-term financial wellbeing. Her work has strongly influenced the thinking behind Ask Cassie, particularly its focus on providing personalised advice when life's important money moments arrive. She now provides advice and guidance as the business develops.
Craig Ward is the former Chief Technology Officer at Kiwi Wealth and former Chief Digital & Information Officer at MAS. He provides technology and strategic advice as Ask Cassie continues to develop, drawing on decades of experience leading digital transformation within New Zealand financial services.
That experience sits behind Ask Cassie.
The service combines technology with the professional standards, regulatory oversight and independence required to deliver personalised financial advice. Technology changes how advice is delivered – not the standard it's held to. Every recommendation is designed to be appropriate for your circumstances and in your interests.
What success looks like
Success for Ask Cassie means helping more New Zealanders get a trustworthy answer when life's important money moments arrive.
The questions people ask are often quite specific. The consequences can be surprisingly large.
If more people feel able to navigate those moments with greater clarity and confidence, Ask Cassie will have achieved what it set out to do.