Many in debt 'intensive care'

Retirement Commissioner Diane Maxwell says real debt figures are much higher. Photo / NZME

New Zealanders officially have around $15.7 billion in consumer debt although one money expert says it's actually much higher than that.

Retirement Commissioner Diane Maxwell says Reserve Bank figures don't cover debt owed to utility companies, councils, pay day lenders, mobile truck shops and the government for unpaid child support.

Adding those in could boost consumer debt levels by another $2.4 billion.

Maxwell, who heads up the Commission for Financial Capability, firmly believes New Zealand has a debt problem.

"Culturally we really are quite comfortable with debt."

But it's not just the amount of debt that is the issue, she says, but how much interest is being paid on that debt and who is paying that interest.

Based on qualitative research, the commission has broken Kiwis down into three main areas - those in intensive care, those on the ward and people who just need GP visits.

It is the 21 per cent of Kiwis or roughly 735,000 people in "intensive care" that Maxwell is focusing her attention on. She says those are the people who are least likely to have any assets to their name and be paying much higher interest rates.

Instead of paying 18 to 20 per cent interest on a credit card or 12 to 18 per cent interest for an unsecured personal loan at the bank, they are paying 30 per cent plus interest on money they borrow.

"These guys who have no money are paying the most for money." And she says it's that high cost of debt which is keeping them in debt.

Instead of following a traditional path of borrowing to buy a first car and paying back the loan, then saving a deposit for a house and paying off the mortgage in their 50s allowing time to save for a retirement - this group never gets out of the red.

They borrow for a car and then borrow for a stereo or other new technology. Then if they have a "messy life", moving houses and jobs or getting divorced between the ages of 20 and 40 and they don't have the resources to manage it or family that can bail them out, it can be disastrous financially.

Maxwell says the group of people in intensive care have a high cost to the whole of New Zealand not just themselves.

"This group have a high cost to the taxpayer and when they reach 65 that cost will be even higher."

They potentially arrive at 65 with no house or savings and still in debt which means they are likely to need help with paying for accommodation and healthcare.

"If your money is out of control, your life is out of control.

- NZME