Nickie Muir: Who's the weirdo now?

Nickie Muir.

Why are we so weird with money?

Kiwibank has decided to pay a celebrity psychologist to find out. Kiwibank sent an email to this effect, which made me feel slightly grubby.

Is collecting 1950s glass from op shops a financial sin now?

The email wouldn't have annoyed me so much if I hadn't already had a run-in with Kiwibank recently.

Having had a very good relationship with ASB both in business and with a mortgage, I did the unthinkable and went to change banks based on Kiwibank's branding.

There were pictures of caravans. I was doing the right thing in keeping my money in New Zealand away from evil corporations. I would help to grow New Zealand by making Kiwis more wealthy.

I seriously should have known better but the power of advertising was stronger than my rational brain could resist.

I am weird like that.

I did feel slight twinges of disloyalty to ASB but these were quickly swamped by pictures of prosperous New Zealand townships with Kiwi faces on them.

I sent an email back to Kiwibank outlining my experience with them: "Sorry but Kiwibank refused me a mortgage when I had 75 per cent equity and it was a family home.

I had paid a previous mortgage for 10 years without missing a payment despite being, at times, below the official poverty line in terms of real income.

You told me there was a problem after you sent me the 'Congratulations your loan is approved!' email and also after I'd made an offer on a house.

The glitch was that I was due a payrise that had not come through. It has now - that was December.

I didn't fit your formula. My rent was double what I'd be paying in a mortgage.

I went round the corner to ASB and they gave me a mortgage and would have given me $50K more than I actually needed - which I didn't take. I'm careful with money."

While I was sitting waiting at ASB there were three other women who exactly the same thing had happened to.

So either Kiwibank is not friendly to women - your branch here is not very on to it in your mortgage sector or you are the weird ones with money.

When I asked if I had been an investor with multiple properties that were mortgaged to the hilt as equity if I would be considered less a risk - you said that would fit the formula.

I said; "I see." (Although I didn't, and wondered how this fitted in to images of caravans and national pride.)

I added that I liked Nigel Latta but actually when I thought about it I liked Nigel a whole lot less after watching him sandwich himself between Kiwibank's branding.

I sent the email to the Kiwibank mortgage trawlers and this is what I got back:
"Thanks for your reply. This email isn't checked." Weirdos.