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Evidence · Home lending

The questions and original answers

Explore every question and captured response in the home-lending study, including answers asked nationally and from four cities.

questions
193
captured answers
1,094
AI platforms
4
collected
11 October 2026

01

Every question, with its answers

Each question was written as a voter would ask it and went to all four assistants. Some were also asked from a town. Open a question to read every answer to it in full.

Showing 20 of 193 questions

Show all 193

02

The tables behind the study

Every figure on the study page comes from these tables. They are CSV files, which open in any spreadsheet.

  • Question catalogue

    questions.csv

    One row per question.

    Question ID, borrower, exact question, group and collected answers

    193rows

    Download question catalogue (CSV)

  • Answers

    answers.csv

    One row per answer, with its full text.

    Answer ID, question ID, borrower, assistant, city, words, coded recommendations, showed a link and full text

    1,094rows

    Download answers (CSV)

  • Sources by answer

    sources.csv

    One row for each website recorded as a source of an answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, assistant, city, website and publisher type

    4,574rows

    Download sources by answer (CSV)

  • Checks against official sources

    checks.csv

    One row per statement checked.

    Check, answer ID, assistant, what the answer said, verdict, what the source says, source and date

    4rows

    Download checks against official sources (CSV)

  • Recommendation coding

    recommendation-coding.csv

    One row per coded national loan-choice or support answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, borrower, assistant, question group, recommended lenders and supporting passages

    360rows

    Download recommendation coding (CSV)

  • Platform comparisons

    platform-recommendation-counts.csv

    One row per platform, lender and question group.

    Matched panel, recommended answers, denominator and supporting answer IDs

    105rows

    Download platform comparisons (CSV)

  • City comparisons

    city-recommendation-counts.csv

    One row per city, lender and question group.

    Matched panel, recommended answers, denominator and supporting answer IDs

    112rows

    Download city comparisons (CSV)

Use these tables to trace findings back to the original questions and answers. The full text of each answer is also on this page, under its question.

03

Read in full and checked

Some answers were read in detail or checked against official sources. Those appear on the study page, beside the findings they support.

ChatGPT · National

I got a cash contribution when I switched my home loan. I might need to move again sooner than expected. How do I check what I'd have to pay back?

In New Zealand, the cash contribution you received when switching your home loan is often called a cash contribution, cashback, or mortgage incentive. If you sell your home, refinance with another bank, or repay the loan early, you may have to repay some or all of it.

The important thing is that you might not have to repay the full amount. It depends on your bank's terms, when you received the contribution, and what you're planning to do with the loan.

How to check what you'd have to pay back

  1. Find your original loan offer. Look for the cash contribution or cashback clause in your loan agreement, letter of offer, or mortgage incentive terms.
  2. Check the clawback period. This is the period during which your bank can require you to repay the contribution, often within the first few years.
  3. Check how repayment is calculated. Your agreement may require full repayment if you leave within a specified period, or a proportionate amount depending on how long you've kept the loan.
  4. Ask your bank for a written payout estimate. Explain that you may be moving and ask what you'd owe if you sold or refinanced on your expected date.

Also check whether there would be separate fixed-rate break fees or other loan repayment costs. These are different from repaying the cash contribution.

For example, the rules differ between banks: BNZ publishes a three-year schedule for its eligible first-home-buyer cashback offer, while Kiwibank describes a four-year, daily pro-rata calculation for its cash contributions. Your own signed terms are what matter. Cash back home loan offerCash contribution | Home loans

You can also read the New Zealand government's Consumer Protection guide to mortgages and home loans and the Banking Ombudsman's guide to early repayment charges.

I can help you estimate the amount

Which bank paid you the cash contribution? If you tell me the bank, roughly how much you received, and when it was paid, I can help you work out the likely repayment rules and estimate what you might owe if you move.

Ask anything

ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.

Captured 11 October 2026

Gemini · National

I got a cash contribution when I switched my home loan. I might need to move again sooner than expected. How do I check what I'd have to pay back?

Moving sooner than expected after receiving a home loan cash contribution (often called a cashback) means you will likely trigger a clawback clause. When banks in New Zealand provide a cash contribution, they require you to stay with them for a minimum period—typically 3 years (though some lenders like BNZ can be up to 4 years for certain offers).

If you sell your property, refinance with another bank, or repay the loan in full before that period is up, you have to pay back all or part of that money.

How to Check What You Would Have to Pay Back

To find out your exact financial obligation, use the following steps:

  1. Check Your Loan Agreement or Cash Contribution Deed:
    Locate the specific paperwork you or your solicitor signed when you switched banks. It will state the exact cash contribution amount, the length of the clawback period (e.g., 36 or 48 months), and the repayment structure.
  2. Determine the Exact Timeline:
    Calculate the exact number of months or days that have passed since the cash contribution was paid into your account.
  3. Understand How the Bank Calculates the Clawback:
    • Pro-Rata Basis (Most Common): Many major NZ banks reduce the amount you owe incrementally over time. For example, if your 3-year clawback period is split yearly, you might owe 100% if you leave in year one, roughly 66% (or a sliding scale) in year two, about 33% in year three, and 0% after the term expires. Other banks calculate it precisely by the day (e.g., dividing the total cash amount by the total number of days in the bond period and multiplying by the days remaining).
  4. Contact Your Bank or Mortgage Broker:
    The definitive figure can be pulled instantly by your lender. Call your bank’s home loan team or ask your mortgage broker to request a "cash contribution repayment figure alongside any potential fixed-rate break fees." (Note: If you are also breaking a fixed interest rate term to move, break fees are calculated separately and can add to the cost).

Pro-Tip if You Buy Again

If you purchase your next property and shift your mortgage to a new bank, they will often offer a new cash contribution. In many cases, your new mortgage broker or new bank can negotiate a cash contribution large enough to cover the clawback penalty you owe your old bank, minimizing out-of-pocket costs.

Are you currently locked into a fixed interest rate term alongside the cash contribution?

Ask Gemini

Gemini is AI and can make mistakes.

Captured 11 October 2026

Google AI Mode · National

I got a cash contribution when I switched my home loan. I might need to move again sooner than expected. How do I check what I'd have to pay back?

When you receive a cash contribution (cashback) from a New Zealand lender when switching your home loan, it almost always comes with a clawback period —typically lasting 3 to 4 years. If you sell the property, repay the loan in full, or switch to another bank before that period ends, you are usually required to refund part or all of it.

Here is how you can check and calculate what you would need to pay back:

  1. Check your original loan agreement or variation letter
    Look for the specific clause detailing the cash contribution , incentive repayment , or clawback period. This document outlines the exact duration you must stay with the bank (e.g., 36 or 48 months) and whether the repayment is on a sliding scale or a flat 100%.
  2. Determine how the clawback is calculated What is a mortgage cashback?

  • Pro-rata (Sliding Scale): Many banks reduce the amount you owe back month-by-month over the course of the clawback period. For example, if your period is 3 years and you leave after 18 months, you might only have to pay back roughly half of the contribution. [Home Loan Factory]

  • Full Repayment: Some specific promotional terms or shorter agreements stipulate that any exit before the milestone date requires 100% of the cash contribution to be paid back regardless of how close you are to the end date.

  1. Contact your mobile mortgage manager or bank lending team
    Call your bank directly or check your secure online banking portal. Ask them specifically for the cashback clawback balance or repayment amount as of your anticipated settlement or departure date. They can run an exact calculation based on the precise number of months elapsed.
  2. Factor in potential break fees (if applicable)
    If your home loan is also on a fixed interest rate (rather than floating) and you break that fixed term early to sell or refinance, the bank may also charge an economic break fee (early repayment adjustment) on top of the cashback clawback. Ask them to quote this figure at the same time so you have the full picture.

You can read more about how these structures operate via MoneyHub NZ.

If you'd like, let me know:

  • How long ago you received the cash contribution
  • How much you were paid out
  • Whether your current interest rate is fixed or floating

I can help you estimate what your potential liability might look like or what costs to expect when moving.

Ask anything

Captured 11 October 2026

AI Overviews · National

I got a cash contribution when I switched my home loan. I might need to move again sooner than expected. How do I check what I'd have to pay back?

AI Overview

To check exactly what you would have to pay back from your home loan cash contribution (often called a cashback clawback), you should look at your original loan documents and contact your lender directly.

Here is how to find the exact figures and understand how the calculation works:

1. Locate Your Cash Contribution Agreement

When you switched lenders, you signed a cash contribution letter or a specific clause within your main loan offer document.

  • Look through the paperwork provided by your solicitor or mortgage broker during settlement.

  • Locate the clawback window (typically 3 to 4 years in New Zealand).

  • Identify the reduction structure. Some NZ banks claw back the entire amount if you leave early, while others reduce what you owe progressively over time.

2. Understand How the Amount Drops Over Time

Lenders calculate clawbacks using one of three common methods:

  • Daily or Monthly Pro-rata: The amount you owe reduces slightly every single day or month. For example, if you received $4,000 on a 4-year (1,460 days) agreement and move after exactly 2 years, you would only owe half ($2,000).

  • Stepped-down: The clawback drops in tiers annually (e.g., 100% in year one, 66% in year two, 33% in year three).

  • Cliff-edge: The lender requires 100% of the cash back returned if you leave at any point before the clawback period ends.

3. Contact Your Bank or Mortgage Broker

Because clawback terms are dictated by the fine print of your specific contract and exact settlement date, you can request an official calculation.

  • Call your bank directly and request a "discharge quote" or ask specifically for your active cash agreement clawback balance.

  • Alternatively, if you used a mortgage adviser/broker , you can ask them to check the active terms with the lender on your behalf.

⚠️ A Critical Watch-out: Double Check Your Adviser's Terms

If you used a mortgage broker to switch your loan, check the broker's Disclosure Statement / Terms of Engagement.

When a borrower leaves a bank early, the bank claws back the commission they paid to the broker. To cover this, many New Zealand mortgage brokers include an independent clause stating that if you refinance or sell within 24 months , you must pay a broker clawback fee to cover their lost time. Ensure you check whether you face both a bank clawback and a broker clawback.

Ask anything

Captured 11 October 2026