Over the past year, interest rates in New Zealand have eased, creating a valuable opportunity for homeowners to get ahead. While the headlines often focus on what this means for first home buyers, the real potential lies with existing homeowners who can use lower rates to shorten their loan term and save tens or even […]

Why The Lowest Rate Doesn’t Always Equal The Biggest Savings Over the past 12 months, the Official Cash Rate (OCR) in New Zealand has been steadily dropping. That’s good news for borrowers, because it’s flowed through to lower interest rates across most fixed terms. It means many households now have the opportunity to lock in […]

How a little extra can cut years off your loan and save you thousands in interest With interest rates having eased over the last 12-months, it’s understandable that many of us are wondering whether now’s the time to enjoy a bit of breathing room on repayments. But there’s a smarter opportunity worth considering. When your […]

Updated 4 December 2024 The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) on 27 November reduced the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 50 basis points, bringing it down to 4.25 percent. Economists and market commentators suggest that this significant cut reflects the central bank’s strong commitment to stimulating the economy amidst ongoing challenges. With the drop […]

Updated: October 23, 2024 Following the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s announcement that it had dropped the OCR by 50-basis points to 4.75 percent on October 9, we have seen all the main banks drop their rates. ANZ led the way by dropping it’s one-year rate to 5.59 percent, with ASB and BNZ following suit. […]

More Good News For Homeowners RBNZ October OCR announcement: What you need to know: Today’s announcement from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) Monetary Policy Committee that the Official Cash Rate (OCR) will be reduced to 4.75 percent brings fresh momentum to the property market. This decision to cut the OCR by 50 basis […]

Last reviewed September 30, 2024 Following the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) cut the Official Cash Rate (OCR) last month, we have seen a slow, but steady, decline in interest rates.  Across the main banks, six-month rates are hovering around the high sixes (6.79 – 6.85 percent), while one-year rates are sitting at 6.19 […]

On August 14, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) cut the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 0.25 percent to 5.5 percent. It was the first time the OCR had been cut since March 2020 With the RBNZ acknowledging that inflation now seems to be largely under control, the market and most economists are pricing […]

Why the Real Estate Market is Ripe for Savvy Buyers New Zealand’s real estate market is at a crossroads, and the question on everyone’s mind is whether now is the right time to buy… The answer, as it often is with real estate, is nuanced and not straightforward. However, there are lots of signs that […]