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We're excited to announce the completion of our merger with iconic Wellington-based mortgage company, the The Home Loan Shop, as it officially rebrands to Squirrel.

As Kiwis grapple with the challenges of cutting costs and re-jigging finances to try and meet growing mortgage costs, here are a few tips to consider to help you prepare for (and survive) higher interest rates.

When it comes to your home loan application, getting your finances in tip-top shape will always be an important part of setting yourself up for success. And these tips are a great starting point.

Buying a home is (probably) going to be the biggest investment you’ll ever make. As a first home buyer, when you’re already fronting up such a hefty chunk of change, you’ll want to make sure you’re not getting stung by any unexpected costs along the way. Let’s take a look at the things you need to factor into your budget to avoid any big surprises.

As 2021 draws to a close, it looks as though we may finally be starting to see that long-anticipated easing of the housing market come to fruition.

Sign JB's petition. The Government has made changes to responsible lending laws to protect vulnerable borrowers, but they have used a sledge hammer instead of a scalpel. This is an example of over reach, and will cause far greater harm to Kiwi homeowners and small businesses than it will protect vulnerable borrowers.

Let’s start with a question, should your bank have the right to judge the way you live? The Government has made law changes to protect vulnerable borrowers that come into effect on 2nd December, but that will have adverse consequences for homeowners and especially first homebuyers.

My own experience of two first home buyers 13 years apart shows that servicing hasn’t changed all that much. It's as hard today as it was 13 years ago. But what it doesn’t show is the sizeable part of our population that are locked out of the housing market altogether.

At Squirrel, we're known as one of the largest mortgage brokers in New Zealand. But what you might not know is that we are also a lender, which means we can make a portion of those loans available as investments for retail investors. This gives investors better opportunities for their cash funds.

Making it onto the property ladder is a huge milestone, but the journey doesn’t end there. Now you're in a huge amount of debt. We've put together some of our top tips for helping you manage and pay your mortgage off faster.

For the last while we’ve been grappling with ever tightening rules on interest-only for investors, and that’s just the beginning of the hurdles. Servicing is getting stricter and investors are having to jump through a few hoops to keep the banks happy.

One of the questions you might have if considering a mortgage broker for the first time is, why use a mortgage broker versus going to the bank direct? Or, what is the difference between a mortgage broker and a mobile mortgage manager? It’s hard to sum-up what we do in a couple of sentences, so here goes my 50 reasons why to use a mortgage broker and Squirrel in particular.