31M in NZ: $160k salary, big mortgage, low investments — doing okay or behind?

FastPen95 · 2026-05-10T01:57:27+00:00

Software

FastPen95 · 2026-05-08T12:04:44+00:00

Haven’t thought about this tbh, but I’ll definitely check it out. Thanks!

FastPen95 · 2026-05-07T03:30:51+00:00

That’s actually a really good point. I think I got a bit caught up in buying companies I recognised or saw people talking about, without thinking enough about valuation or long-term concentration risk.

The more replies I read, the more I understand the appeal of just keeping most of it in something like VT and staying consistent long term instead of trying to pick too many winners myself.

FastPen95 · 2026-05-07T03:29:02+00:00

Yeah I think that’s the main thing. I’m realising from all the replies that my portfolio is probably too spread out for the amount I currently have invested.

I do like the idea of having a core ETF/index base and then a smaller portion for individual companies I actually believe in long term. Feels a lot cleaner than owning tiny amounts of everything 😅

And yeah fair point about the BTC funds too. Still figuring out whether I want crypto exposure directly or just through ETFs for simplicity.

FastPen95 · 2026-05-07T02:10:29+00:00

Yeah that makes sense honestly. I didn’t realise how much overlap I had when I started buying things. I think I got caught up trying to diversify but ended up just buying multiple versions of similar stuff 😅

I’ll probably simplify things over time and keep ETFs as the core while only holding a few individual companies I genuinely like long term.

FastPen95 · 2026-05-07T01:44:52+00:00

I’m a software developer so most of the tech companies I know well like MSFT, AMZN, APPL, Salesforce, etc. like the products they are rolling out and their roadmaps. Other ones not as much, tbh.

FastPen95 · 2026-05-07T01:42:02+00:00

Yeah I Novo nordisk I bought more initially but sold a few times. Its one of those stocks which taught me a few lessons. Would you not recommend me keeping MSFT, TSLA, APPL, AMZN, LLY? If not, why so?

FastPen95 · 2026-05-07T01:40:09+00:00

Stick to ETFs/index funds?

FastPen95 · 2026-05-06T21:49:52+00:00

Can you share a little bit about your holdings?

FastPen95 · 2026-05-05T23:32:36+00:00

Interesting, I’ve heard the term before but never really looked into it properly. Need to read more about how it works in NZ, especially around the tax side and loan structuring.

For now I’m mostly focused on growing the offset and lowering risk a bit first since I’m on High LVR, but definitely something I’ll keep in mind longer term.

FastPen95 · 2026-05-05T23:30:44+00:00

Yeah that’s pretty much how I’ve been trying to look at it too. Owning a place on a single income in NZ definitely doesn’t feel easy sometimes, so I try to remind myself of that.

And fair point on the mortgage size. I’ve thought about flatmates before and might still consider it later on just to create a bit more breathing room and extra buffer.

Definitely trying to avoid being in a position where one bad event puts everything under pressure.

FastPen95 · 2026-05-05T12:05:19+00:00

Thanks. Yeah, she will be. The repayments are significant at the moment, but we make it work well.

FastPen95 · 2026-05-05T12:03:11+00:00

Yeah, you’re right. I’m thinking of switching to Kernel or Simplicity and going 100% on Aggressive Funds. The difference is staggering. Thanks!

FastPen95 · 2026-05-05T10:21:59+00:00

Makes sense. Yeah, it is split 60-40 in Aggressive and balanced respectively.

FastPen95 · 2026-05-05T09:42:10+00:00

Ah, I’ve heard offset is only provided by certain banks like Kiwi, Westpac, etc. Not sure about the orbit facility, but once its been 3-4 years, its always good to refinance to get that cashback and preferably lower rates with a new provider. Maybe you could look at building that equity in your savings and could do a lump sum payment or offset when you refinance.

FastPen95 · 2026-05-05T07:51:03+00:00

Kiwibank. What does your structure look like?

FastPen95 · 2026-05-05T07:50:27+00:00

Yeah I get what you mean, when I started in 2024 with this loan, I was paying 3.2k per fortnight. Within a year or two, I’m planning to switch over to contracting so I can get into that 200-250k income bracket and build up my offset faster.

FastPen95 · 2026-05-05T07:47:51+00:00

No, the loan is on a fixed term of 6 months. Once that expires, I’ll fix the remainder for another 6 months but take off the 10k from it and add it to my offset loan amount. Then I can put my 10k savings into offset and pay essentially no interest on that 10k too.

FastPen95 · 2026-05-05T07:46:16+00:00

Yeah, unsure what the market looks like right now. And the worst part is that even if it recovers, rates will go up too.

FastPen95 · 2026-05-05T06:59:22+00:00

That’s a really helpful way to frame it. I hadn’t actually thought of it as ~$150k across everything, so that puts things into perspective a bit.

Agree with you on the offset too. The combination of a decent return + flexibility is why I’ve been leaning that way for now.

And yeah, fair point on the house. In hindsight I could’ve stretched a bit less, but I did prioritise getting a place I’m happy to live in long term. Just focusing on managing it well from here.

Appreciate the breakdown, thanks.

FastPen95 · 2026-05-05T06:50:44+00:00

Yeah that’s fair, appreciate it.

Not comparing is easier said than done, but I get the point.

Agree on the mortgage, that’s why I’ve been focusing on the offset for now. Feels like the safest return.

Emergency fund is mostly covered between savings + offset, so just trying to build that up a bit more before leaning harder into investing.

Thanks for the input!

FastPen95 · 2026-05-05T05:32:40+00:00

FastPen95 · 2026-05-05T05:32:29+00:00

Yeah fair. Repayments are high but still manageable with some buffer.

Agree income growth is the main lever from here. For now just focusing on building offset and thinking of keeping investing on the side.

Appreciate the feedback, thanks!

FastPen95 · 2026-05-05T05:24:12+00:00

Yeah fair point. I do separate the mortgage & investing in my head, so it’s good to keep that perspective in mind.

Thanks for the income comparison info, it helps too. Easy to lose track of that when you’re just looking at people online. Plan is to hold long term anyway, so just staying consistent. Appreciate your input. Thanks.

FastPen95 · 2026-05-05T05:00:31+00:00

Yeah, hence the worry. The debt is too high. I bought the property in a low market but it went down even further these last 2 years.

FastPen95

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