News

Half of Kiwi homes underinsured
2015-06-12

Nearly half of Kiwi homes are underinsured by at least 10 per cent, new research shows.
Since the Canterbury earthquakes, insurance companies no longer offer full replacement value house policies in the event of a natural disaster.
Now the onus is on homeowners to estimate how much it would cost to rebuild their homes, and take out a "sum insured" policy accordingly.
Research from property analytics firm CoreLogic shows this has resulted in almost one in two New Zealand properties being underinsured, as homeowners miscalculate the true rebuild value.
With the New Zealand housing stock currently worth around $786 billion dollars, this equates to an $80...

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Chinese banks creeping into lending market
2015-06-05

 
Massive Chinese bank Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), which began lending last year, has been making inroads into the mortgage market with $11 233,000 advanced on residential mortgages at the end of last year.
Also, the China Construction Bank and the Bank of China is establishing itself in New Zealand.
The arrival of these banks in the country was unlikely to have much impact on the industry for some time, according to a number of brokers spoken to by mortgagerates.co.nz.
However, Loan Market’s Bruce Patten warned that, ultimately, their arrival could be bad for the industry.
He said it will lead to more competition in a market...

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Why Insurance Is Important
2015-06-05

 
Insurance exists to protect your possessions against unforeseen loss or damage.
Whether you’re insuring your house, car or CD collection, the basic idea is that you pay an annual premium and your insurance company will pay to replace or repair whatever items are insured if lost or damaged.
An insurance policy is a legally binding contract that demands complete honesty from both parties. If you lie or mislead your insurance company, your policy can be declared void. Likewise, if your insurance company doesn’t treat you fairly, you can take your case to court or to the Insurance and Savings Ombudsman.
The underlying principle of any insurance...

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