We’re all aware that the cost of living has increased significantly over the last year or so. It’s a hot topic in the election and there’s a mention of something costing more than it used to in almost every news cycle.   With those rising costs can come added stress, especially for [...]

August is Te Ara Ahunga Ora Sorted Money Month, the annual campaign designed to help everyday people be better with money. At Avanti, you might say every month is Money Month and we’re always looking for ways to support you to get where you want to be. In the spirit of this year’s [...]

A road trip is the perfect opportunity to get away from the stress of the city and explore the most beautiful parts of New Zealand. While the costs of a memorable holiday can add up, it doesn’t have to be too much for you. Maybe you’ve got a personal loan to pay off, [...]

Saving for a home and making your offer will likely be the most stressful, yet incredibly exciting, experience of your life. Once you’ve got a place to call home, some financial adjustments often need to be made. With a new home loan, bills, and fees, a re-budget is often the first thing on the [...]

Debt reconsolidation is a popular choice for people who have too many debts. Debt consolidation can: Simplify your repayments. Reduce how much interest you pay. Make your repayments more manageable. Restructure your loan with better terms. Sounds great, right? But there’s one common trap that people fall into when they reconsolidate: they don’t [...]

Building a budget is hard and it’s easy to forget a few dollars here and there even if you’ve done it dozens of times before. But there are some categories that seem to pass even the most capable of Kiwis by – and there’s nothing worse than discovering there’s a gap in [...]

Do you ever wish your budget wasn’t so strict? That you had a little bit of cash to go towards whatever strikes your fancy at the time? Good news: discretionary spending is a great way to be more flexible with your money but still avoid busting the budget. WHAT IS DISCRETIONARY SPENDING? ‘Discretionary spending’ [...]

You’ve heard that debt consolidation could be a solution to your debt problems. But what is it, how does it work, and is it right for you? WHAT IS A DEBT CONSOLIDATION LOAN? A debt consolidation loan is a loan you take out to pay off other loans. This means you only have one [...]

As a lender, one of the things we get asked a lot is how to reduce the amount of interest someone pays. Here’s your answer! HOW IS MY INTEREST RATE CALCULATED? Your loan provider will always disclose your interest rate and the total amount of interest you are paying as part of your loan [...]

Sometimes debt is unavoidable, like when your car breaks down, your washing machine stops working or a dental emergency comes up. But if possible, it’s important to avoid debt that comes from buying things we simply can’t afford. It’s easy to get into debt, but can be so much harder to pay [...]