With that aim in mind, he has joined Otago sharebroking firm Forsyth Barr in relaunching Summer KiwiSaver with the goal of growing the investment culture in New Zealand.
From noon yesterday, Forsyth Barr's KiwiSaver scheme would be rebranded Summer KiwiSaver.
According to the latest Forsyth Barr KiwiSaver report, the scheme has about $50million under management on behalf of nearly 2500 members
Mr Hawes said in an interview to date, KiwiSaver balances had been ``pretty small'' and it had been hard to get people to engage with the scheme.
But as balances grew past $20,000 and $30,000, young people were becoming aware they had a significant asset.
``They've been putting the money out of their pay every week and it is has built up. This is real money. If you had a suitcase in the attic sitting there with $30,000 in $20 bills, you would sit up and take a lot of notice.
``KiwiSaver is real money. You can't take it out and spend it now but you can in the future.''
Mr Hawes is an authorised financial adviser with more than 30 years' experience and has sold more than 200,000 books on personal finance.
He said he was doing more than just lending his name to the brand. He would chair the Summer investment committee and would lead communications with the scheme's members. Forsyth Barr's funds management team would handle the day-to-day investment management.
Forsyth Barr managing director Neil Paviour-Smith said 90% of KiwiSaver funds across the country were in eight providers.
KiwiSaver was a rapidly growing market and he predicted the emergence of more boutique providers in the future.
``We think we can play a role in that market.''
Mr Hawes said his move into KiwiSaver was a natural extension of his mission to reach as many New Zealanders as possible with the message the small decisions made today could have a massive impact on retirement lifestyle.
``For many New Zealanders, KiwiSaver will be their most significant financial asset outside the family home. That's why it's critical to get involved with your KiwiSaver investment now and take charge of it to create the future they want.''
Forsyth Barr and Mr Hawes had been developing the concept for about a year. Mr Hawes said with Summer, members could get involved as much or as little as they chose.
If a member believed commercial listed property was their favourite sector, they could change their asset allocation online.
