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NZ Herald
18-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
What to avoid doing when trying to buy your first home
With the prospect of another cut to the Official Cash Rate this month likely to improve things for borrowers, first home buyers are being advised they still need to ensure they have their finances in order. Senior adviser and director of The Loan Market, Cameron Marcroft, told Nadine Higgins on The Prosperity Project podcast that it's a great market for first home buyers. 'The lending criteria has got a little bit easier now, the rates have dropped as well. When rates are dropping, it also means that the test rate that the banks use to assess you drops as well, so that means clients can borrow more'. But that doesn't change the fact that how you manage your finances matters when it comes to getting a mortgage. For example, Marcroft says your credit card can count against you, even if you don't have an outstanding balance owing. 'The limit is what the banks use to put against your expenses – the general rule of thumb is about 3% of that limit. So, if it's a 10k limit, $300 would be put against their expenses every month. So, what it does is it just drags their borrowing ability down.' He says options to boost your ability to borrow include reducing your limit or getting rid of your credit card for a while. Marcroft says while banks are no longer going through expenses line by line like they did before the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA) legislation was amended, it's still important to paint a positive picture. 'If you're spending large in a certain area and showing certain trends in these bank statements, it's really important for us to provide commentary around, 'Hey, we were spending that money because we didn't have many commitments. Now we're getting into a large mortgage, we know damn well we can't spend there'.' Marcroft says while interest rates are low and banks are busy, he doesn't expect house prices to boom anytime soon. 'I don't see that probably happening again for a long, long time. I really think we'll see a gradual climb in property prices.' Listen to the full episode of The Prosperity Project for more advice on getting sorted for your first home. The podcast is hosted by Nadine Higgins, an experienced broadcaster and a financial adviser at Enable Me.
NZ Herald
11-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
How to have your dream wedding without blowing the bank
She says couples often do things in the wrong order by starting with the styling first. 'You should start with your budget, then you should create your guest wish list, and then you should decide on the style of the day - and very much in that order. So, it's your guest list that fundamentally dictates your budget.' Wanting something fancier than you can afford isn't just an issue for those with a small budget, Braid says. 'Even when we are doing these high-end budgets, their budget doesn't necessarily align with the vision that they're seeing from these weddings happening in Dubai and in the States where budgets are really an afterthought.' But she says there are a number of ways to economise that your guests won't notice, including some tricks of the trade. 'We have been known on really beautiful events to serve Moët or Tattinger and use the bottle and showcase the bottle post-ceremony. 'And then when we get to the sit-down reception and we've got speeches and toast, we're out the back topping those glasses up with Deutz or Lindauer. 'A lot of the time guests have got no clue that they're not still being served that fancy champagne from earlier.' Braid recommends not skimping on things like a great photographer but advises there are areas that aren't worthy of investment. 'We don't really advocate having favours, because 99% of the time we are picking them up at the end of the night, we are reboxing them and handing them back to our client the next day to take home. So actually, they are a colossal waste of money.' Listen to the full episode of The Prosperity Project for more insights into the rising costs of weddings, and other tips to try and keep things within budget, including why destination weddings could save you in the long run. The podcast is hosted by Nadine Higgins, an experienced broadcaster and a financial adviser at Enable Me.
NZ Herald
27-04-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Financial Resilience Index reveals how concerned Kiwis are about money
Fewer people are worried about house prices, inflation and interest rates – but at the same time, fewer people feel prepared for retirement, financially confident, and secure in their jobs. With so many people worrying about money so often, Kirk Hope says, 'there's no doubt there's emotional and psychological consequences from that'. Kiwis' financial confidence isn't matched by their financial literacy, which hasn't improved in the past five years. 'I might say, 'yeah, I'm highly financially literate' and then get five out of 10 questions wrong, which shows I'm probably not – because highly financially literate would mean probably 80% plus. If you don't know that there's a gap, that's pretty problematic as well.' Hope says the financial services industry, which the council represents, needs to do more to ensure Kiwis understand financial concepts. 'Sometimes financial language can be actually pretty alienating to people. So, if we can really cut to the chase and talk to people in their own terms, I think there's a real opportunity there. Because financial literacy in and of itself as a term is pretty alienating, right? It's like, what the hell does that mean?' Hope says it's also important to address the stigma around seeking help with your finances. 'If you are feeling unhealthy, you go to the doctor. If you don't really have a handle on your finances, you certainly need to go and talk to a financial adviser or someone who can help you understand what's going on'. Listen to the full episode of The Prosperity Project for more about the financial resilience of Kiwis. The podcast is hosted by Nadine Higgins, an experienced broadcaster and a financial adviser at Enable Me.
Associated Press
11-02-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Early Detection Of Breast Cancer Seen As A Benefit With Seated Option in the VELA Mammography Chair, Enable Me Finds in Technologist Survey
'The handicapped and the elderly can be put at ease, and better images obtained with the use of this chair. I would highly recommend every facility that performs mammograms have one of these available for use with their patients.' TAMPA, FL / ACCESS Newswire / February 11, 2025 / An informal poll of mammography technologists by VELA Mammography Chair provider Enable Me has found that safe seated mammography can be a motivator for the annual exam and an asset in early detection because it reduces discomfort, awkward positioning and can lessen pain, while providing a stable platform that can result in more accurate imaging. 'Beginning annual screening mammography at age 40 saves the most lives and the most years of life saved. This is evidence based,' commented a 30-year veteran imaging director with a major Midwestern hospital system that uses the VELA Mammography Chair. 'So, with the chair making an exam more accessible to those with disabilities and overall a more relaxed experience for those with anxiety or physical challenges, we are more likely to see them come back annually for the mammogram. And annually is what allows us to catch breast cancer at its earliest stage when it is most survivable.' Said another VELA Chair user: 'We follow the American College of Radiation guidelines, which recommend a mammogram at the age of 40 and a yearly screening for women of average risk. Here, we are hopeful with the advantage of having an accessible chair for comfort and ease for the patient, we can have more people come back, year after year, for their exams.' And this from a mammographer with two decades of experience: 'Patients present to Imaging for a mammogram in many different ambulatory scenarios. From simply an unsteady gait to wheelchair bound; each of these can be a challenge for the mammographer and cause anxiety for the patient. I personally have found that with the use of the VELA Chair, these challenges are eliminated. The handicapped and the elderly can be put at ease, and better images obtained with the use of this chair. I would highly recommend every facility that performs mammograms have one of these available for use with their patients.' Finally, 'Caregivers love it, patients love it, it's made it much easier on the techs, improved imaging quality for some patients. Really happy with it. It's been a fantastic addition. Allows you to more easily manipulate the patient into the machine and more control positioning them.' The HealthyWomen survey - supported by Siemens Healthineers - concluded that '61% of 1,194 respondents of women 40 years and older think mammograms are necessary. But just because women understand a mammogram is a necessary part of early cancer detection, it doesn't mean they enjoy them. Fifty-two percent said the mammogram experience is uncomfortable and 25% said mammograms are painful. Nearly 1 in 6 women reported that discomfort has deterred them from getting a mammogram as recommended: 12% percent of women reported postponing a mammogram due to discomfort, and 3% said they would not get them anymore because of it.' The Healthy Women study found that '54% of respondents said they would be very motivated to get regular mammograms if they were aware that some medical practices provide a more comfortable and tailored mammogram experience. Forty-nine percent said they would be very likely to seek out practices where more comfortable and tailored mammogram experiences are available.'
