# Household facing an income drop

Home lending · Borrower profiles · P09

An owner-occupier household with reduced income, little financial buffer and no missed payments.

[Back to the study](https://nzbrands.ai/research/banking/home-lending#borrowers)

| Measure | Value |
| --- | --- |
| questions | 12 |
| captured answers | 77 |
| AI platforms | 4 |
| collected | 11 Oct 2026 |

## Read what this borrower asked.

### HL-Q064: Borrower journey

Our household income has dropped and we're worried about keeping up with the mortgage. We haven't missed a payment, but don't have much spare money. What should we do first?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/banking/home-lending/editions/1/questions/HL-Q064.md)

### HL-Q065: Borrower journey

We're homeowners and our income has fallen. What sort of help can we ask our lender for, and what information will they need?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/banking/home-lending/editions/1/questions/HL-Q065.md)

### HL-Q066: Choosing a loan

Our income has fallen and our mortgage is getting hard to manage. Are there lenders worth talking to about a different loan, or would asking our current bank for help make more sense?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/banking/home-lending/editions/1/questions/HL-Q066.md)

### HL-Q068: Borrower journey

Our income has dropped and we're trying to lower our mortgage payments. If we spread the loan over longer, how do we weigh the breathing room now against the cost later?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/banking/home-lending/editions/1/questions/HL-Q068.md)

### HL-Q069: Borrower journey

Our income has fallen and we're struggling with our home loan. If we don't feel we're getting useful help from the lender, who else can we speak to?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/banking/home-lending/editions/1/questions/HL-Q069.md)

### HL-Q180: Choosing a loan

Our household income has dropped, we have little buffer and we haven't missed a mortgage payment yet. Which lenders would you recommend for our home loan, and why?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/banking/home-lending/editions/1/questions/HL-Q180.md)

### HL-Q181: Choosing a loan

Which bank is best to move a mortgage to if your income has dropped and repayments are getting hard?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/banking/home-lending/editions/1/questions/HL-Q181.md)

### HL-Q182: Choosing a loan

refinance mortgage after income drop which bank

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/banking/home-lending/editions/1/questions/HL-Q182.md)

### HL-Q183: Support after purchase

Our household income has dropped, we have little buffer and we haven't missed a mortgage payment yet. Which lenders are best at looking after mortgage customers in our situation, and why?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/banking/home-lending/editions/1/questions/HL-Q183.md)

### HL-Q184: Support after purchase

Our income has dropped and we're worried about the mortgage, though we haven't missed a payment. Before we call our bank, I'd like to know which banks are known for treating customers well when repayments get hard.

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/banking/home-lending/editions/1/questions/HL-Q184.md)

### HL-Q185: Support after purchase

Which bank is best for helping customers whose income has dropped and who are struggling with mortgage repayments?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/banking/home-lending/editions/1/questions/HL-Q185.md)

### HL-Q186: Support after purchase

best bank mortgage help after income drop

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/banking/home-lending/editions/1/questions/HL-Q186.md)

## Which lenders AI put in front of this borrower

The national loan-choice and support answers, with the lenders each assistant recommended.

| Lender or party | Answers | Total |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BNZ | 10 | 31 |
| Kiwibank | 10 | 31 |
| Westpac | 9 | 31 |
| ANZ | 8 | 31 |
| ASB | 7 | 31 |
| Resimac | 4 | 31 |
| Pepper Money | 2 | 31 |
| TSB | 2 | 31 |
| Co-operative | 2 | 31 |
| Asteron | 1 | 31 |
| Avanti Finance | 1 | 31 |
| Basecorp Finance | 1 | 31 |
| Bluestone | 1 | 31 |
| Liberty Financial | 1 | 31 |

## Which lenders AI recommended for the loan.

National choice answers for this borrower. Open a lender to read the evidence.

| Topic | Lender or party | Recommended or named answers | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Income drop | Kiwibank | 4 | 15 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Income drop | Resimac | 4 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Income drop | BNZ | 3 | 15 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 1 |
| Income drop | Westpac | 3 | 15 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Income drop | ANZ | 2 | 15 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Income drop | ASB | 2 | 15 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Income drop | Pepper Money | 2 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Income drop | Asteron | 1 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Income drop | Avanti Finance | 1 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Income drop | Basecorp Finance | 1 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Income drop | Bluestone | 1 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Income drop | Liberty Financial | 1 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |

## Who AI recommended for ongoing support.

National support answers for this borrower, after the lending decision.

| Topic | Lender or party | Recommended or named answers | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Income drop | BNZ | 7 | 16 | 14 | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| Income drop | ANZ | 6 | 16 | 16 | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Income drop | Kiwibank | 6 | 16 | 12 | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Income drop | Westpac | 6 | 16 | 10 | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| Income drop | ASB | 5 | 16 | 8 | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Income drop | TSB | 2 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Income drop | Co-operative | 2 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |

## The reasoning behind the recommendations.

The strongest action recommendation is early contact with the existing lender. Every collected national choice answer puts that lender first among lender routes. This is a coherent result: the question describes preserving an existing mortgage before payments are missed.

Named alternative lenders appear in some answers, and the table preserves them as conditional suggestions. Kiwibank and Resimac are each included in only four of fifteen choice answers. Resimac's new-lending suggestion is outdated. Eight choice answers make no positive named comparison at all, so those narrow frequencies cannot replace the stronger incumbent-first message.

BNZ has the broadest support inclusion, with ANZ, Kiwibank and Westpac next. ChatGPT more often gives a named policy comparison; other services often provide current-lender steps and contact directories. A useful response can therefore have no named comparative winner. The relevant narrative is timely contact, a sustainable plan and appropriate help.

ChatGPT: “I wouldn't automatically recommend switching to one particular bank without knowing your circumstances. However, these are reasonable places to start.”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/banking/home-lending/editions/1/questions/HL-Q181.md) · Answer ID: d5f8e2bb-af55-414b-a19a-7252aac872cc

Gemini: “### 1. Your Current Lender (ANZ, ASB, BNZ, Kiwibank, Westpac, TSB, The Co-operative Bank, etc.)”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/banking/home-lending/editions/1/questions/HL-Q180.md) · Answer ID: b0b24a83-dd4b-46d8-9071-c39d01abf405

Google AI Mode: “No single mainstream New Zealand bank (like ANZ, ASB, BNZ, Kiwibank, or Westpac) publicly advertises "income drop friendly" refinancing, as they all share similar regulatory compliance obligations regarding affordability.”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/banking/home-lending/editions/1/questions/HL-Q182.md) · Answer ID: 5b7f8f61-0690-4542-a8b0-ae294f0b3d58

ChatGPT: “Why consider it: Worth asking about if you expect your income reduction to be temporary and need breathing room while circumstances improve.”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/banking/home-lending/editions/1/questions/HL-Q183.md) · Answer ID: 9e9df0cb-8291-4706-a976-b7be4ba4a4d8

Gemini: “Kiwibank, BNZ, and ANZ, for instance, explicitly encourage early engagement and provide dedicated hardship lines.”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/banking/home-lending/editions/1/questions/HL-Q184.md) · Answer ID: 5c1fa609-ac77-497f-88d4-be79809f5dc5

Google AI Mode: “In _New Zealand_ , all registered banks operate under the same legal obligations when it comes to financial hardship.”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/banking/home-lending/editions/1/questions/HL-Q184.md) · Answer ID: 3a5653b6-e61b-41c3-aa00-2b9a7af8210e

## Where the answers to this borrower came from

The websites each assistant drew on, and what kind of publisher they are. Pick a question group to compare the websites.

### ChatGPT

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| bankomb.org.nz | 13 |
| consumerprotection.govt.nz | 12 |
| bnz.co.nz | 11 |
| anz.co.nz | 10 |
| fma.govt.nz | 10 |
| kiwibank.co.nz | 8 |
| westpac.co.nz | 8 |
| asb.co.nz | 2 |
| comcom.govt.nz | 2 |
| consumer.org.nz | 2 |

### Gemini

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| calculate.co.nz | 12 |
| westpac.co.nz | 8 |
| asb.co.nz | 4 |
| bankomb.org.nz | 4 |
| consumerprotection.govt.nz | 4 |
| kiwibank.co.nz | 4 |
| anz.co.nz | 3 |
| cab.org.nz | 3 |
| co-operativebank.co.nz | 2 |
| fincap.org.nz | 2 |

### Google AI Mode

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| bankomb.org.nz | 11 |
| westpac.co.nz | 9 |
| anz.co.nz | 7 |
| bnz.co.nz | 4 |
| calculate.co.nz | 3 |
| sorted.org.nz | 3 |
| adviser.loanmarket.co.nz | 2 |
| asb.co.nz | 2 |
| fma.govt.nz | 2 |
| loanmarket.co.nz | 2 |

### AI Overviews

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| mymortgage.co.nz | 10 |
| bankomb.org.nz | 9 |
| anz.co.nz | 8 |
| westpac.co.nz | 8 |
| calculate.co.nz | 7 |
| bnz.co.nz | 6 |
| moneybalance.co.nz | 6 |
| moneyhub.co.nz | 6 |
| facebook.com | 5 |
| asb.co.nz | 4 |

A website counts once per answer, however many claims cite it. 74 of 77 answers have recorded sources.

[Previous: Household financing a staged home build](https://nzbrands.ai/research/banking/home-lending/borrowers/p08)

[Next: Separating household seeking to retain the home](https://nzbrands.ai/research/banking/home-lending/borrowers/p10)