News

Rapidly rising house prices in south Auckland wipe out benefits of lower interest rates for first home buyers
2015-09-04

A big jump in the lower quartile selling price of homes in south Auckland over the last two months more than wiped out the benefits of falling mortgage interest rates for first home buyer households, according to the interest.co.nzHome Loan Affordability Report for July.The report shows that the REINZ's lower quartile selling price of homes in the Auckland region has dropped from $616,500 in May to $602,000 in July, and that combined with recent falls in interest rates has improved affordability for first home buyers in most parts of the region.
 
Between May and July the average...

Read more
Shout your loved ones peace of mind for less than the price of a cup of coffee
2015-09-02

We were gutted to wake up to the heart wrenching news of All Black legend and family man Jerry Collins’ death back in early June. Jerry died shielding his baby, throwing his arms around her in a desperate bid to protect her from the horror crash that has left her an orphan. It’s been heartening to see people rally round to raise funds for Ayla, who miraculously survived but now faces ongoing health challenges and associated costs ensuring she receives the best care.
 
The tragedy,and others like it, got us wondering.Did her parents have life insurance? And if not, how would baby Ayla’s life be different? Having suffered the devastating loss of her...

Read more
Rising Auckland house prices weigh on NZ lenders
2015-08-28

New Zealand's lenders face increased risks from the persistent strength of Auckland's property market, which hasn't slowed down as much as anticipated in spite of the Reserve Bank's efforts, says global credit rating agency Standard & Poor's.
The country's four biggest banks - ANZ Bank New Zealand, ASB Bank, Bank of New Zealand, and Westpac New Zealand - have had their stand-alone credit profiles dropped a notch by S&P, which said the rapid rise in Auckland house prices has amplified the risk of a sharp correction, even if such an event remains unlikely.
"We believe that if a sharp fall in house prices in Auckland were to occur,...

Read more