Cyber security is a big issue in NZ right now. With all our financial information online, it's essential to ensure that your accounts are secure and that you're not giving out important details to scammers.

Cyber security tips.

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Tip 1: Keep your social accounts private.

<h2><span style="color:#0E101A;">Tip 2: Check your bank statements.</span></h2><ul><li>If there's any suspicious activity, it should show up here.</li><li>See anything going out you don't remember signing up for? Talk to your bank, get your card suspended, or change access to your account.</li><li>If you lose a credit card, suspend it immediately. Then go in to talk to your bank branch or credit card supplier about a replacement.</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>Tip 3: Back up your data.</h2><ul><li>Make sure everything you have online or on your device is backed up if you get locked out.</li><li>Keep your devices up to date by installing the latest security upgrades.</li></ul>

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Tip 4: Know your fraudsters. 

<h2>Tip 5: Be careful on free Wi-Fi</h2><ul><li>Network or hotspots and cafes around town are unsecured, so your information is a lot less private.</li><li>Don't<strong> </strong>do any banking or online shopping on a public network <span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(77,81,86);">—</span> you're much more likely to be seen.</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>Tip 6: Get a credit check.</h2><ul><li>Monitor your credit score along with your bank statements. Your score dropping unexpectedly can be a clue that you've been hacked.</li><li>Getting a credit check helps you see who else has viewed your information.</li></ul>

Yonda: Helping you stay safe online.

<h4><span class="text-tiny"><i><strong>Disclaimer.</strong></i></span></h4><p><span class="text-tiny"><i>Info and tools on the Yonda website are used as a guide only and do not constitute financial advice. Use Yonda as a starting point and then seek professional advice.</i></span></p>

Cyber Security Tips.

Found out your credit score and didn't like what you saw? Or have you just been rejected from a loan or credit application? No worries — we've got tips on raising scores, what you should be looking out for and even why you should care (if you're still not convinced). Plus, extra tips on how to improve your score when house hunting.

Improve your credit score

There are a lot of nasty surprises on the internet and on your phone. Find out why Yonda is secure and how you stay safe online.

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Secure your identity

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In our technological era, cybersecurity is critical. Cybercriminals can successfully dole out their malicious activities from the comfort of their homes, using sophisticated methods that crush even the most robust security systems. Unfortunately, as seen in the recent major finance company data breach, Kiwis are never safe online.

Protecting Kiwis from the largest data breach in NZ history

Managing your money can quickly feel overwhelming when you're busy living life, especially when emergencies suddenly break out. However, planning a budget and factoring in some wiggle room can save you a lot of hassle further down the road.

Personal finance tips.

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Tip 1: Plan a budget.

<h2>Tip 2: Apply the ‘<strong>50-20-30’ </strong>rule.</h2><ul><li>Spend 50% on necessities.</li><li>Put 20% towards your savings.</li><li>30% can go to whatever.</li><li>Or, if you like, try '60-20-10-10:<ul><li>60% on expenses.</li><li>20% for savings.</li><li>10% on long term goals.</li><li>And 10% on short-term fun!<br>&nbsp;</li></ul></li></ul><h2>Tip 3: Write down your purchases.</h2><ul><li><span style="color:#0E101A;">Start by adding up your income&nbsp;— that's all the money you've got coming in.&nbsp;</span></li><li><span style="color:#0E101A;">Then, subtract all your expenses<strong>&nbsp;</strong>— that's everything you spend (we do mean everything).</span></li><li>Once you have an idea of what you currently spend, start taking note of your purchases as you make them.</li><li>You can note this down on your phone, on a notepad or by making a scrapbook out of your receipts! If you go for this option, make sure to add up the online payments.</li></ul>

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Tip 4: Set long (and short) term goals.

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Tip 5: Carefully consider personal loans.

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Tip 6: If loans are for you, know your credit score.

Need a hand with your personal finance in NZ? Yonda’s here.

Personal Finance Tips

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Buying now and paying later, or BNPL, is pretty standard, with so many lenders on the market. There are many easy options to pay off on instalments, using credit, debit, Apple Pay or other options. All of which makes it extra hard, when you do something you want, not to immediately take it on BNPL.

Will buy now and pay later affect my credit score?

Everything you do affects your credit score, from paying bills to taking out credit cards and loans. Which in turn decides the interest rates you pay and whether you can get a loan at all!


Credit scoring tips.

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Tip 1: Pay your bills. And credit cards.

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Tip 2: If you're going for something big, get a full credit report.

<h3>Tip 4: Don't apply too hard for credit.</h3><ul><li><span style="background-color:transparent;">If lenders see that many people have been checking your credit score, they might think you’ve been hunting for more loans than you can afford.</span></li><li><span style="background-color:transparent;">Don’t apply for too many credit cards either — it makes you look desperate.</span></li><li><span style="background-color:transparent;">Quotation enquiries are when credit providers look at your credit history without making a difference to your credit score.</span></li><li><span style="background-color:transparent;">Complete credit applications do make a difference, but just in the wrong way.</span></li><li><span style="background-color:transparent;">Too many complete applications will make it look like you're desperate for cash and drop your score.&nbsp;</span></li><li><span style="background-color:transparent;">So check what kind of enquiry you're getting when applying for either a loan or a financial checkup from a credit reporter.&nbsp;</span></li><li><span style="background-color:transparent;">And, if you're running a complete application before taking out a loan, make sure you need it first!&nbsp;</span></li><li><span style="background-color:transparent;">You can always use Yonda to check your credit score for free without it hurting your score in any way.&nbsp;</span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Tip 5: Don't default, don't abandon.&nbsp;</h3><ul><li><span style="background-color:transparent;">If you’ve got a credit or store card you’re not using, cancel them.</span></li><li><span style="background-color:transparent;">Don't allow defaults or missing payments to stay on record.</span></li><li><span style="background-color:transparent;">Make a plan to pay them back instead of leaving them open.</span></li><li>Also — don't move your debts around between credit cards or shift credit over if applying for hardship. It's an actual red flag for lenders.</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p>

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Tip 6: Build a credit history.

Hold on, dude!

Credit Scoring Tips.

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Credit scores and your credit history are important indicators of whether you are safe to lend money with. While you may not need any money now, building a credit history is critical if you want to buy a house or purchase anything on credit. 

Why Kiwis should learn to love their credit score.

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It's crucial to keep a good hold on any money leaving your account. So, in this blog, we’ll cover all the ways to track your money — financial planning, budgets and calendars.

Why financial planning, budgets and calendars are important.

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Are you looking to own your own home one day soon? If so, the odds are that you’ll have to take out a mortgage (which is a kind of credit). And if your credit score is low when you apply for that mortgage you may find yourself denied from taking out further loans. But there are ways to improve your score (relatively) quickly.

What’s the fastest way to improve a credit score?

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Perhaps you've never heard the term 'credit score' before, but even so, they impact your financial health significantly. That's because your credit score helps secure banks and lenders decide whether to approve your loan and lat what interest rate to charge you.

What’s the benefit in having a good credit score?

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A good credit score is a relative term, depending on what you're planning to do with your money. Generally, the higher your score the more chance you have of securing a credit card, loan or mortgage agreement. 


What's a good credit score to have?

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Failure to repay your loan or credit amount is severe — leaving unpaid debt untouched can result in late collection fees and additional interest. You may even find certain things you own repossessed (depending on what you agreed on when you signed for a loan or credit amount).

What to do when you're overdue on repayments.

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When you first set out into the world of credit, you may find it hard to secure any money. However, you need to set up a positive history of repayments to get to this stage. 

What is positive repayments data?

Feel like your money problems never end? A personal loan could be an option to explore if you need cash fast. But, before you do anything, it's essential to consider how taking on a new loan affects your finances.

Personal loan tips.

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Tip 1: Don't borrow what you can't pay back.

Tip 2: Be aware of your credit score.

<h2>Tip 4: Get weirdly into financial reports.</h2><ul><li>If you're going to the bank or a lender for a business loan, you'll need to have a credit report.</li><li>Get together all your expenses, outgoing costs, and expected incomes for your report.</li><li>If making reports isn't your thing (which for many, it isn't), consider going to a credit reporter, like <a href="https://www.equifax.co.nz/">Equifax</a>, <a href="https://www.illion.co.nz/">illion</a> or <a href="https://www.centrix.co.nz/">Centrix</a>.</li><li>Do check the report you get back — there might be mistakes, which you can query if you think they're wrong.</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>Tip 5: Be a wise student, not a poor one.</h2><ul><li>If you're thinking about studying, check to see what loan you can get.</li><li>If you don't know, contact <a href="https://www.studylink.govt.nz/">Studylink</a> — they handle all student loans.</li><li>There are two loan types — allowance and loan.</li><li>Allowance is free, and you don't pay it back. It's based on your circumstances - check first to see if you qualify.</li><li>Student loans you do have to pay back. Try to take out as little of this type as you possibly can.</li></ul>

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Tip 6: Get a car you can afford.

Need help managing your money? Yonda's here for you.

Loan tips

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Have you seen your credit score, and were you confused by what the numbers mean? While it may feel a bit weird, to begin with, you can think of credit scores as a set of numbers up to 1000, where the ‘passing mark’ is around 600. 

What is good credit and where can I find it?

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Debt consolidation means taking out a loan to pay off your other loans, keeping them under one account. By keeping all your debt in one place, consolidation could help reduce your owing amount and grow your credit history in future.

What is debt consolidation?

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You may have heard of credit before — basically, it’s money you use and spend, usually on a loan or credit card. When you take out credit, you’re opening a line of borrowing that extends into the future, building a case history of you as a borrower. This helps lenders, credit card companies, banks and other lenders decide whether to lend you any money.

What is a 'good line of credit'?

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