Independence, Editorial Standards & Regulatory Position

New Zealanders deserve clear, trustworthy financial information — not jargon, not sales pitches, and not advice dressed up as a comparison table. ValueHub exists to help people make better money decisions by publishing independent comparisons, practical guides, and plain-English explanations of how financial products work in New Zealand.

This page sets out what we do, what we don't do, how we're funded, and where our content sits under this country's financial-advice rules.

1. What ValueHub is

ValueHub is an independent consumer finance website focused on New Zealand products, providers and regulations. We specialise in:

  • Product comparisons — KiwiSaver, term deposits, insurance, loans, mortgages, and investment platforms
  • Practical guides — how-to content and step-by-step explainers
  • Plain-English explanations of financial concepts that are usually written in jargon
  • Data-driven insights that help readers see how products actually compare

Our role is to inform, explain and compare. We show you the landscape and the trade-offs. We don't tell you what to do with your money.

2. What ValueHub is not

ValueHub is not a financial adviser, and we don't provide personalised financial advice. We don't offer:

  • Personalised recommendations
  • Tailored investment strategies
  • Advice based on your goals, risk tolerance or financial situation

If you need personalised guidance, talk to a licensed financial adviser.

3. Where we sit under New Zealand's financial-advice rules

New Zealand's financial-advice rules sit in the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013 (FMCA). They were substantially updated by the Financial Services Legislation Amendment Act 2019 (FSLAA), which came into force on 15 March 2021.

Under the current regime:

  • A person gives financial advice if they make a recommendation, give an opinion, or provide financial planning about a particular financial advice product.
  • Advice becomes regulated financial advice if it's given in the ordinary course of a business and isn't excluded by Schedule 5 of the FMCA.

Schedule 5, clause 7 sets out what is not financial advice at all. The two exclusions that matter most for a site like ours are:

  • Factual information — for example, the cost or terms and conditions of a product, or how to acquire or dispose of one.
  • A recommendation or opinion about a kind of product in general, rather than a particular product.

One caveat matters here. An opinion about a particular product can be regulated financial advice, even when it isn't personalised. "Personalised" is not the test — the test is whether a recommendation or opinion is being given about a specific product in the ordinary course of business.

ValueHub is not a licensed financial advice provider, and we don't give regulated financial advice. We describe how products work, what they cost, and where the trade-offs lie. We don't tell readers which specific product to buy, switch to, invest in, or avoid.

This section is a transparency summary, not a legal opinion.

4. How we're funded, and what that does and doesn't affect

ValueHub is funded by businesses that pay for promotional listings and featured placements. Trade service providers can pay a monthly fee for an enhanced listing position on our pages.

What we do:

  • We label paid placements. The "Visit Website" link on a paid listing carries rel="sponsored", which tells search engines — and readers who look — that the link is paid.
  • We keep paid placements in their own clearly headed block, separate from our editorial content.
  • We disclose commercial arrangements on the pages where they appear.

What payment doesn't buy:

  • It doesn't change what our articles, guides or comparison tables say.
  • It doesn't buy a position inside our editorial rankings or star ratings.
  • It doesn't buy the removal of an unfavourable finding.

Where payment does affect what you see: paying for a featured listing does place a business in a more prominent position than a free listing, and some of the businesses you'll see on our pages are paying customers. That's a paid placement, not an editorial endorsement, and it's labelled as one. We'd rather state that plainly than pretend otherwise. Featured status isn't automatic — we review the business before we'll feature it.

The ValueHub Award badge. Some listings carry a gold badge. We award it at our discretion: sometimes to businesses that pay for a featured listing, and sometimes to businesses we've used ourselves and trust. It marks a commercial relationship or a personal recommendation, not an independent ranking, and it has no bearing on what our articles, guides or comparison tables say.

ValueHub doesn't use affiliate or referral tracking. If we ever take on a commercial arrangement that isn't already described here, we'll disclose it on this page and on the pages it affects. For more detail on paid listings, see our Advertising Policy.

5. How we keep information accurate

Financial information changes quickly. To keep our content reliable:

  • We check information against official sources, including provider disclosure documents, regulator guidance and published legislation.
  • Comparison tables on our rate pages are refreshed automatically each day from third-party market data, and we update fees, rates and product features as providers change them.
  • We date our content and revisit pages when the underlying rules or products change.
  • We don't publish speculation, rumours, or figures we can't source. Where a number can't be verified, or where sources disagree, we say so.
  • Where uncertainty exists, we say so plainly.

If you think something on ValueHub is out of date or wrong, tell us — see section 8.

6. Our editorial standards

Every ValueHub article follows the same set of principles.

Clarity first. We write in plain English. If jargon is unavoidable, we explain it.

New Zealand context. Content is written for New Zealand laws, providers, tax rules and consumer behaviour — not adapted from overseas material.

Balanced analysis. We highlight trade-offs rather than declaring a single "best" product. Every product has strengths and weaknesses depending on who's using it.

Real numbers. We use actual fees, rates and ranges wherever we can verify them.

Human tone. We write the way a knowledgeable person would explain it to a friend — conversational, varied, and free of filler.

7. General information only

Everything on ValueHub is general information, not personalised financial advice. Before making a decision, we'd encourage you to:

  • Consider your own circumstances
  • Seek licensed financial advice if you need it
  • Verify key details directly with the provider

Financial decisions carry risk. Our job is to help you understand the landscape, not to steer you down a particular path.

8. Corrections, contact and feedback

If you spot an error, want something clarified, or think a page needs updating, we want to hear about it. Corrections make the site better for everyone who reads it after you.

Reach us through our contact form.

Last updated: 12 September 2026. This page describes ValueHub's own editorial and commercial practices. It is general information about how we work — not financial advice, and not legal advice.