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Financial Wellbeing

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Case Studies

How to take charge

Whether it’s a change in circumstances or an unexpected event, we all face financial challenges in our lives. Read our case studies for examples of the steps other people have taken to cope with financial pressure.

Case Study 1.

Allie
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Case Study 2.

Catherine and Allen
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Case Study 3.

Caleb and Hayley
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Case Study One Close Case Study One
Allie
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If you'd like to get your finances under control and put together your own action plan, we're here to help:

  • Talk to a specialist in our Customer Connect Team on 0800 108 818
  • Visit any National Bank branch.

Allie

Has just started her first full time job. She wants to save for her OE but also has an overdraft, credit card debt, and car loan as well as a student loan.

"I've just finished University and on top of my student loan I've racked up an overdraft, two credit cards from different banks (which are both maxed out), and finance for my car. It's great to finally be earning good money, but I've got so much debt I don't know where to start!"

"My goal is to work for two years or so before heading off to the UK for my OE. I know I will still have a student loan when I head overseas, but aside from that I would like to be debt free. Plus I need to save a lump sum for my trip."

Allie's action plan:

  1. Consolidate my credit card debt and car finance into a graduate loan from one bank (that way it will be just one easy regular payment instead of several, and I should save on interest costs as well)
  2. Cancel one of my credit cards and reduce the limit on my other card to $500 – and use it just for emergencies
  3. Concentrate on paying off my debts before I start saving (the rate of interest on my debts is higher than any interest I would get in a savings account so it makes sense to get rid of them first)
  4. Get a part-time job like tutoring at the university to help bring in more income so I can pay off my debts faster
  5. Once I've paid off my debts I'll set up an automatic payment to go to a savings account. If I set it for the same amount that I was paying off my debts each pay day, I won't miss it as I won't be used to seeing it in my account.

"If I stick to my plan I should be debt free and ready to save for my OE in about a years time."

Case Study Two Close Case Study Two
Catherine and Allen
Need help?

If you'd like to get your finances under control and put together your own action plan, we're here to help:

  • Talk to a specialist in our Customer Connect Team on 0800 108 818
  • Visit any National Bank branch.

Catherine and Allen

Are currently financially secure, but Catherine is pregnant and is planning to stop working when the baby comes. They are concerned they won't be able to meet all the bills and pay off the mortgage when they drop to one income.

"We bought our first home a couple of years ago, and because we didn't have a very big deposit our mortgage repayments are pretty substantial."

"We're really excited about having a baby but at the same time nervous about how we're going to manage our mortgage and meet all the costs of a new baby on one income. I really want to stay at home but am worried I'm going to have to go back to work just to make ends meet"

Catherine and Allen's action plan:

  1. Review our bank statements to find out exactly what we spend our money on so we have a better idea of our costs when we're down to one income
  2. While we're both still working, start stockpiling the things we'll need (like nappies!) and look into renting a baby car seat and buying a second hand pram and cot
  3. Talk to the bank about extending the term of our loan to 25 years so we can lower our mortgage payments (we could then shorten the term of our loan again once we're more certain of our actual costs)
  4. Fix the interest rate on our mortgage so we know exactly what our home loan repayments will be. This will give us more certainty for budgeting when the baby comes. As rates are decreasing, we can fix our rate for a short timeframe so we're not locked in for a long time and can benefit if rates continue to decrease
  5. Find out if we're entitled to any Government assistance (e.g. Paid parental leave or Working for Families tax credits)
  6. Organise to pay our annual bills such as rates and insurance by direct debit in regular monthly instalments
  7. Look into flexible working arrangements at my workplace in case I do need to go back to work to help bring in more income.

"I know things will be tight and it won't be easy but I think we can definitely do it. Seeing our potential income and expenses written down has given me more confidence that we'll be okay."

Case Study Three Close Case Study Three
Caleb and Hayley
Need help?

If you'd like to get your finances under control and put together your own action plan, we're here to help:

  • Talk to a specialist in our Customer Connect Team on 0800 108 818
  • Visit any National Bank branch.

Caleb and Hayley

Have got three children, a dog, and a mortgage. Hayley works as a contractor and is finding there's not a lot of work around at the moment. They've fallen behind in their bills and on top of that their hot water cylinder needs to be replaced.

"We were doing okay until recently, but with the rise in the cost of living and less money coming in from Hayley's job we've been struggling to stay afloat."

"We only have one car but running the kids to school and sports practices is pricey. Now the hot water has gone it's the last straw! We have to get it fixed straight away, but I just don't know how we are going to pay for it."

Caleb and Hayley's Action plan:

  1. Talk to the bank to see what options they could provide (maybe we can top-up our mortgage rather than take out a personal loan at a higher interest rate)
  2. Alternatively, ask the plumber whether it is possible to pay off the bill over the next couple of months
  3. Review our bank statements to get a better idea of our income and expenses so we can budget more effectively
  4. Cut back on the non essentials like coffee and eating out (if we both take our lunch to work most days instead of buying it we should be able to cut our costs by quite a bit)
  5. Trade our car in for a more economical model (our current one is a bit of a gas guzzler, and it's just not practical now that we have three children)
  6. Organise to pay our annual bills such as rates and insurance by direct debit in regular monthly instalments
  7. Once we're on top of our bills again, save up an ‘emergency fund' of about three months salary to call on when unexpected expenses come up.

"If we can pull our belts in for a while I'm sure we can catch up with our bills. And, once we've saved up our emergency fund I'll feel much more secure that we won't get 'caught out' again!"

Our lending criteria, terms, conditions and fees apply.

This material is for information purposes only. You should seek professional advice relevant to your individual circumstances. While The National Bank (part of ANZ National Bank Limited) has taken care to ensure that this information is from reliable sources, it cannot warrant its accuracy, completeness or suitability for your intended use.

To the extent permitted by law, The National Bank does not accept any responsibility or liability arising from your use of this information.

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If you’d like to talk further about any of these options, call 0800 18 18 18, contact any branch, or e-mail us.

Read our general disclosure statement and our disclosure statement prepared under the Securities Markets Act 1988.

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* ANZ Investment Services (New Zealand) Limited is the issuer/manager of the National Bank Call Fund. The New Zealand Guardian Trust Company Limited is the Trustee of the Fund. The National Bank of New Zealand, part of ANZ National Bank Limited is the distributor of units in the Fund. Units in the Fund do not represent deposits or other liabilities of ANZ National Bank Limited. An investment in the Fund is subject to investment risk, including possible delays in repayment and loss of income and principal invested. No member of the ANZ National Bank Limited Group, the New Zealand Guardian Trust Company Limited or any other person guarantees (either partially or fully) ANZ Investment Services (New Zealand) Limited or the capital value or performance of the Fund or any other products issued by them.

^ A copy of The National Bank KiwiSaver Scheme Investment Statement is available as a PDF at the below link, or you can request one to be sent to you by calling 0800 156 020 Guardian Trust Superannuation Trustees Limited is the issuer of The National Bank KiwiSaver Scheme, ING (NZ) Limited is the Administration and Investment Manager and The National Bank of New Zealand, part of ANZ National Bank Limited, is the Distributor. Units in the Scheme do not represent deposits or other liabilities of ANZ National Bank Limited. Units are subject to investment risk, including possible delays in repayment and loss of income and principal invested. No member of ANZ National Bank Limited Group, ING Group, Guardian Trust Superannuation Trustees Limited, its parent and their respective directors or any other person guarantees or secures (either partially or fully) ING (NZ) Limited and its subsidiaries or the capital value or performance of the Scheme or any other products issued or managed by them.

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The first three saving and investment options provided above are based solely on your answers to the questions on the left and should not be relied upon as giving investment advice tailored to your financial circumstances. If you require investment advice we recommend that you come into any National Bank Branch to discuss your circumstances with a Banking Consultant.

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Follow the links to learn more about the savings or investment options that have been suggested above.

When considering these options, please see the Investment Statements for The National Bank Call Fund, National Bank Term Fund and Term Deposits.

If you decide that an option is suitable for you, you can follow the links to apply for the savings account or investment. If you'd like to talk to anyone about how the above options can help you achieve your goals, email us, call us on 0800 18 18 18 or ask a staff member at any branch.

Interest rates, rates of return and fees are subject to change. Full details of all products (including applicable fees, terms and conditions) can be obtained from any National Bank branch. Read our general disclosure statement and our disclosure statement prepared under the Securities Markets Act 1988.

All suggestions are based on the correct information being provided by you. This tool is not intended to provide tax advice and you should seek independent tax advice in relation to your own situation. For information on the applicable taxes on interest or PIE income refer to the Inland Revenue (IRD) website.

* ANZ Investment Services (New Zealand) Limited is the issuer/manager of The National Bank Call Fund and The National Bank Term Fund (Funds) and The New Zealand Guardian Trust Company Limited is the trustee. The National Bank of New Zealand, part of ANZ National Bank Limited is the distributor of units in the Funds. Units in a Fund do not represent deposits or other liabilities of ANZ National Bank Limited. An investment in a Fund is subject to investment risk, including possible delays in repayment and loss of income and principal invested. No member of the ANZ National Bank Limited Group, The New Zealand Guardian Trust Company Limited or any other person guarantees (either partially or fully) ANZ Investment Services (New Zealand) Limited or the capital value or performance of any products issued by those companies.

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