Every five years since 1994, research group BRANZ has undertaken a “House Condition Survey” that includes an onsite assessment of the overall condition of around 550 owner-occupied and rental homes around New Zealand. Not surprisingly, the results revealed that the condition of owner occupied homes is still well above that of rental properties. Read on to find out what your obligations as a landlord are when it comes to maintaining a rental property.

In 2016, Westpac undertook the “Money Week Survey” which highlighted a number of concerns around many New Zealander’s approach to finance. According to the survey results, only one in three Kiwis felt financially secure and five out of six were experiencing financial stress. To help get you onto the path to feeling financially secure, we’ve outlined some of the steps you could take right now.

New year, new home? Whether you’re planning an extensive renovation or a simple freshen up to your home, before you rush out and start renovating it’s a good idea to think about these few things.

With house prices reaching record-high levels, the amount of debt that home owners are having to take on is quite staggering when compared to previous generations. If you’re fortunate enough to own your own home, you’ve likely already experienced some form of mortgage stress. Have a look at these simple strategies that will help you take control of your mortgage and relieve some of the mortgage stress you may be feeling.

When it comes to buying off-plan, many buyers are not aware of just how different the sale and purchase rules are. Clauses in pre-sales contracts for new apartments or subdivisions actually provide developers with the option to make changes to the contract, which could impact on the price you pay. To help you understand the different set of sale and purchase rules that apply when buying off-plan, read on.

Does it feel as if you can’t keep track of all of your debt? Are you missing repayment dates? Do you need help reducing your debt? If you need to take control of your debt, a debt consolidation loan may be the answer.

While it may feel a little like you’re simply moving your problem to another loan, a debt consolidation loan can help simplify your repayments and can even help reduce your debt over time. To help you decide whether or not a debt consolidation loan is the right decision for you, here are a few things you need to know.

 With interest rates the lowest they’ve ever been in New Zealand, it’s a good time to take a closer look at how your KiwiSaver fund is performing. And to help you do just that, here’s how one savings expert is using Kiwi music to spice up his KiwiSaver seminars and make a huge difference to New Zealanders' financial wellbeing.