David Verry, a financial mentor at North Harbour Budgeting Services, said people were often unaware they could put their contributions on hold.
KiwiSaver contributions continue to rise, despite tougher economic conditions - and some budget advisers say people may not even realise putting their contributions on hold is an option.
There was nearly $2 billion in member contributions added to KiwiSaver in the first quarter of this year, near a record level.
This was before the change in default contribution rate, from 3 percent to 3.5 percent, took effect.
Withdrawals eased 12 percent to $122 million from $140 million in the last quarter of 2025 but were still 12 percent higher than the first quarter of last year.
