It is coming up to what would have been my parent’s 55^th wedding anniversary, should they have been alive, and last week I was really excited to find a bottle of Mateus Rosé wine online (it was described online as ‘retro’). This was Mum and Dad’s anniversary wine. 

This got me thinking about the legacy they have left behind and how legacies aren’t just about the important financial arrangements. Legacies are also about the memories and life lessons our loved ones reflected on and shared with us throughout their lives.

As many of you know, at Private Wealth we work with you to structure, protect, and grow your investment to ensure your legacy is delivered in the way you want it to be. We can help you deliver a legacy in many ways, though know that it can be a challenging conversation to have.  

So, I’ve asked some of our Private Wealth team to share the legacies that they have been left, or the legacies they are looking to leave, as a way to start a conversation about your own legacies.

Justin Fox, General Manager Private Wealth

Legacy, for my wife and I is acknowledging the past and the future, emigrating to New Zealand and leaving the best possible financial and moral start I could provide for my children.

Tyler Ward, Charites Trust Manager

We often think of leaving a legacy as a financial contribution, but there is so much we can do during our lifetime to give to others, and you don’t have to wait till you are retired and have ‘time’ to give either. I want to be remembered by my whanau, friends and community as someone who ‘was generous with their time and skills’ and I encourage others to do the same. I am currently the Vice-President for a not-for-profit that provides a community hall for hire – the hall provides a facility for so many people every week, from sports groups, dance and exercise classes, and religion gatherings to celebrations such as birthdays, anniversaries and cultural events like first hair cutting ceremonies. For me this role is more than a bi-monthly ‘formal meeting’ and governance - it’s about representation of ‘our community’ and ensuring it remains a facility that can be accessed by our diverse community.

Joining a board, committee or volunteering for a not-for-profit/charity is another way you create change, give back and leave a lasting legacy. Did you know in Aotearoa director roles are generally held by people over the age of 60, and therefore lack diverse representation? The younger generation often provide a different perspective to situations, communications and decision making, are typically quite tech-savvy and are known to question status quo.

Generosity is contagious, the more you give the more you and those around you want to give.

Here’s a couple of examples of how you and those around you can start giving:

• Buy a pay-it-forward coffee next time you are out for lunch – every time I do it I just hope it’s received by someone who needed a little kindness that day!
• Select a couple of local organisations where you and your tamariki can help with their annual collection – the stories shared with you from people who were supported by the organisation/s while you are collecting are all ways so touching.
• Organise a dinner and dessert delivery to someone in COVID-19 isolation who you know is struggling with being sick, social isolation or the feeling the financial impact of not being able to work.

Ann Morrell, Wealth Adviser

I have long had an interest in New Zealand art, and in 2009 I went to a gallery exhibition of a New Zealand painter’s work. I fell in love with a sizable oil painting on display, but it was well out of my budget. I knew the gallery owner and the artist from a previous modest purchase, and he kindly allowed me to buy the painting on a hire purchase type arrangement. Sadly about this time my Mum had been having serious health issues which lead to her unexpected passing. Mum’s estate was not a huge sum of money, but there was enough for me to fully pay off the painting. It hangs in pride of place on our lounge wall, and I think of my Mum every time I look at it. Mum gave me so much in life – a love of books, art, music and opera, and her legacy to me is so much more than the money. The painting keeps her memory alive for me - a keepsake to treasure. Thank you Mum xx

Craig McAuliffe, Trust Manager

I have learnt over many years that although being left something in a will is special, even more so is the fact that your actual name is recorded in the will. It shows you that the person who's will it is, thought enough about you to want to specifically acknowledge you by name in their last will. This is a very personal lasting memory indeed.

Talk to us

Let’s keep the conversation going. We’d like to assist you with managing your current investments, setting up structures around your philanthropic endeavours, and helping to protect and gift your funds either while you are still creating special moments and memories, or after you’ve passed on.

Our expert team at Trustees Executors is ready to offer you support and advice, please contact us on 0800 878 783 or email [email protected]

Kelley O'Dwyer
National Business Development and Services Manager