Honey Trap: Kiwis rack up $6.2 billion in credit card debt
15 May, 2021 09:00 PM
7 minutes to read
Credit card debt is burdening a lot of Kiwis. Photo / Getty Images
Credit card debt has topped $6.2 billion nationally and local budget advisers say spending has started to spike again - with the cost-of-living increases in the wake of Covid. It comes as tertiary students are being urged by financial advisers to be wary of card offers that could potentially trap them in debt for life.
Figures from the Reserve Bank of NZ show total advances outstanding rose 0.2 per cent in March compared to February.
Rental crisis: Would you pay $30,000 upfront to get a rental? Tenants desperate measures
7 May, 2021 06:00 PM
9 minutes to read
Property economists warn that national rental price growth is outpacing property values.
A man who, after two months of rental rejections, offered to pay potential landlords $30,000 upfront.
A Rotorua couple so desperate for a rental they pay more than they can afford and are broke all the time .
A migrant family from South Africa trapped in Tauranga who fear they could be homeless soon.
A working mum with great references afraid she will end up in emergency housing after her landlord gave notice he had decided to move back in - forcing her out.
Drowning in debt: Budget services reveal clients owe $50m - and rising
20 Apr, 2021 06:00 PM
5 minutes to read
Some people in the Bay are drowning in debt. Photo / Getty Images
Struggling Bay of Plenty families are drowning in debt - with cripplingly high-interest loans driving many to despair. Two Bay budget services, whose clients have accumulated more than $50 million in arrears, say debt levels are soaring, along with housing costs, and the financial fallout of Covid-19 on working families is still being felt.
Some clients were struggling to survive, people were sleeping in cars and children were going to school hungry.
More than $50m in debt: Budget services reveal clients' harsh realities nzherald.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nzherald.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.