The mortgage traps costing Kiwis thousands

The mortgage traps costing Kiwis thousands

From The Prosperity Project by NZ Herald

May 10, 2026 · 31 min

About this episode

Adam Clark discusses the psychology of mortgages and the financial habits that cost borrowers over the life of a loan.

Interest rates are rising again, fuel prices are climbing and many homeowners are wondering what to do next. But according to Squirrel mortgage adviser Adam Clark, too many Kiwis are focusing on the wrong things. In this episode of The Prosperity Project, Adam joins Nadine Higgins to unpack the psychology of mortgages, why obsessing over tiny rate differences can backfire, and the financial habits that quietly cost borrowers hundreds of thousands over the life of a loan. They also dive into refinancing, cashback offers, fixing strategies, mortgage structures, EV lending and the dangerous temptation of “cheap debt”. Plus: Why banks hike rates before the Reserve Bank moves The truth about cashback “free money” Why fixing for the shortest term isn’t always smartest See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Nadine Higgins

Guest: Adam Clark

Topics covered

  • mortgages
  • interest rates
  • refinancing
  • financial habits
  • cheap debt
  • cashback offers

Keywords

  • mortgage traps
  • interest rates
  • refinancing
  • cashback
  • financial habits
  • cheap debt
  • EV lending

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Squirrel, Reserve Bank

Places: Kiwis

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