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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

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?

The best first step is to contact your mortgage lender now, while you are still up to date. Don’t wait until you miss a payment. In New Zealand, lenders generally have more options to help when they know early that your income has changed. Consumer Protection

A practical order of steps:

  1. Work out your short-term cash position

    • Write down:
      • current household income
      • mortgage payment amount and interest rate/fixed term end date
      • essential costs (food, power, insurance, transport, rates)
      • debts and minimum repayments
    • The goal is to know: “How much can we realistically afford each month?”

  2. Call your bank’s hardship or financial assistance team
    Explain that:

    • your household income has dropped
    • you have not missed payments
    • you want to discuss options before you fall behind

    Possible options may include:

    • extending the loan term to reduce repayments
    • changing repayment arrangements
    • a temporary repayment deferral/payment holiday in some circumstances (which can increase the total interest paid) Consumer Protection

  3. Avoid filling the gap with expensive debt if possible
    Be cautious about using credit cards, buy-now-pay-later, or personal loans to cover mortgage shortfalls. That can make the problem harder to fix.

  4. Get free support early
    A free financial mentor can help you build a budget, understand your options, and communicate with lenders. Consumer Protection

  5. Check whether you’re eligible for any support
    Depending on what caused the income drop (job loss, reduced hours, illness, injury, relationship change, etc.), there may be other forms of assistance available.

When you speak with your bank, it helps to have:

  • recent bank statements
  • proof of income changes
  • a list of household expenses
  • details of your mortgage and other debts anz.co.nz

A few details would help me tailor the next steps:

  • Has the income drop come from job loss, reduced hours, self-employment, illness, or something else?
  • Is your mortgage fixed, floating, or coming up for refixing soon?
  • Roughly how much has household income fallen (for example, 10%, 30%, or more)?
Ask anything

ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.

Captured 11 October 2026

Gemini · National

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?

Financial pressure on a mortgage can feel stressful, but taking prompt, proactive steps before you miss a payment puts you in the strongest possible position. In New Zealand, banks have dedicated hardship support teams and are legally expected to work with borrowers experiencing genuine financial distress.

Here is what you should do first:

1. Contact Your Bank Immediately

Do not wait until a payment bounces or becomes overdue. As soon as you know your household income has dropped, call your lender's hardship or mortgage support team.

  • Why it matters: Banks view proactive contact very favorably. It shows financial responsibility and opens up formal hardship provisions under the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA).
  • What to ask for: Inquire about temporary relief options, such as switching to interest-only payments for a set period, capitalizing a payment, or a brief payment deferral.

2. Conduct an Urgent Household Cashflow Review

Before you speak with the bank—or as soon as possible after—map out every dollar coming in and going out.

  • List essentials first: Mortgage/rent, utilities, groceries, insurance, and transport.
  • Pause all non-essentials: Immediately cancel or freeze subscriptions, dining out, entertainment, and discretionary shopping.
  • Check safety nets: Review if anyone in the household is eligible for Work and Income (MSD) support, such as the Accommodation Supplement or temporary additional support, depending on your income drop.

Recommended Next Steps

To help tailor a realistic budget plan and explore what relief options might fit your situation best, would you like to share a few more details?

Ask Gemini

Gemini is AI and can make mistakes.

Captured 11 October 2026

Google AI Mode · National

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?

Taking the first step early is the best thing you can do. Because your payments are still up to date, you have maximum flexibility and put yourselves in a much stronger position to negotiate support.

Here is what you should do first, ordered from immediate actions to supportive measures:

  1. Contact your bank immediately
    Don’t wait until you miss a payment. Call your bank’s financial hardship or customer support team (major NZ lenders like ANZ Financial Hardship Support, ASB, BNZ, Kiwibank, and Westpac all have dedicated hardship lines). Tell them your household income has dropped and you want to discuss proactive options.
  2. Ask about temporary relief options
    Lenders can offer various forms of short-term relief under hardship provisions. Options commonly include temporarily switching to interest-only payments, extending your loan term to lower regular payments, or taking a short-term payment deferral/holiday.
  3. Tear into a strict triage budget
    Pull your last three months of bank statements and separate every outgoing into essential (mortgage, rates, insurance, basic groceries, power) versus non-essential (subscriptions, dining out, entertainment, discretionary shopping). Pause or cancel all non-essentials straight away to preserve cash flow.
  4. Check for external entitlements
    Depending on your exact drop in income and family circumstances, you may qualify for government support such as the Work and Income Accommodation Supplement to help offset housing costs.
  5. Talk to a free financial mentor
    If you want an objective eye on your budget or help structuring a plan to present to your bank, reach out to a free, confidential service like MoneyTalks (available via MoneyTalks NZ).

If you'd like, let me know:

  • Which bank your mortgage is with
  • Roughly how long you expect this income drop to last

I can help you prepare what to say to your lender or suggest ways to adjust your budget further.

Ask anything

Captured 11 October 2026