News

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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Wellington will fall short of new housing target
2015-05-29

The target of 1000 new homes in a year has proved too tough for Wellington, with the city council revealing it will probably fall well short of the target.
With just 366 new homes and sections consented in the first half of the financial year, the final tally by July 1 is projected to be 732 – missing out on the target by more than 25 per cent – a report going to the council's transport and urban development committee on Thursday warns.
The expected final number of consents is in line with how many were typically issued before the ambitious target was set as part of the Wellington Housing Accord signed with the Government last year....

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