That Home Loan Hub

Your KiwiSaver settings look small until you do the maths. We sit down with Dave to talk through the April 2026 shift to a 3.5% employee contribution rate, why most people stayed there, and how that extra 1% can translate into real money over decades. If you’ve ever wondered whether changing your KiwiSaver contribution rate is “worth it”, we break it down in plain language, using the kind of weekly numbers that actually match real life.

We also get practical about habits, especially for young Kiwis starting work. Setting KiwiSaver to 10% from day one can be a game-changer because you bu...

Conservative KiwiSaver funds can feel like a warm blanket, right up until you realise what they might be costing you over 20 or 30 years. We dig into a common KiwiSaver mistake: switching to conservative before buying a first home, then leaving it there long after the keys are in hand. The real question isn’t “what’s safest this year?”, it’s “what gives me the best chance of a strong retirement outcome over time?” 

We talk through why long-term investing often rewards staying invested through market ups and downs, and how missing growth years can snowball into a huge gap in r...

That dream hill view can come with a quiet question: what’s actually holding the ground up? We sit down with Evan to unpack the real-world risks and realities of buying and building on a slope in New Zealand, with plenty of Wellington and Dunedin context where flat land is the exception, not the rule. If you’re looking at a house on a hill, this is the practical checklist conversation you want before you fall in love with the outlook.

We get into retaining walls and hillside sections, including what to look for with older crib wall...

PIR is one of those tiny settings that can quietly shape your after-tax returns for years, and most people only notice it as three letters on a KiwiSaver statement. We bring Dave in for a plain-English Tax Chat to explain what PIR (prescribed investor rate) actually is, how it works inside PIE funds and unit trusts, and why it’s different from your normal income tax rate.

We unpack the part that surprises most listeners: for many KiwiSaver and PIE investments, the top PIR is capped at 28%, even if your personal tax rate is 33% or 39%. That can ma...

A builder’s report can feel like a bunch of headlines until you know how to read the labels and what they imply for real risk, real money, and real next steps. We sit down with Evan to translate the common report terms into plain English, so you can stop guessing and start prioritising. If you’re buying a home, supporting a client, or simply trying to understand what you’re looking at before going unconditional, this is the practical guide we wish everyone had.

We unpack what a New Zealand pre-purchase building inspection report typically covers, from e...

Numbers don’t have to be boring, especially when they mess with your assumptions about money. We corner Dave from Booster for a rapid-fire run through KiwiSaver stats that hit right where it counts: first home buying, retirement savings, and the small choices that compound into massive outcomes over time. If you’ve ever thought “my balance isn’t big enough to matter”, this chat is the reality check. 

We start with first home buyers and the average KiwiSaver withdrawal of about $42,000. We unpack what that figure can mean for deposits, borrowing power, and why even a 1 to 2% highe...

One small moisture reading can be the start of a very expensive story. We’re talking about the moment every buyer dreads: you’ve got a builder’s report, something looks “maybe fine”, and you have to decide whether to push forward, negotiate, or pull the pin before settlement.

We sit down with Evan from Czech Home Building Inspections to walk through a real pre-purchase building inspection in Lower Hutt. The house looked well cared for, but a fully tiled bathroom showed elevated moisture readings. Evan explains how moisture meters work, why tiled showers can produce confusing results, a...

Admin doesn’t just steal hours, it steals creative energy. Heather Newstap from Time Journey joins us to unpack what “behind-the-scenes” support really looks like for artists, musicians, educators, and tiny teams who have a brilliant product but get stuck in the business side. We talk about everything from email overwhelm to building resources, creating lyric sheets and ukulele chords, and the practical problem every creative faces: getting the work in front of the right audience without burning out.

Heather’s story is also a masterclass in the career pivot. She moves from teaching to public health, then int...

“Deposit” sounds like one simple word, until you realise it can mean two totally different things in a New Zealand home purchase. We keep hearing the same worry from buyers: how can the bank talk about 5% or 10% while the sale and purchase agreement seems to expect 10% as well? That mismatch creates panic, especially for first home buyers relying on KiwiSaver and tight savings.

We break down the difference between a bank deposit (your equity for lending) and the contract deposit paid after you go unconditional. From there, we get practical: why a contract deposit does not have to b...

RV says a lot about how rates get calculated, but it can say very little about what you should actually offer on a home. We sit down with Megan Love from Harcourts Real Estate to pull apart one of the biggest pricing myths we see with buyers: the belief that the rateable value is “what it’s worth”, or that everything must be selling below it. The reality is messier and far more local, especially across the Kāpiti Coast market.

We get practical about what to look at instead: recent suburb statistics, comparable sales, and the underra...

RV says one thing, Homes.co.nz says another, and the latest stats look convincing until you realise there were only two sales in the whole suburb. We get into the messy middle of making an offer on a New Zealand home: what the numbers can’t tell you, why “under RV” can be a trap, and how a single low sale (like a property that needs serious work) can skew an entire street’s story.

We talk through how we actually price a home using comparable sales, why we usually focus on the last three months in activ...

Money stress, burnout, and constant noise are not personality flaws, they’re often just untrained habits and inherited beliefs. We’re joined by Christchurch-based high performance coach and author James Laughlin, whose work spans everyone from elite athletes to CEOs and public leaders, to pull apart what “high performance” really looks like in everyday life.

We start with James’s journey from Ireland to New Zealand, where a world champion drumming background turns into a broader mission: teach repeatable habits that help people perform under pressure. From there we dig into money mindset and the “BS” we all carry, mea...

You can fall in love with a house in five minutes, then spend five years paying for what you didn’t see. That’s why we brought in Evan Cardwell from Checkhome Building Inspections to talk straight about builders' reports, building inspections, and what “due diligence” actually looks like when you’re buying in New Zealand. Evan walks us through the reality of a comprehensive written report: getting under floors, into roof spaces, checking the site, running moisture testing, and using tools like drones and thermal cameras when access is tricky. 

We get specific about the issues that show u...

AI can write your emails, hype you up, and tell you you’re right. The problem is that real leadership and real relationships are built in the moments that don’t feel good. I’m joined by Kyla Colbin, founder and CEO of Boma, TEDx Christchurch pioneer, Singularity University advocate in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia, and a certified Dare to Lead facilitator, to unpack what courageous leadership looks like when the world is noisy and the stakes feel personal. 

We talk about resilience as practice, not personality, and why the biggest shift is stopping the habit of “fix...

One income can feel like a clean, simple setup until the day it suddenly isn’t. Redundancy, a heart scare, an unexpected diagnosis, or an accident can flip a household from “we’re fine” to “how do we keep the lights on and the kids cared for” in a week. We’re talking frankly about single-income families in New Zealand, including what’s happening in Wellington right now with job losses, and why hoping it never happens is not a strategy.

We dig into the tricky middle bit people avoid: if you’ve been a stay-at-home parent for years, going b...

If the idea of an insurance company scanning your face makes you pause, you are not alone. We sit down with Rebecca to unpack a “never before seen in New Zealand” move in the insurance industry: facial scanning software that claims it can detect susceptibility to things like high blood pressure, cholesterol issues, and diabetes, then uses that result to shape your underwriting questions.

We get practical about what this means for real people applying for life insurance and trauma cover, and why insurers are motivated to push insurtech that reduces long forms and frees up underwriters. We a...

Separation has a way of making “set and forget” insurance decisions suddenly urgent. We’ve seen how joint policy ownership, outdated beneficiaries, and a rushed cancellation can leave people exposed at the exact moment they need protection most. So we’re getting practical about what changes after a breakup and why your life insurance, health insurance, trauma cover, and income protection need a proper review when your household splits in two.

We unpack the biggest risk we see with vulnerable clients: joint policies that can’t be changed unless both owners agree. If one person won’t sign, the ot...

Your bank tells you to take the cheap option on insurance. The part they don’t spell out is what happens when that “cheap” premium keeps climbing every year until it becomes the bill you can’t justify, so you cancel it right when you’re most likely to need it.

Rebecca joins us to break down stepped premiums versus level premiums in plain, practical terms for New Zealand life insurance. We talk through why stepped cover is so common with new home buyers, how age rated pricing and CPI increases can push costs up fast, and why the ju...

ACC feels like the great Kiwi backstop, but one word changes everything: accident. We’re calling out the most common money myth we hear, that ACC will “cover you if something happens”, then we show why that assumption can fall apart the moment the problem is illness rather than injury.

We talk through the uncomfortable stats behind time off work in New Zealand, including how much long-term absence is driven by illness, and what a serious diagnosis like cancer can do to a household timeline and budget. Sick leave runs out fast, mortgage holidays still rack up cost...

Your KiwiSaver balance drops and suddenly everyone becomes an “expert” with hot takes, doom posts, and miracle fixes. We wanted a calmer, more useful chat, so we sat down with Dave Cobson from Booster Financial Services to talk about what KiwiSaver is actually for, how fund choice really works, and what to do when the market feels rough. Dave also explains what it means to be a government default provider and why decent customer service is not a nice-to-have when it’s your retirement savings on the line. 

We dig into the biggest behaviour trap in investing: panic s...

A single belief keeps coming up with new clients: “I’ve owned a home before, so I’m done.” If you have separated, used KiwiSaver years ago, or taken a knock to your confidence, this conversation is for you. We unpack the quick wins we’ve had lately and why the right structure, the right story, and the right bank can change the outcome.

We walk through the second-chance KiwiSaver withdrawal process in New Zealand, including how Kāinga Ora assesses eligibility and the exact steps from approval letter to your KiwiSaver provider to the bank. We also get re...

A 20% deposit has become the “default” story of buying a home in New Zealand, but it is not the only path. We get straight to the question landing in our inbox: do 5% deposit home loans still happen, and can you realistically use low deposit lending to buy your first home without waiting years? We explain what “low deposit” actually means, why the goalposts shift when house prices move, and how a 5% deposit changes the maths for buyers who are sick of paying rent and watching the market. 

We dig into the Kāinga Ora First Home Loan, including...

Mortgage rate news can feel like a rollercoaster, but the real drivers are often hiding in plain sight. We sit down and talk through the question everyone’s asking: are New Zealand interest rates going up, and what should you actually pay attention to if you’ve got a mortgage coming up for renewal?

We get into why the OCR is only part of the story, and how wholesale rates and swap rates can push bank pricing around even when the Reserve Bank hasn’t moved. We also touch on inflation pressure, petrol prices, and the wider global...

You can waste days trying to look “not too keen”, or you can do the one thing that actually moves a deal forward: tell the agent you like the property and you want to make an offer. We talk through what happens next, in plain English, and why the old-school poker-face approach doesn’t help modern buyers. If you’re a first home buyer in New Zealand, or you’re just tired of guessing how the process works, this is the practical roadmap you’ve been looking for.

We break down the five details we ask for before we dr...

“Auction next Thursday, unless sold prior.” Those four words look harmless, but they can speed up a sale, bring a deadline forward, and catch buyers completely off guard if they’re not ready. We sit down with Megan from Harcourts to translate the phrase into plain English and explain how it plays out in real New Zealand property campaigns, whether the method is auction, tender, or deadline sale.

We talk about why vendors like the flexibility of considering a strong pre-auction offer and why it can actually help buyers who need certainty fast. We also unpack what happen...

You’ve finally had your offer accepted and the paperwork is signed, but the question hits fast: what do you actually need to do after you’ve bought a house? We talk through the practical “next steps after buying a home in New Zealand” that can make the difference between a smooth handover and a stressful scramble.

We dig into the timeline reality behind mortgage approval, bank loan documents, and why leaving it late puts pressure on everyone. If you’re using KiwiSaver, we explain why you need to act early, and we touch on the must-have basics lik...

Your place can be beautiful in real life and still fall flat online. We dig into what actually helps a home sell in New Zealand when the first showing is usually a set of photos, and the difference often comes down to how well buyers can read the space, the light, and the purpose of each room.\n\nWe’re joined by Megan Love from Harcourts, who breaks down the real-world pros and cons of professional home staging versus DIY home styling. We talk cost and timing, when an empty house genuinely needs furniture, and when your own “slightly date...

Kids don’t need a complicated spreadsheet to understand money, they need a simple rule they can actually use. During our School Holiday Edition, we sit down with my son Amir and let him explain money in his own words, including the blunt truth: spend too much and you end up with nothing.

We unpack practical ways an eight-year-old can earn money today, from vacuuming and dishes to windows, tidying, and making beds. Amir also talks about earning beyond the house with dog walking and car washing, then shares what it’s like stepping into a new role...

A 10-year-old walks into a school holiday podcast and accidentally delivers a masterclass in money basics. Aslan joins me for a funny, sharp chat that starts with what money can buy (yes, lollies make the list) and quickly turns into real financial literacy for kids and families: how to earn money young, why saving matters, and how to think about spending without blowing it all at once. If you’ve ever wondered how to teach kids about money without lectures, this is the kind of conversation that does the job naturally. 

We get practical with pocket money, sim...

A five-year-old sits down for a holiday chat and accidentally delivers a clearer money lesson than most adults. Zara joins us on the mic and we start with the basics: what money is, what you can do with it, and how you earn it through simple “jobs” like helping out at home. It’s funny, honest, and surprisingly practical for any parent thinking about kids and pocket money in New Zealand.

From there, we get into the part that really matters for building kids’ financial literacy: saving. Zara explains saving in her own words, talks about putting coins in...

Choosing a mortgage advisor can feel like ordering an Uber: you hit a button, a name pops up, and you hope the experience is a good one. After a weekend of rides in Sydney, we have an epiphany about why some professionals leave you feeling supported and calm, while others make you feel like a chore they want to finish as fast as possible. That gap is not about fancy words or shiny branding. It is about service, curiosity, and whether someone treats you like a human with a destination. 

We unpack what “great service” looks like in th...

Prices are up, nerves are up, and the headlines make it feel like everyone is one bad week away from chaos. We sit down with James to talk honestly about the state of the nation and why the smartest move right now is to stop reacting to what you can’t control and start tightening the screws on what you can. From fuel costs to the uncertainty that comes with an election year, we unpack what’s really driving the stress for Kiwi households.

We also zoom in on the New Zealand property market and why the same...

If you’re self-employed and your ACC invoice makes you wince, there’s a good chance you’re paying for cover you can’t fully use, or missing the cover you actually need. We sit down with Blake to unpack ACC CoverPlus, the income cap that limits weekly compensation, and why your occupation and CU code have such a big impact on what you pay. Using a simple builder example, we show how someone earning over the ACC threshold can be paying top-dollar levies while their cover still caps out.

Then we get practical about ACC CoverPlus Extra. W...

AI is moving fast, but here’s the surprising part: even people building AI still want a real person when money decisions get personal. After a busy month of travel, client seminars, and the Financial Advice New Zealand Conference in Auckland, we sit down and unpack what we’re seeing across the advice industry and across different generations of Kiwis.

We talk about why “AI versus humans” is the wrong frame, and how the best outcomes come from blending smart tools with a human who can translate complexity into plain language. One of our favourite moments is a client...

If you have a health history and you have ever been told “no” by an insurer, you know how personal and frustrating underwriting can feel. We get into a practical path that many Kiwis overlook: workplace group scheme insurance, and how it can open the door to cover even when pre-existing conditions would normally trigger exclusions, loadings, deferrals, or declines.

We talk through what group cover often includes, why “automatic acceptance” can be such a big deal, and how it can protect people who might otherwise be uninsurable due to things like diabetes, heart conditions, back injuries, high BMI...

Petrol prices spike, headlines get loud, and suddenly everyone is looking at electric vehicles as the “obvious” answer. We slow the hype down and ask the real question: does buying an EV actually give you more financial control, or are you paying top dollar because fear has shifted the market? We share what we’re seeing in New Zealand right now, including how quickly registrations can jump when people worry about fuel supply, and why that rush can inflate EV prices and even push up the cost of second-hand petrol cars.

We get practical about the costs that d...

Insurance is meant to protect you from the worst day, but rising premiums and the cost of living can make it feel like the easiest bill to cut. We sit down with Blake to talk through what he’s seeing across the insurance industry right now, and why the most common reaction, cancelling cover outright, can quietly create bigger financial risk for you and your family.

We get practical about what you can do instead. We unpack suspension options (premium holidays), when it makes sense to pause part of your cover, and the real trade-offs if something ha...

OCR. Three letters that can make New Zealand homeowners panic, argue, and refix too fast. We slow it all down and explain why the Reserve Bank is widely expected to leave the Official Cash Rate unchanged at the next review even while inflation fears flare up again. The key point is simple: if oil prices are the main driver, pushing the OCR higher won’t magically make petrol cheaper. It can, however, squeeze households and stall the economy, which is why a “wait and see” approach can be rational. 

Then we get into what you’re actually seeing in...

The news cycle is loud, and it is easy to feel like everything is heading downhill. We take a calmer approach and ask a more useful question: what happens when we zoom out and look at the New Zealand economy through the lens of history? James joins us as our resident economics teacher, and we talk about why major shocks like COVID and war feel overwhelming in the moment, yet often give way to a new phase once the dust settles.

From there we get practical about what could matter most for New Zealand right now. We...

Retirement can sneak up on you, not because you weren’t paying attention, but because the rules keep changing. Rising inflation, higher petrol prices, and a cost of living crunch mean NZ Super doesn’t stretch the way many people expected. James joins me to talk about why we’re putting on a free seminar for people thinking about retirement, and why we’re so focused on practical options you can actually use, not vague advice you’ve heard a hundred times before.

We walk through the expert line-up and the questions we keep hearing from people in their 5...