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With life insurance coverage in place, you’re secure knowing your loved ones are financially protected without you there. The sad reality is, however, that many Kiwis are forced to reduce or cancel their life insurance policy after paying premiums for many years, just...

Your insurance policy is a contract An insurance policy is a contract between you and your insurer. If you have any questions about your coverage, it's important they are clarified with your insurer. We can do that for you. At Global Finance, our insurance advisors...

People refix mortgages for a number of reasons Typically, a mortgage is refixed at the end of a loan term. Most of us tend to set and forget our mortgages: we fix a rate for a set period, budget how much to pay each week/ fortnight/ month and walk away. But interest...

Property prices have been decreasing over recent months. We may be entering what’s known as a buyers’ market. This could be concerning for those who already own a home and those wishing to sell. However, a buyers’ market can present great opportunities for people...

Renting vs buying 12 months ago, the rental market in New Zealand was different. There has recently been an increase in the number of rentals being listed. The housing market has slowed. It is taking longer to sell homes and prices have dropped. The...

As interest rates have risen over the past year, New Zealand’s appetite for endlessly increasing property prices has been replaced by a fear of paying too much. Because the property market is so volatile, many investors – and potential investors – are holding back on...

Being a prospective first home buyer is not easy. Despite a softening market, house prices are still way up there. And inflation and rising interest rates are making it even tougher. But there is still some hope out there and help in the form of government subsidies....

10 ways to manage your life and your mortgage right now With interest rates soaring, mortgage repayments are about to get much more expensive for many New Zealanders – particularly those who bought property during the boom of the last two years and fix their loan for...

Cashbacks, cash contributions, cash rewards, cash, cash incentives or first home bonuses: these all sound wonderful but as always, caveat emptor “let the buyer beware.” A cash reward is nice to have, but it’s not the sole basis on which to choose a lender. None of us...

As recent history has very clearly shown us when it comes to mortgages and interest rates, predicting the future is very tricky. On top of this, many of us find thinking about our mortgage changes, rollovers and refixes just headache-making. Many of us prefer to not...

The potential payout far outweighs the cost For most New Zealanders, creating a safety net for those unexpected emergencies is high on the priority list. But with competing financial demands, it can be hard to know where to put your money to get the best out of it....

Banks can say “No” to home loan applications for all sorts of reasons. There are many Kiwis with stable employment and good credit history to whom banks have refused a mortgage. Banks must follow strict regulatory guidelines that can result in even the most...

For many years, house prices in New Zealand have increased year on year at an exponential rate. Even during the thick of the global pandemic, they continued to rise. But with recent changes in the market, economists are saying that trend isn’t likely to continue in...

When disaster strikes, you count on your insurer being there to step in and bail you out. But what if they won't? What can you do to make sure your insurance company pays out? The best things you can do to ensure your insurance claims are never declined is to make...

For the first time in several years, house prices in New Zealand have started to plateau. Interest rates are on the rise too, so it’s not surprising that many homeowners are tightening their purse strings. You already know that the faster you get your home loan paid,...

While we can’t always control what happens to us in life, we can make the bad times easier. Insurance is all about having a Plan B for when life throws those random curve balls at you. Personal insurance is a contingency plan for those tough financial times that may...

Due to inflation, higher mortgage rates, tougher lending rules and increased housing supply, house prices in New Zealand are falling. The question many are asking is how far will they fall and when will the decline stop? A bit of house price history Before we get to...

In May 2022, New Zealanders owed a total of $590 billion on their mortgages. That’s a lot of money at stake, and making the right decision on how you structure your mortgage can save thousands of dollars. It’s why any inkling of rising interest rates keeps homeowners...