News & Rate Updates
Short updates on interest rate trends and market shifts, in English and Mandarin.
21 Oct 2026
Building or buying off the plans: how progress payments work
Construction lending is not one loan paid out at once. Understanding the drawdown structure early prevents expensive surprises.
Read more29 Sep 2026
Your bank's advertised rate is not your rate
Advertised rates are the best case. Here is what actually moves pricing, and how to compare offers properly.
Read more3 Sep 2026
Pre-approval is not approval. Here is what it does promise.
Understanding the difference protects you at auction and stops a good application falling over at the last step.
Read more11 Aug 2026
Self-employed and applying: how lenders read your financials
Your accountant's job is to minimise tax. Your lender's job is to see income. Those two things are not the same, and the gap is where applications go wrong.
Read more16 Jul 2026
Your deposit, line by line: KiwiSaver, gifts and the 5% option
Where the deposit comes from matters as much as how much it is. A practical look at the sources lenders accept and the paperwork each one needs.
Read more25 Jun 2026
New to New Zealand: how lenders read a work visa application
Visa type, time remaining and the pathway to residence often matter more than income. What lenders look for, and where the real blocks are.
Read more2 Jun 2026
Refixing: fixed, floating, or a split?
The headline rate is the least useful part of the decision. Certainty, flexibility and break costs matter more than a few basis points.
Read more14 May 2026
How much can you borrow? The four things a lender actually weighs
Income is only the starting point. Two households on the same salary often get very different limits, and the difference is usually in the same four places.
Read more