If you’re like most first home buyers, you already know that saving a deposit is probably the hardest part of buying your first home. Just when you think you’ve got enough of a deposit, house prices increase and you’re back to saving again. That’s why using your KiwiSaver to buy your first home may make good financial sense. To help you consider whether it might be right for you, let’s run some numbers.

There’s nothing worse than saving your deposit, finding your dream home, and doing your due diligence, only to have your home loan application turned down. There are a number of reasons why lenders decline mortgage applications; we’ve listed some of these here and we’ve outlined some of the ways you can prepare yourself to ensure a successful home loan application.

 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.