The Covid crisis is coming for first home buyers with mountains of mortgage debt

We needed a reasonable period of time to allow the recent surging wave of highly geared first home buyers to get financially comfortable. We didn’t get it, writes David Hargreaves of interest.co.nz. You know, I was really beginning to think (as well as hope) that we might just get away with it. By ‘it’ I mean the … Read more

KiwiSaver numbers are up – but so are fees, and the regulator isn’t happy

The FMA’s annual sense check of KiwiSaver shows New Zealanders continue to embrace the scheme but the fees they’re being charged may not be doing them any favours. Who is the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) and what’s this report? The FMA is the government gatekeeper for our financial markets, and it is one of several … Read more

Tips for buying your first home, from Spinoff staff who’ve been there

Buying your first home is confusing, stressful, and a huge financial decision – and nobody knows that better than those who have actually done it. Here’s The Spinoff’s advice, gleaned from sometimes brutal first-hand experience. Buying a home is intimidating. Buying your first home can be terrifying. Once the adrenaline rush from bidding at the … Read more