Mark Wilson, the Kiwi heading up the UK's biggest pension manager, has called for compulsory savings in his homeland.

The Kiwi head of Britain's largest pension manager says New Zealanders should be compelled to save for their retirement, or incentivised to do it.

Mark Wilson heads up Aviva, which has over $750 billion of assets and about 33 million clients, and was named in the 2016 Debrett's list of Britain's 500 most influential people.

In a message recorded for a New Zealand's Commission for Financial Capability conference on Friday, Wilson said: "The big question for New Zealanders is will they get wealthy enough before they get old, and unfortunately for many, the answer to that question is no".

SUPPLIED "Savings rates in New Zealand are amongst the lowest in the world, and that isn't sustainable," Mark Wilson head of Aviva says.

He said New Zealand had one of the lowest savings rates in the world, and the Government needed to take action now.

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The interview with Wilson was played at the commission's "Decumulation Forum" in Auckland, where savings experts discussed how retirees could turn their nest-eggs into retirement income to supplement NZ Super.

Every three years, the commission reports to the Government on what policies and laws the country needs to deliver decent retirements to the country's rapidly ageing population.

Wilson said New Zealanders were too reliant on property. Owning a home in retirement did not provide income to live on, he said.

"What happens when the inevitable bubble bursts and the prices of New Zealand property declines?"

He said there were two levers the Government had to boost savings: compelling people to save, and using incentives like tax breaks to encourage them to do it.

"We need incentives or we need compulsion." Compulsion worked best, Wilson said.

"One thing that is clear is that the savings rates in New Zealand are amongst the lowest in the world, and that isn't sustainable."

A greater pool of savings would boost the economy by deepening capital markets, he said.

Politicians needed to get the right policies in place, and then stop tinkering.

Perpetual policy changes by governments were "Kryptonite to savings".

He warned New Zealand about delaying decisive action on lifting savings rates.

"If we keep kicking the cans down the road we will come to a big road block of cans, and that is not in anybody's interests."