Nicole Barratt

Nicole Barratt started her career in news journalism, working for one of New Zealand’s leading newspapers. Post her news stint, she freelanced for outlets including The Sunday Star Times and NZ Life & Leisure Magazine. More recently, she’s applied her research and writing skills to the world of finance for Canstar.

KiwiSaver Funds - February 2nd

Am I Being Paid Correctly?

Most of us see funds deposited into our bank accounts each pay day and don’t give it a second thought. But do you know what your annual holiday balance is, how much sick leave you …

Banking & Insurance - April 26th

Transfer Apps and Payment Apps in New Zealand: What’s Available?

Paying back friends for coffee, flicking your partner $20 for movie tickets and transferring money overseas has been made simple and painless thanks to money transfer and payment apps. All it takes is a few …

Budgeting & Saving Money - October 18th

How to Live Off One Income and Save the Other

Author: Helen Baker Many working couples across NZ can comfortably live off one income. This frees up the other person’s salary to be used to save for big-ticket items or build wealth for retirement. If this …

First Home Buyers - July 27th

Breaking Down Six Important Home Loan Features

What is a home loan? Before we look at home loan features, we need to know what a home loan is. A home loan or mortgage is a loan advanced to you by a financial institution …

KiwiSaver Funds - July 27th

How Does the Tax System Work in New Zealand?

How Much Tax Do You Pay in NZ? In this story we cover: What exactly is tax? How to pay income tax How do taxes work if I’m self-employed? What is a tax refund? What …

Home Loans - July 26th

Can You Get a Loan With No Credit History?

Author: James Hurwood Can you get a loan with no credit history? In this story we cover: Why is having a credit history beneficial when applying for a loan? How do I start to build up …

KiwiSaver Funds - July 6th

How to Withdraw your KiwiSaver And Make it Last

When you hit retirement age and are eligible to withdraw KiwiSaver, those savings are yours to do with what you like. However, Canstar takes a look at why you should consider a long-term spending strategy, …

Home Loans - June 24th

How Much Can I Borrow For a Mortgage?

How Much Can I Borrow For a Mortgage? In this story we cover: Calculating how much you can borrow How do I know what I can afford to repay? Minimum surplus, what is it? What …

Budgeting & Saving Money - June 15th

39 Ways the Rich Think Differently: Rich Habits

Author: Michael Yardney There is a classic book by Napoleon Hill called Think and Grow Rich. While it was written almost 100 years ago, you will find it on the bookshelf of almost every successful investor. There …