Proud South Islanders Peter and Elizabeth Wood are the first of three generations in their close-knit family to invest in PMG Funds.
It was after a PMG-hosted event in Christchurch when Peter and Elizabeth made the decision to invest in Pacific Property Fund Limited. Shortly after, they added to their PMG investments by joining PMG Generation Fund when it opened in 2020. Today, they're two of PMG's best supporters.
However, investing isn't a new concept to Peter and Elizabeth who share an excellent understanding of financial products.
Introduction to investingAfter spending their childhoods in Reefton, Peter's career took the couple and their two children across the North and South Island, and into sectors including the post office, forestry and corrections.
Retiring as a prison officer from Christchurch's Paparua Prison after 50 years of service in 2008, Peter says they had been interested in investing for a long time.
"Our investment journey began while we still lived in Reefton and it was something we became interested in on our own accord," says Peter.
"I had my first introduction into investing early on in my career, through the superannuation schemes I could access via my employer.
"I was pretty green but I also put some money into bonds, which you didn't get much for, so I started looking at where I could get a better return - particularly with the high interest rates and high mortgage rates we were facing at the time.
"As we kept educating ourselves and researching, we looked into the share market and realised that it's a lot easier to build a strong return if we held it for a longer period of time."
Trusted advice, consistent returnsPeter and Elizabeth say that learning about Pacific Property Fund, its status as an unlisted fund, its regular distributions and the fair value of buying and selling supported their decision to invest.
"PMG itself has been operating for the last 30 years and it has come through all the ups and downs we've faced, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, and still paid investors a dividend," says Peter.
"Plus, PMG have great quality properties and look after their tenants well - particularly around the many disruptions caused by COVID-19, which was good to see."
It was this track record and the support from Christchurch-based Investor Relationships Manager Ben Cant which grew Peter and Elizabeth's confidence to refer family and friends to PMG.
"I won't refer friends unless I am sure of the product, but I am sure with PMG. They are consistent and the new partnership with Oriens Capital backs up their record. Plus, with their directors and staff invested too, we know they will look
after us," says Peter.
"My friends and our family saw our success with PMG and previously many of them hadn't been investing. Now they are, and they have big smiles on their faces!
Building long-term relationships"Since day one, Ben has kept us incredibly well-informed. He stays in touch with us and makes sure we always have the most up-to-date information. Ben goes out of his way to visit clients face-to-face to share information and answer any questions they may have, resulting in greater peace of mind for clients.
"We have really appreciated having Christchurch-based Ben as our investor relationships manager and we know he also has a great relationship with other South Island investors," says Peter.
This success along with Peter and Elizabeth's excellent understanding of financial products attracted their children and grandchildren into investing in PMG Generation Fund and Peter says they enjoy the monthly distributions.
"Investing in PMG's funds has supported our lifestyle since we joined Pacific Property Fund and provided us access to high quality commercial property."
