Ever met a teenager who saves 90 percent of every dollar? We did, and his reason is razor-sharp: build freedom early and avoid being trapped in a job he hates. That story sparks a candid look at how money habits form, why compounding favours the early and consistent, and how small, boring moves today can unlock choices in your 40s, 50s, and beyond. We dig into practical levers that work in New Zealand. KiwiSaver gets real airtime as the easiest path for natural spenders to build wealth on au...
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Ever met a teenager who saves 90 percent of every dollar? We did, and his reason is razor-sharp: build freedom early and avoid being trapped in a job he hates. That story sparks a candid look at how money habits form, why compounding favours the early and consistent, and how small, boring moves today can unlock choices in your 40s, 50s, and beyond. We dig into practical levers that work in New Zealand. KiwiSaver gets real airtime as the easiest path for natural spenders to build wealth on au...
Ever met a teenager who saves 90 percent of every dollar? We did, and his reason is razor-sharp: build freedom early and avoid being trapped in a job he hates. That story sparks a candid look at how money habits form, why compounding favours the early and consistent, and how small, boring moves today can unlock choices in your 40s, 50s, and beyond. We dig into practical levers that work in New Zealand. KiwiSaver gets real airtime as the easiest path for natural spenders to build wealth on au...
A heart can stop on an ordinary afternoon, and the costs start before the shock wears off. We share a candid story of a father-in-law who lost his pulse for twenty minutes, the five-day wait for signs of recovery, and the cascade of questions that follow: How will we pay for care? What if he survives but needs long rehab? Who carries the financial load if savings are thin? We dig into the practical difference between life cover and trauma cover, showing why survival often creates the biggest...
Ready to turn your first home into the springboard for your first rental? We break down a straightforward path from owner‑occupier to investor using simple, real‑world numbers and clear lending rules. No jargon, no hype—just the maths that shows what’s possible when you use your equity well. We start with a common scenario: a homeowner with 20 to 30 percent equity and solid income who thinks they need 30 to 40 percent across everything to move forward. We show why that’s not the case, how ba...
Want lenders to take you seriously as a first-home buyer? We break down the three levers that turn a shaky maybe into a confident yes: stable income, a targeted deposit plan, and clean account conduct. James joins me to unpack exactly what banks look for, how to structure your money, and what to fix first so your application lands on top of the pile. We start with income because predictability wins. If you’re employed, being out of probation and three-plus months in your role often removes t...
Ever felt the sting of being asset rich and cash poor while your best years for adventure are right now? We share the candid truth about turning home equity into a tool for a fuller life, and we don’t gloss over the trade-offs. From the emotional weight of “we must leave the house to the kids” to the practical difference between an active 70s and a slower 80s, we walk through the choices that matter and the safeguards that keep you protected. James, our in-house expert on reverse mortgages, ...
Ready for a take you won’t hear on every finance show? Banks actually want to lend—but they need a clear story and consistent habits to say yes. James walks us through a year of hard-won lessons helping clients move from “not yet” to “approved,” and the practical steps that turn shaky applications into confident ones. The surprise isn’t a secret hack; it’s patience, clean data, and a plan you can stick to for ninety days and beyond. We dig into KiwiSaver as a powerful engine for first-home d...
Ever been told by a stranger on the internet that you don’t need life cover because KiwiSaver will sort it? We’ve seen that advice, and we’ve seen what gets left out: mortgages, kids, cashflow shocks, and the messy reality of how families and businesses actually run. Today we pull apart the risks of trusting comment-section confidence and show a smarter path to building protection that fits the life you live. We start with the problem: social media rewards quick takes, not full context. A th...
Fires and crashes dominate headlines, so we rush to insure our homes and cars. Serious illness and income loss rarely make the news, so we push those decisions to “later.” We unpack visibility bias—the mental shortcut that tricks smart people into overinsuring stuff and underinsuring themselves—and show a clearer way to build protection that actually holds when life turns. Together with Rebecca, we break down why salience and emotion drive insurance choices, how the “she’ll be right” mindset...
A small policy error almost cost a family their smooth home transfer—until we pushed back with the right rules and the right evidence. We walk you through the exact scenario: a child buying a parent’s house using gifted equity, a banker insisting on 5 percent genuine savings, and the precise reason that condition didn’t apply. It’s a practical, real-world breakdown of how deposit thresholds actually work, how KiwiSaver is treated, and why the 20 percent mark matters more than most people real...
You can feel the shift the moment the conversation turns from rates to real lives. We dive into a year of hard-won lessons moving from a structured banking career into the messier, more human world of advice—where first-home buyers carry decades of money silence, cultural narratives, and the weight of being “the first” in their whānau to own. Along the way, we unpack how to calm the fear, create clarity, and keep momentum when an approval isn’t straightforward. We talk through the real job o...
A small policy misunderstanding nearly derailed a family home transfer, and the fix came down to one line: the 5% “genuine savings” rule only applies when you don’t have a 20% deposit. We walk through the full scenario—parent-to-child sale, equity gift as deposit, and a lender pushback that didn’t match the actual policy—and show exactly how to frame the deal so credit says yes. We break down the difference between high LVR files and those at or below 80% LVR, and why that threshold matters ...
Keys by Christmas sounds magical until you hit the holiday slowdown. We pull back the curtain on what really happens across New Zealand’s property pipeline in late December and early January, from lawyers and valuers logging off to banks and KiwiSaver providers running skeleton crews. If you’re house hunting right now, this guide will help you avoid calendar traps, secure smarter clauses, and move with confidence instead of panic. We map the seasonal bottlenecks and show how a simple change—...
A bank drops a 1.5 percent cashback and the market erupts. We pull back the curtain on the three‑week window that sent refinances and purchases into overdrive, jammed call centres, and turned five‑day turnarounds into sixteen. From the first spark at the end of November to the mid‑December scramble, we trace the arc: who actually qualified, why a 20 percent deposit became the golden ticket, and how falling house values quietly locked out thousands who bought at the peak. We talk through the ...
A rate cut on paper and a rate rise at the bank counter—no wonder everyone feels blindsided. We open the hood on how mortgage pricing really works, why wholesale swap rates can overpower the OCR, and what last round’s Reserve Bank messaging might have signalled to lenders. The story isn’t just policy; it’s the cost of money in global markets, risk margins, and the speed at which banks move when funding curves jump. We share what we’re hearing from clients across recruitment and services: bud...
The most useful lessons rarely arrive as breakthroughs—they show up as steps you can actually follow. We’re wrapping a year of learning with a clear path from “I want to buy” to “I’m holding the keys,” and we’re honest about the messy parts too. From pre-approvals that save you from heartbreak to bank timelines that blow out when cashbacks hit, we map what worked, where we tripped, and how to plan smarter for the year ahead. We dig into the OCR rollercoaster and why late-year rate rises caug...
Ever picked a fund based on a vibe—then watched your balance dip and felt your stomach drop? We unpack how to build a risk profile that survives real life, not just a tidy survey. With Elizabeth back on the mic, we get practical about matching your money to your time frame, your experiences, and your actual goals, so you can invest with calm instead of crossing your fingers. We start with the clock: when will you need the money? A one to two year goal cannot carry high-volatility assets with...
Ready for a real-world showdown on where to put your next dollar? We dive into the tug-of-war between buying property and investing in managed funds, unpacking the trade-offs most people skip: cash versus equity, time versus hassle, and how your money story shapes every choice you make. We start by sizing up the current New Zealand landscape, where lower deposits and easing rates make property look tempting again. Then we flip the lens to managed funds and the power of starting small—using $...
Think your bank’s “low fees” mean better results? The five-year data tells a different story. We pulled back the curtain on KiwiSaver performance after fees and found a consistent pattern: generalist bank funds often lag, while specialist providers deliver stronger net returns that compound meaningfully over time. Even more surprising, many of the weakest performers also score poorly on ethics, challenging the myth that looser screens automatically boost profits. We walk through how to asses...
Want a clear way to choose between stock picking, index funds, and managed portfolios without getting lost in jargon? We bring Elizabeth back to map three investing paths to the outcomes real people care about: learning with small stakes, building long-term wealth at low cost, and hitting a specific dollar goal on a specific date. We start with direct shares and the allure of picking winners—why easy access via platforms like Sharesies or Hatch can be a great classroom, and how concentration...
Think you need a big lump sum to start investing? We’re taking a sledgehammer to that myth and showing how tiny, repeatable steps can build real wealth. With Elizabeth back on the mic, we break down practical ways to begin with as little as five dollars, then map a path to diversified managed funds with achievable minimums. No jargon. No shame. Just a simple plan you can follow even when the cost of living feels heavy. We talk through smart “repurposing” moves that don’t hurt your lifestyle:...
Ever met a teenager who saves 90 percent of every dollar? We did, and his reason is razor-sharp: build freedom early and avoid being trapped in a job he hates. That story sparks a candid look at how money habits form, why compounding favours the early and consistent, and how small, boring moves today can unlock choices in your 40s, 50s, and beyond. We dig into practical levers that work in New Zealand. KiwiSaver gets real airtime as the easiest path for natural spenders to build wealth on au...
