Coffees, takeaways help slash $1.9b off new home loans

Coffees, takeaways help slash $1.9b off new home loans
Think hard how 'non-discretionary spending' will affect your mortgage application. (Image: Getty)
Brent Melville
Financial Advice New Zealand says recent strict consumer finance laws, on top of government housing policy changes, have dramatically undermined new home buyers’ ability to get home loans. Katrina Shanks, chief executive of the financial advisory sector’s mouthpiece, said home seekers are being “significantly disadvantaged” by the new requirements of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA). The CCCFA, which came into force on Dec 1, puts additional responsibility on lenders to determine affordabil...

More Economy

No obstacles to RBNZ rate cut next week
Economy

No obstacles to RBNZ rate cut next week

The RBNZ is expected to cut the OCR to 2.25% and leave the door open for more.

Rebecca Howard 18 Nov 2025
Food prices lift 4.7% in 12 months to October
Economy

Food prices lift 4.7% in 12 months to October

Food prices increased by 4.7% in the 12 months to October, although they fell for the second consecutive month, down 0.3% due to lower vegetable prices.Higher prices for the grocery food group were the largest contributor, up 4.9% on an annual basis, while meat, poultry and fish...

Staff reporters 17 Nov 2025
An alternative to asset sales
Opinion

Cameron Bagrie: An alternative to asset sales

The case for outsourcing management of government assets. 

Cameron Bagrie 12 Nov 2025
BNZ looks to economic uptick supporting its full year 2026 outturn
Finance

BNZ looks to economic uptick supporting its full year 2026 outturn

BNZ is the latest bank to cautiously spruik GDP growth in 2026.

Andy Macdonald 07 Nov 2025