
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
More episodes of The Prosperity Project
- The forgotten pension money Kiwis are leaving behind · June 7, 2026 · 29 min
- The crypto tax problem nobody warned you about · May 31, 2026 · 25 min
- Negotiation tactics that actually work · May 24, 2026 · 33 min
- What happens when you get behind on tax · May 17, 2026 · 28 min
- If your money could talk to you, what would it say? · May 3, 2026 · 33 min
- The risk in helping your kids financially · April 26, 2026 · 33 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Prosperity Project podcast page.