The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) has come up with a shortlist of standards people should expect from their financial services provider.
It said people were not asking enough questions, or the right ones, of people they buy financial products and services from, such as their KiwiSaver fund manager.
The FMA's director of external communications and investor resources, Paul Gregory, said the questions were straightforward and designed to give consumers more information about the minimum standard of service.
"I think that consumers typically ask more questions if they are planning a holiday or a wedding than a financial product," he said.
He said consumers could definitely ask more and the guide was a way of giving people more confidence.
Mr Gregory said typical questions included how much a product would cost and who to talk to if something went wrong.
"The first priority is to make sure that if they feel they are being misled that they don't get into a decision that they will regret and then they should also let us know - particularly if it is a financial services provider - and make a complaint," he said.
- Competence
- Be treated honestly and fairly
- Be informed
- Know how much you are paying
- Have problems and complaints dealt with properly