NZHL (New Zealand Home Loans) #1, Canterbury Metro Business Owner Emm McCartney says that despite rising interest rates and inflation, despite the pain at the pump, the supermarket and at the end of a fixed rate rollover letter from your bank, it’s time to turn those challenges into opportunities.
WAKE UP
Even if you are in the minority and have an electric car, you would have noticed the escalating price of everything else, inflation is at 6.9% (at the time of writing) and expected to head north for some time yet.
Interest rates are also on the rise with monetary policy forecast to follow a steep trajectory over the course of the next year or so. The aim of this is to curb spending and therefore inflation by increasing your interest costs on your mortgage.
And yes, the tough part is that to make life more affordable and get inflation back in control we, the mortgaged masses, have to go through the simultaneous pain of $6 lettuces and (for quite a few of us) a near doubling of our interest rates.
It’s not pleasant. Some of us are genuinely hurting. And, some of us also have our heads in the sand, hoping it will all go away while completely missing a trick.
It’s time to WAKE UP people and focus on what you can control. That’s not monetary policy or the banking system. It’s what goes in and out of your bank account and the decisions you choose to make. Even more importantly, how you have your mortgage, financial affairs and goals structured.
SHAKE UP
I know people that made their best financial decisions post the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and Christchurch earthquakes when times were grim. They did this not because they knew something the rest of us didn’t, or because they were financial geniuses, but because they saw challenges as opportunities and made a plan and stuck to it.
Shake it up:
- Take stock … be honest … what’s it all costing, what can you choose to skip this week, what are you wasting, and what could you be saving. Things like unused subscriptions or memberships, see example below, are a classic waste, but also money that could be better put to work on your home loan.
- What’s your earning potential … can you upskill, create more efficiencies within your role and increase your earning potential and value to your employer?
- Make a plan – take the time to have that conversation with yourself:
- Map out your short, medium and long-term financial goals (make them realistic)
- Identify what you need to do to get there, break it down to a monthly target.
- Are there any market challenges you could turn into opportunities for you personally?
- Review your equity position.
- Make the most of your mortgage through a control focused home loan structure. You don’t have to give your life to the bank, there are ways to maximise your income to reduce the interest you pay.
- Set your spending plan … and stick to it. It’s not rocket science, it’s about planning and consistency. Yes, it might mean fewer restaurant date nights, but the trade-off might be more holidays and an earlier and financially secure retirement – and you might just enjoy the cooking too!
- ASK for the support and advice. NZHL has trained financial advisers and a powerful DebtNav system that can help with all of the above – it’s free to book an appointment and can change your reality.
Example: Repurposing Unused Memberships
Unused gym membership @ $6.99 per week / $363.48 per year (going twice a year doesn’t count!)
Repurpose that $363.48 per year into your $450k NZHL structured home loan and save a whopping $4,526 in interest costs over the remaining life of the loan.*
*Calculation based on:
- $450k NZHL structured home loan
- Joint net income of $3,177 per month
- Monthly surplus (offset against home loan) of $502.75
- 30-year loan term reduced to approx. 17 years based on NZHL structure
The above example makes you feel better about not using the membership and walking with your friend instead now doesn’t it!
And a side note here, if your gym membership is important to you, then build it into your plan. The opportunity is to clean up what you don’t need or use.
YOU’RE IN CONTROL
You’re in control. You can have the best financial adviser or mortgage structure there is, but at the end of the day you’ve still got to take control of your finances, you’ve got to live out your plan so that YOU can live the life that you deserve into the future.
At NZHL we are privileged to work with clients who do this every day. Our role and purpose is to mentor and empower, to wrap the systems and the service around you to help you achieve financial freedom, faster.
There has never been a better time than now to wake up, shake up and take back financial control. You owe it to your future.
