COVID-19 Support Information

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Wayne Henry

Mortgage Adviser & Founder of Wayne Henry Mortgages.

Life as we know it has been changing in this new COVID-19 world, so the team at Wayne Henry Mortgages want to assure you that we are here to help and support you during these unprecented times. Banks, governments and advisers like us appreciate that this is a once-in-a-lifetime event and everyone is jumping in to do their bit.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you would like some advice and guidance on how the banks can help and support you through this challenging time.

How your bank may help?

Deferred mortgage repayments vs interest only repayments

If you’re considering deferring your mortgage repayments, be aware that it’s actually a deferment where:

  • A: The money will either be added to your outstanding balance or
  • B: your mortgage term will be extended.


A better option could be for you to apply for a period of interest only repayments on your mortgage.  The benefit of this is the balance of your mortgage will still be the same as it is today, at the end of the interest only period.

However for some, there may be no other option but to defer your mortgage repayments and we will be able to help you with that. To understand how the two options could look, just get in touch and we’ll run the numbers for you.

EXAMPLE:

Let’s compare the two, on a $300,000 mortgage with a 30 year term at an interest rate of 3.45% pa, your monthly repayments would be $1,339 per month.

If you deferred your repayments for 6 months, the principal portion would cease and the interest portion ($862.50 per month) would continue to be calculated and added to your balance which would be $305,175.00 at the end of the 6 months.

If you took a 6 month Interest Only period on your mortgage, your monthly repayments would drop from $1,339 per month to $862.50 per month, a saving of $476.50 per month.  At the end of the Interest Only 6 months your balance would be $300,000.

For many of us, the monthly saving of $476.50 will be enough relief to keep us going and in our opinion far better than seeing your debt grow.

Important points to consider when deferring your mortgage repayments

If you are wanting to defer your mortgage repayments for up to 6 months, it is important to note the following points before committing:

Bank support contact channels

Everyday 6am – 12am midnight
www.anz.co.nz/here-to-help
Everyday 8.30am – 5pm
www.asb.co.nz/covid-19.html
8am – 8pm Monday to Friday
9am – 6pm weekends
www.bnz.co.nz/contact/covid-19-update
Mon to Thur 7am – 9pm, Fri 7am – 8pm and weekends 8am – 4.30pm
www.kiwibank.co.nz/contact-us/support-hub/coronavirus-updates
7am – 8pm Monday – Friday
8am – 5pm Weekends

www.westpac.co.nz/who-we-are/covid-19

Government wage support

Impacted businesses can access a wage subsidy of $585 a week per full-time employee and $350 a week per part-time employee for up to 12 weeks at a cost of up to $9.1 billion.

To qualify businesses need to commit to continue to employ staff and pay them 80% of their current wage, show they have suffered or project to suffer a 30% or more reduction in revenues and have taken steps to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on their business.

The initial $150,000 cap was removed which means basically every impacted business will be covered, enabling them to support their workers.

Government support for businesses

Tax changes

The Government has announced $2.8 billion in business tax changes to free up cashflow, including a provisional tax threshold lift, the reinstatement of building depreciation and writing off interest on the late payment of tax.

Sick leave and isolation support

$126 million has been allocated to support staff to take sick leave for self-isolation, or stay home when sick with COVID-19.

Aviation support package

$600 million has been targeted to support the aviation sector.

The Business Finance Guarantee Scheme

A $6.1 billion scheme allowing qualifying businesses to borrow up to $500,000 for a maximum of 3 years has been launched. Banks will be expected to provide these loans at competitive rates. The Government will carry 80% of the credit risk, with the other 20% to be carried by the bank.

A remote-ready expert on your side

Questions? Plans? Don’t hesitate to call, Skype or Zoom the team. We are fully digitally enabled, so every part of the process can be completed online and over the phone, without a face-to-face appointment.

Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you need any advice & support from our team

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