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Auckland and Wellington Plunge in Liveable City Rankings

Auckland and Wellington were the toast of the world last year, rated the globe’s second and fourth most liveable cities, though that’s all changed.

Could Owning Less Stuff Solve the World’s Problems?

How minimalism can solve many of the issues that face our globe

Learn to Spend in Retirement

Here’s a common problem that hits many retirees. Spending. Retirees work their whole life to reach this point, then can sometimes let fear and anxiety crash the retirement party.

The Great Resignation May Be Followed by the Great Regret

When it comes to your career, is the grass always greener elsewhere?

Mortgage Differences Between NZ Banks

If you’re borrowing, NZ banks are now more different than ever. Here's how

April Hastilow, Become Wealth’s head of lending, recognised as an elite woman

We're proud to report that April Hastilow, Head of Lending at Become Wealth, has been recognised as one of 2022’s elite women.

Should you refinance your mortgage?

If you have an existing mortgage, when your fixed rate mortgage comes to the end of its term, most lenders (banks) will offer you a new a new fixed rate or automatically roll the loan onto a floating rate. This might sound convenient, though can lead to missed opportunities.

What is a midlife crisis?

From flashy cars to trendy clothes and accessories, to artificially trying to look younger with Botox or surgeries, a midlife crisis will cost you both money and stress. Here are 9 ways to avoid or exit a midlife crisis.

When to sell a share

Maybe you dove headlong into an online trading platform or smartphone application (app) during the Covid lockdowns. Or maybe you’re a seasoned investor. Either way, knowing when to sell up is just as important as buying in the first place, so here are 10 times when you should sell up.

What is a non-bank lender?

Non-bank lenders are becoming more mainstream and can be a great solution for those who might not otherwise be able to obtain lending.

Save Household Expenses

New Zealanders are currently dealing with what some have called a cost-of-living crisis, as prices are being driven up for all kinds of common goods and services. To help keep more funds in your back pocket, here are 15 ways you can save on household expenses.

How to Increase Your Home Value

Buying a house can be a great investment, though nobody can control how the ebb and flow of the property market might impact your property value. One surefire way to grow value is to increase it yourself! Here are 10 upgrades to consider

Will You Pay a Wealth Tax?

As talk of taxing wealthy NZers is on the rise, let's take a look at how this might work, and whether you might have to pay up!

NZ Banks Lift the Interest Rates Used to Assess Mortgage Applications

Two of NZ’s largest banks have increased their servicing rates for mortgages over the last couple of weeks, in effect making it harder for Kiwis to get a mortgage

What We Can All Learn From Billionaires Right Now

How you might be able copy the current moves of the wealthiest people in the world.

New Zealanders ranked fifth richest people in the world

2016 saw New Zealand named the world’s best place to live as ranked by the Legatum Prosperity Index. This has now been followed by the Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report that ranks New Zealanders the fifth richest people in the world. New Zealand has leapfrogged the UK, Singapore and Belgium to be fifth. The Swiss remain the world’s wealthiest at $US562,000 total household wealth, ahead of...

Monetary policy statement signals ‘steady as she goes’

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s Monetary Policy Statement (MPS) is always closely reviewed by Milestone financial advisers. The MPS is a quarterly assessment by our Reserve Bank of what they believe is happening in NZ, internationally, and the impact upon our financial stability. The February 2017 MPS signals a ‘steady as she goes’ approach for the remainder of this...

Have you insured your largest asset?

For many of you reading this, the first thought you may have about your largest asset may be that it’s your house, an investment fund, a business, or perhaps a share portfolio. However, for nearly anyone reading this still in paid employment, (or in other words, if you haven’t retired yet) your largest asset is usually your ability to earn income. That’s because your financial security – and...

Top five investment tips from Warren Buffet

Warren Buffett is possibly the world’s most successful investor. Buffett is one of the richest men in the world and investors in his company, Berkshire Hathaway, have enjoyed outstanding returns over a long period. The secret to his success is not ‘sexy’; it is about adopting a disciplined and patient approach to investment and avoiding the normal traps of behavioural finance. Here he shares some...

5 steps for retiring early

For many New Zealanders, retiring before age 65 is the lifestyle Holy Grail. The dream is to kick back, spend time with family, friends and loved ones, and travel extensively. They subscribe to the view of “casting off the drudgery of day-to-day work and enjoying the good times as you only live once!” It sounds appealing, but many who attempt early retirement find the financial burden too...

Reserve bank has a positive outlook

Global economic growth has increased and become more broad-based over recent months. However, major challenges remain with on-going surplus capacity and extensive political uncertainty. Stronger global demand has helped to raise commodity prices over the past year, which has led to some increase in headline inflation across New Zealand’s trading partners. However, the level of core inflation...

Where to live when you get older

Where to live when one gets older is an issue we all need to confront at some stage in our lives, be it making the decision for ourselves, or assisting a loved one to make that decision. Moving into a retirement village or rest home is now becoming more popular.

Why is the Reserve Bank worried about high household debt levels?

In its May Financial Stability Report, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand revealed the results of stress tests designed to assess the vulnerability of households to service their mortgages if rates rise. Its findings show a high number of owner-occupier households would be under financial stress if rates jump, which could collapse the housing market as defaults rise and demand weakens further...

Why am I not wealthy?

From time-to-time, many people ask this question about themselves. Often, the people who ask it are hard-working, well-educated, high-income individuals and couples. These days there seems to be too many such professionals who are facing a bleak retirement. Sometimes they realise this too late in life. So, why is it that so many people in this situation aren’t wealthy? The answer to this...

Good insurance advisers secure big payouts for clients

Insurance can often turn a terrible situation into something more tolerable. However, when an insurer declines a claim, then it tends to magnify the unpleasantness and compound an already stressful situation. This is when a good insurance adviser is worth their weight in gold. Recently, two of our insurance advisers went to bat for their clients and won them sizeable payouts. Neither of the...

One-third of Millennials are living with parents

As the father of three Millennials (identical twin girls aged 23 and a son aged 26), I pay a great deal of attention to articles and studies on this largest generation – especially since our kids keep coming home and thinking that what is in our fridge should rightfully be theirs. Given the sheer size of this generation, and its vast effect on the economy for decades to come, we should all be...

Family trust law reform

Trusts are an important part of New Zealand society and the economy. It is estimated there are between 300,000 to 500,000 trusts in New Zealand. The Government is moving to update and improve the general law governing trusts for the first time in 60 years. Generally, the proposed reforms seek to clarify core trust concepts such as what constitutes a trust and what duties a trustee has. The...

Give your finances a spring makeover

What a great time to take a fresh look at your finances to ensure you are on track to achieve your financial aims.

Why Your Term Deposits Could Be Your Worst Enemy

A term deposit is one of the safest investments there are, though what’s little known are the risks and disadvantages of investing in term deposits.

5 ways you could be wasting money on insurance

Are you wasting money on insurance you no longer need? Read on to learn more

The benefits of using a mortgage adviser (mortgage broker)

Using a mortgage broker is increasingly becoming a no-brainer, here are six reasons why.

5 reasons why you should spend your kids' inheritance

Life is too short to delay having fun, read on to learn the five reasons why you should spend your kid's inheritance ("SKI")

How to get the most from your car insurance

Here are the top four ways to get the most from your car insurance

Five financial mistakes to avoid in your 20s and 30s

Here are the top five financial mistakes to avoid while you're in your 20's and 30's.

Don’t save money

You may have heard the old saying that ‘cash is king’. Once upon a time, this was a true statement. Since then, cash has been toppled from the throne.

What is a managed fund?

In a managed fund, your money is pooled together with other investors' money to create a single fund that provides significant investor benefits, which include an instant increase in buying strength and tax efficiencies.

How to increase your wealth

Knowing how to increase your wealth is a challenge in the present environment. The world is still returning to a ‘normal’ state after a period of significant disruption. Here's how you can increase your wealth against an uncertain backdrop.

Financial wellbeing in retirement

Despite financial wellbeing in retirement being essential, you’ll still frequently see some concerning headlines about funding retirement or retirement planning. For those of you who’ll retire soon, or have just retired, read on for eight secrets to ensure your golden years are free from financial worry – and can become the best years of your life.

How to avoid an investment scam

Avoiding investment scams is becoming even more important, as recent Australian data shows investment scams have now overtaken romance and dating scams as the most lucrative method of fraud.

How the rich spend their money

Ever wondered how the rich spend their money? Here at Become Wealth, our advisers see such a wide range of people that we understand the spending habits of a wide range of New Zealanders – including the rich. To help you replicate the habits of the rich, here are seven ways the wealthy spend their money. For those of you wondering what’s so great about being rich after all, scroll down to...

Can you trust a retirement calculator?

Retirement calculators seem to be popping up everywhere, and people are betting their financial future on them every day. Unfortunately, the calculators are often giving fictitious outputs based on assumptions that have little to no chance of being accurate. Here are six reasons you can’t trust retirement calculators.

What to do when your investment falls in value

6 things you can do about an investment that’s dropped in value

Financial rip offs

We all know that sinking feeling of knowing you’ve been ripped off. Unfortunately, in the financial world there are quite a few offerings, products, services, and outright rip offs that you should be aware of. Awareness can help you avoid that sinking feeling.

The best financial advice

Multimillionaire author and speaker Jim Rohn famously said that we’re the average of the five people we spend the most time with. The principle is that the more quality time we spend with good people, the more pearls of wisdom we begin to hear from them, then the more wisdom we implement in our own lives. Here’s some of the best financial advice you’ll ever hear, collated from experts including...

Do you really need a financial adviser?

In a perfect world, we would all have a financial adviser who you could check in with regularly, including calling before making any investment decision or big purchase. But while nearly everyone benefits from working with a financial adviser, the cost often prevents it being worthwhile. Clearly, advisers must charge a certain amount to make a living (and don’t even get us started on the rising...

Gym memberships are a waste of money

“Getting more exercise” is routinely the most common New Year’s resolution. However, while joining a gym may seem admirable, it is generally one of the worst investments you can make. The reasons for this are deeply embedded in the way all humans make and keep commitments to ourselves, the business model of the fitness industry, and even behavioural economics. But before we get into all that,...

New Zealand rental property tax changes

Hot on the heels of introducing restrictions to property ownership by non-residents and the extending of the “bright line test” for taxable property sales from 2 years to 5 years, the Labour-led coalition government is now following through with another of its property-related proposals aimed at levelling the playing field for taxpayers. Whilst most people were busy buying Christmas presents...

How could proposed banking changes impact your mortgage rate?

Recently proposed changes to the amount of financial backing New Zealand banks need to operate could have a significant impact on all New Zealanders with a mortgage – or about to get one. Such changes could also impact those saving money in the bank.

How to say no to a purchase, even when you can afford it

No matter what you earn, building a comfortable savings and investment nest egg will be difficult if you’re constantly spending on a multitude of things – even if you can afford them.

Is rental property investment still worth it?

Property investment has been a great method of wealth creation for many New Zealanders over the years, especially for generations such as the ‘baby boomers’. But recently, a lot of things have changed, or are about to, including...

How to become more wealthy

For many, it can seem like becoming wealthy is an impossible task. This feeling can be made worse by present-day realities such as expensive housing and low interest rates for any money we save in the bank. Thankfully, according to research which canvassed a wide range of millionaires, becoming wealthier requires only...

Financial lessons you wish you knew as a teenager

Imagine if what we know now about finances, we knew back in our teen years – how much better off would we all be? When most of us were in high school, we didn’t learn anything about money, budgeting, or investing. However, nowadays, by the time you leave your teenage years, you’re hopefully no longer financially clueless.

Travel mistakes that could blow your budget

The holiday season is approaching fast, and many of us have already started planning trips away. Here are 7 travel mistakes to avoid.

How to deal with financial uncertainty

A wise man once said: ‘the only constant in life is change’. Of course, a part of change is uncertainty.

Relief for first home buyers

Recent research confirms what many of us may have been thinking – that things are looking better for first home buyers. This particular study is called the Massey Home Affordability Index, and...

Have term deposits done their dash?

Traditionally, term deposits have been a popular strategy for many retirees and Kiwis who weren’t quite sure about how to choose or access other investments or needed to access the money in the near future.

How to improve your credit rating

Even if you have a faultless record of repaying any debts, if you’ve ever applied for a credit card, home loan, phone contract or hire purchase agreement, you probably know the feeling that comes when you hear the words, “I’ll just have to run a credit check”. When a lender runs a credit check, they’re requesting information that relates to your history of repaying debt to help...

9 small financial steps that will pay off big in the future

American financial guru and self-made millionaire Suze Ormon’s nine financial steps are a great overview of...

How to avoid supermarket rip-offs

Six dirty tricks used by supermarkets to make you spend more...

What is a financial asset?

Five financial assets you don’t know you have

What is a financial liability?

Five financial liabilities you don’t know you have

Don’t let supporting your adult children ruin your retirement

Many millennials are having a tough time launching their adult lives. The usual blame for this is placed on burdensome student loans, job insecurity, high housing or rent costs, and – of course –surplus cash regularly devoted to smashed avocado on toast and the latest iPhone! As a result, perhaps it’s no surprise that many parents of these grown-up children are offering financial support....

What is market timing?

Timing investment markets is everybody’s dream. Self-proclaimed “financial gurus” may lead you to believe they have market timing mastered, and that by following their steps you’ll...

Mortgage rates to increase

Interest rates on mortgages and other loans are estimated to rise by between .20 and .60 percent as a result of the Reserve Bank's decision to require banks to put an extra $20 billion of capital into their businesses. The Reserve Bank put the figure at .20 percent, while ANZ believed the impact could be up to triple that, with other estimates somewhere in between. This is because the Reserve...

The worst ways to waste money

To help you learn from the mistakes of others, here’s a quick-fire list of the 25 worst ways people waste money.

How to make the most of current mortgage rates

The last few months have provided the perfect storm which has benefitted borrowers and punished savers. New Zealand interest rates (or more specifically, the Official Cash Rate) remain...

When to overspend on a house

In general, we’ll hardly ever encourage anyone to spend more on a home, however, here are four times that it could be worth it.

What is minimalism?

Four ways minimalism can help your financial health (& the way it can’t!)

Does money make you happy?

A new survey has identified that rich people are much happier with their lives than...

Mortgage lending soars

The more funding there is available to purchase homes, the more the price of homes can rise. The mortgage lending market is...

Jobs that technology will replace

The robots are coming, here are 10 jobs that will be replaced by technology

How to save money on your weekly grocery bill

8 ways to save money at the supermarket

What is a reverse mortgage?

A reserve mortgage is a loan that can enable an ‘asset rich, cash poor’ older homeowner to access the value held in their property by taking out a loan secured against their home. There are usually no regular repayments on the loan. This means the homeowner will receive capital – i.e., money – and in exchange, they...

NZ’s newest tax

From April 1, 2020, you’ll be hit with a whopping 45% "non-declaration rate" on interest and dividends if you fail to give the interest payer your IRD number. The Inland Revenue Department (IRD, who collect taxes for the NZ government) has issued new guidance on resident withholding tax (RWT) for interest and dividends from bank accounts and investments. RWT is the type of tax you...

Negative real rate of return for term deposits

Interest rates are at record lows and have been falling for some time now. This is good for first home buyers, but has a bad impact on those keeping significant sums of cash...

What can first home buyers do to protect their KiwiSaver?

It’s quite normal for the prices of shares and other investments to go up and down – especially when there’s uncertainty due to...

The worst mistakes to avoid in a market downturn

Four mistakes to avoid during a market downturn, and what to do instead

How to prepare for a home auction

5 steps to prepare before bidding on a home

Ways to save money

19 quick-fire ways to cut expenses

What is dollar cost averaging?

Dollar-cost averaging is a wealth-building strategy that involves investing money at...

What is a mortgage holiday?

The mortgage holiday arrangement was announced as part of the response to Covid-19, though it really should not have been called a holiday at all...

Why you need an emergency fund

Most financial experts say that you should have a sum of money set aside that totals at least...

Prepare for an NZ Recession

8 ways to recession-proof your finances

What is a recession?

and what does a recession mean for you?

Jobs for a bad economy

10 of the best jobs during a recession.

Financial traps and scams to avoid

The contagious effect: an increase in financial scams & business failures, and what you can do to avoid them

LVR restrictions removed

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ), who regulate NZ mortgage lending, has decided to remove the loan-to-value ratio (LVR) restrictions...

What will happen to NZ house prices?

Up until recently, in most parts of NZ, home prices had been booming for some time. Reasons for this included...

What has changed with KiwiSaver?

A major drawback of KiwiSaver is the fiddling and tinkering to it which has occurred since it began. This is often politically motivated, though fortunately, most of this years’ changes seem to be minor improvements. Read on to learn more.

Will taxes go up?

No one likes paying more tax – so what’s the likelihood we could be facing a tax hike in the near future to help repay some of the governments borrowing?

How to manage financial stress

7 steps to manage financial stress

Who Wins in a Recession?

Are you ready to expand as the world contracts? Even in the current dire economic situation, plenty of people will still emerge as winners. Here are 6 ways you can win during this recession.

What is a black swan event?

A share market crash is a rapid and usually unanticipated drop in prices. The most recent one was recorded on...

How to invest in gold

Whenever the economy gets turbulent, the fans of investing in gold emerge. They’re sometimes called “goldbugs” and will shout from the rooftops...

How our brains lose us money

6 mistakes our brains make every day, and what to do about them

Is funeral insurance worth it?

One of NZ’s biggest insurers just ceased offering an insurance product that we’ve long said was nearly always a waste of money: funeral insurance. In fact, this type of insurance policy was placed sixth on our list of biggest financial rip-offs. Here's why

How to buy your first home

Five steps to help you on your way to home ownership

How to avoid lifestyle creep

Lifestyle creep is one of the deadliest financial traps in modern life – worst of all, it can sneak up without you even noticing. Here are 6 ways you can avoid it.

Making it work when adult children move back in with their parents

Graduating from university, getting an apprenticeship, or taking an OE (overseas experience) used to be a right of passage, not just for young adults but also for their parents. It marked a glorious time when the young “left the nest”, and the parent’s job was done. The child had been raised to become an adult, and now they were embarking on their own journey in life. How times have changed...

The Fourth Industrial Revolution and Your Finances

The fourth industrial revolution is upon us. Here's what it might mean for your career and finances

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The Become Wealth Blog

Auckland and Wellington Plunge in Liveable City Rankings

Read more

Could Owning Less Stuff Solve the World’s Problems?

Read more

Learn to Spend in Retirement

Read more

The Great Resignation May Be Followed by the Great Regret

Read more

Mortgage Differences Between NZ Banks

Read more

April Hastilow, Become Wealth’s head of lending, recognised as an elite woman

Read more

Should you refinance your mortgage?

Read more

What is a midlife crisis?

Read more

When to sell a share

Read more

What is a non-bank lender?

Read more

Save Household Expenses

Read more

How to Increase Your Home Value

Read more

Will You Pay a Wealth Tax?

Read more

NZ Banks Lift the Interest Rates Used to Assess Mortgage Applications

Read more

What We Can All Learn From Billionaires Right Now

Read more

New Zealanders ranked fifth richest people in the world

Read more

Monetary policy statement signals ‘steady as she goes’

Read more

Have you insured your largest asset?

Read more

Top five investment tips from Warren Buffet

Read more

5 steps for retiring early

Read more

Reserve bank has a positive outlook

Read more

Where to live when you get older

Read more

Why is the Reserve Bank worried about high household debt levels?

Read more

Why am I not wealthy?

Read more

Good insurance advisers secure big payouts for clients

Read more

One-third of Millennials are living with parents

Read more

Family trust law reform

Read more

Give your finances a spring makeover

Read more

Why Your Term Deposits Could Be Your Worst Enemy

Read more

5 ways you could be wasting money on insurance

Read more

The benefits of using a mortgage adviser (mortgage broker)

Read more

5 reasons why you should spend your kids' inheritance

Read more

How to get the most from your car insurance

Read more

Five financial mistakes to avoid in your 20s and 30s

Read more

Don’t save money

Read more

What is a managed fund?

Read more

How to increase your wealth

Read more

Financial wellbeing in retirement

Read more

How to avoid an investment scam

Read more

How the rich spend their money