Whose side are Mortgage Brokers on?
Wondering if mortgage brokers work for you or the bank? Learn how mortgage brokers in NZ are paid, what they do and how they can help you find the right mortgage.
Zhiyang Cheng,
Commercial Director & Financial Adviser
Advice for every stage, all our knowledge in one place.
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What’s the difference between an active and passive KiwiSaver manager?
A passive manager generally aims to track a market index rather than trying to consistently beat it. An active manager makes investment decisions about what to buy, sell or avoid in an attempt to outperform a benchmark or manage risk differently.
Should I choose the KiwiSaver fund with the lowest fees?
Not necessarily. Low fees are attractive, but the cheapest fund can still be the wrong fund if the investment strategy, level of risk or provider doesn’t suit you. Likewise, a more expensive fund needs to demonstrate that the additional cost is delivering value.
Aren’t KiwiSaver returns already shown after fees, so do fees really matter?
Yes, fees still matter, but they shouldn’t be looked at in isolation. Standard KiwiSaver fund reporting includes return measures net of annual fund charges, which means the published result already reflects those charges. That makes the outcome after fees more useful than simply comparing fee percentages.
My KiwiSaver is already growing. Why would I need an adviser?
Because having KiwiSaver and having a KiwiSaver strategy are different things. Your provider, fund, level of risk and contribution strategy can all influence where you end up. We help work backwards from what you want KiwiSaver to achieve and make sure the settings underneath it make sense.
If I don’t pay for KiwiSaver advice, how do you get paid?
Fund providers pay us directly. The fees you pay don’t change. You use an adviser, you do it yourself - the fee remains the same.
How much does it cost to get KiwiSaver advice?
At MHQ, we do not charge any service fees to manage your Kiwisaver for you, yet we continue to provide advice through the years. Where others add on a service fee, we believe in access to advice. We believe in filling the advice gap that exists in New Zealand. Because we get paid by fund providers, we do not feel the need to charge you more for this access. Thats how we work.
How long do you stay involved after settlement?
Ongoing. As your fixed terms come up for renewal, your situation changes, or you’re ready to make another move — we’re involved. Reviews, restructures, equity access, next purchases. That’s the relationship we’re building.
What if something goes wrong during the application?
We use lender feedback to sharpen the file and, if needed, approach an alternative bank with a stronger case. Our relationships with lenders mean we can often get a read informally before resubmitting.
What happens after I send my documents through?
We review everything within 48 hours. If anything is missing or unclear, we’ll come back to you straight away. We don’t submit until we’re confident the file is clean and complete.
How long does the process take?
Salaried or sole traders — 48 hours internal review, then 7–8 working days at the bank. Business income — 3–5 days to work through the detail, then 8–10 working days at the bank. Trusts or multiple entities — similar to business income, with additional verification steps.
How do you pick which bank to use?
We assess borrowing capacity, timeframes, the product you need, pricing, and how straightforward we need the process to be — then identify the best fit. We’ll typically narrow it down to two or three and recommend one to lead with.
What if my situation is complex — trusts, business income, multiple entities?
That’s a significant part of what we do. Complex structures take more time to prepare properly, but we work through them thoroughly. The right preparation makes the difference between an approval and a decline.
How do you increase borrowing capacity?
We look at your full income picture — salary, rental income, business income, family contributions — and find ways to present your position as strongly as possible to the right lender. Sometimes it’s about structure, sometimes it’s about lender selection, sometimes it’s both.
What lending strategies do you use for investors?
Depending on your goals and position, we might look at interest-only periods, revolving credit, equity recycling, fixing strategically, or restructuring across multiple properties to free up capacity. It’s not one-size-fits-all — it depends on where you are and where you’re going.
Do you only deal with mortgages?
No. We provide advice across mortgages, KiwiSaver, and insurance. Each affects the other, so we look at all three together. Your KiwiSaver strategy, your insurance cover, and your lending structure should all be working in the same direction.
What's a Loan Structure Meeting?
Once we have your strategy in place, we walk you through our full recommendation — what we’re suggesting, why, and what the alternatives look like. We cover repayment approach, interest rate selection, any advanced facilities like revolving credit, the risks involved, and how the structure might change based on your preferences.
How do you structure a loan — and why does it matter?
Structure determines how flexible your lending is, how fast you can repay, and whether you can move again when opportunity arises. We look at fixed vs floating splits, revolving credit, offset facilities, and repayment strategy — not just the rate. A poorly structured loan can cost you years.
What's the difference between a pre-approval and a full approval?
A pre-approval gives you confirmed borrowing capacity before you’ve found a property. It’s conditional — subject to the property valuation and final checks. Full approval comes once you have a specific property and the bank has assessed everything. We manage both stages for you.
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