The history of Squirrel

10 years on

Squirrel's been around for over a decade now and it's been a journey, growing from just JB to over 50 strong and counting. But throughout it all, we've never lost sight of what we're all about - getting a better, fairer deal for our clients.

We have written over $4 billion of home loans and $24 million in personal loans – helping out a lot of Kiwis in the process.

2018

Squirrel's 10 year anniversary. Squirrel Mortgages and Squirrel Money sister companies join forces and become one, complete with a new brand look and feel. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts!

2017

Squirrel Mortgages hits over $4 billion written in home loans. Squirrel Money hits it's first million dollar month in lending.

2016

Squirrel was the first to offer a secondary market to their P2P investors, offering them a way to sell their investments in the marketplace allowing them to get out early if they need to. Continuing to strive to offer a customer-centric service.

Squirrel Mortgages acquires Aspire Advisers, almost doubling the size of the company overnight.

2016 - first to offer secondary market to P2P investors

2015

Squirrel Money peer-to-peer (P2P) lending launches. The first NZ P2P lender to be solely funded by Kiwi retail investors, lending to Kiwi borrowers. No institutions involved. Also the first to use a reserve fund to cover any losses meaning the investors get their monthly payments even if one of our borrowers misses a payment.

Squirrel takes all 27 employees on a trip to the Gold Coast, our first company conference. What goes on tour, stays on tour.

2014

Squirrel gets a facelift in the form of a new logo and office space on College Hill.

2013

We expand to include a Chinese team to service the Chinese communities of Auckland.

2012

Squirrel Mortgages launches an Indian team to service the Indian communities in Auckland and updates it's logo.

2011

Squirrel quietly acquires more mortgage advisers and slowly grows their market share in Auckland.

2010

Our longest serving team member (other than JB) Eleanor began working for Squirrel. Still going strong today!

2009

Squirrel won the first award for mortgage broking from the NZ Financial Services Group and have continually won this award and others every year since.

2008

On 29th January, John Bolton (aka JB) founded Squirrel during the midst of the GFC. Never one to shy away from a challenge, JB was sick of seeing the same old issues coming up again and again for home buyers. Nobody was in their corner, everyone was working on behalf of the seller.

JB felt it was time to even up the playing field so that's what he did with Squirrel. Squirrel is all about the buyer.

I've said this before but please get more Eleanors.

- Linda B

Awesome

- Robyn L

Makes the process of lending very convenient.

- Udo

We have used Emma from Squirrel twice in the last 12 months. Both times we have achieved the result we wanted, with Emma's help and experience. I have recommended her to our daughter.

- Arabella W

See for yourself what our clients think with over 500, 5 star reviews on Shopper Approved

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