Understanding the Role of the Reserve Bank
The Reserve Bank is one of the most important institutions in a country’s economy, quietly steering the financial system to ensure stability, growth, and public confidence. In New Zealand, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) is tasked with several key responsibilities that directly impact everyday life—from the mortgage rates we pay to the value of our currency.
Kick starting the NZ economy
With the Reserve Bank handling inflation and interest rates, and the Government managing tax and budgets, working together is key to a stable, growing economy. After five rollercoaster years, things are finally settling and heading in the right direction.
Paying your mortgage off early
Most first home loans start over a 30 year term as that will afford you the most home for your payments to begin with however it usually doesn’t stay that way as life events and breaks occur that will change it up affecting the mortgage size and term its applied to.
First Home Buyers – fast start to property ownership
If you’re looking to take that first step and get on the property ladder, there are incentives designed to help you get there.
Setting ourselves up for a successful future
As we travel through life at 60 minutes an hour our needs and priorities change with us, from our teens through our twenties, thirties, forties, fifties and so on. Breaking it into lots of ten years, then five, then two, down to quarterly and less, we can achieve quite a bit when we set a plan and our minds to it.
Good Debt vs Bad Debt: Understanding the Difference
Debt can either be good or bad depending how its applied, while some debt can help you build wealth and achieve your financial goals, other debt can hijack your financial future.
Credit score, everyone’s got one, how’s yours?
One of our greatest assets is our credit score. We all have one, how good or bad it is depends on how we look after it.
Preparing a successful finance or mortgage application
Lenders make their money by lending to you and want to ensure they get it all back with interest and no issues along the way for either party. Want to know what lenders really look for in your finance or mortgage application? Check out our latest blog for some helpful tips.
Official Cash Rate Eases to 3.5%
With the Official Cash Rate ( OCR ) now eased a further 0.25% to 3.5% on April 9th, we’re well on our way to our desired neutral rate of 3% and finally recovering from the madness of the last five years.
The Financial Year Ahead
The new financial year is upon us and we’re set to fly from here on out. With all the pain of the last 5 years behind us, interest rates are easing to near their resting place and we’re poised for growth in GDP with house prices settled and signs of upward trends … we’re on the mend.
Two years on and growing strong
Infinance now live 2 years on 15th March … my how we have grown.
With clients from Northland to Southland and across the country from major centres to regions, starting from zero 2 years ago we now have multiple and repeat clients with a vast array of requirements.
Better Finance joins our provider panel
Better Finance now on the provider panel for Infinance through head dealer group Link Financial Group (LFG) as an additional facility in the personal and business finance space.
House Value Index (HVI) beginning to turn, first home buyers down while investment property buyers up.
February house prices show signs of recovery with a +0.3% increase nationally in February 2025 as noted in research house Corelogics latest House Value Index ( HVI ) released today 6th March.
Finance Now and Infinance
Infinance is proud to be selected to pilot a program with Finance Now as a test to ascertain suitability to the Link Financial Group as the national head dealer group provider.
OCR at 3.75% … no surprises there.
Now the Official Cash Rate ( OCR ) is dialled back 0.5% on 19th Feb to 3.75% as expected, where do we go from here.
Get pre-approved for a mortgage and go shopping
With all the excitement in the air about interest rates easing and houses prices finding their floor … now is a great time to get pre-approved and go shopping.
It’s all going to plan
We’ve been saying for a while now that the Reserve Bank’s (RBNZ) monetary policy of controlled easing of the economy, bringing everything down gently to a soft landing is the right approach and its paying off.
Fast mortgages could be the way forward for NZ
With the current lead time for most banks around 10 working days to assessment there may be a channel to provide much quicker approval times if NZ banks adopt some overseas models with an open banking framework that securely shares banking details with third party providers.
Infinance expands its commercial finance offering.
Infinance have created a separate division in addition to and alongside our existing providers through Link Financial Group ( LFG ).
Infinance now accredited with Kiwibank
Infinance is now officially accredited with Kiwibank, bringing more options for home loans, including for first-time buyers through their Kainga Ora partnership.