Canstar

Canstar is known for its review and ratings of financial services products. From home loans to credit cards to Kiwisaver chances are you will have come across their logo or award badge from your bank or non-bank financial services provider proudly displaying it on their website or letters if they have been awarded five stars for the category in which they were rated for.

If you’re looking to compare financial services products whether it is a home loan, or a Kiwisaver fund, or credit card, Canstar can be useful. Reviews and ratings are also specific to product types – for example, Fixed Home Loans or Low Rate Credit Cards. So you can be specific with what you’re looking for and narrow down the relevant product and provider quickly.

For example with Kiwisaver, you enter in your fund balance and the type of fund you are interested in (e.g. conservative or aggressive) and the results will show multiple Kiwisaver providers and how much fund fees you will have to pay and also the performance across various funds over different time periods. This is the same experience across personal loans, home loans and bank accounts.

The site provides you with quality ratings – from one to five stars. Canstar uses a formula to turn the research across prices and features to determine the number of star ratings it gives out.

While it is easy for consumers to look at the star ratings for each provider based on the category, it will require the user to dive into the methodology to understand how they have come to the conclusion and ratings. The comparison and ratings on insurance, and also the more recent Canstar Blue offering on consumer products which includes electricity, broadband, mobile phone plans and more, is not as in-depth and informative as with the level of detail they provide on banking products.

We think you should use Canstar for a quick comparison of features across banking products.

Consumer NZ

Consumer NZ is a non-profit organisation that provides free advice for consumers on a very wide variety of goods and services – to get started, you just need to browse the homepage for what you’re looking for. The site provides a bird’s eye view of different fields in informative articles, and it also highlights and discusses any sweeping or specific problems in quality and in the way customers are treated. Everything from building and renovation, to insurance, gardening products, computers, which brand of washing machine or hair dryer is the most reliable – even how to get out of a gym membership, or which beauty products work the best.

If you’re considering whether to purchase a particular product or service, Consumer NZ may offer you some valuable insight into its benefits but also on the other hand any potential problems or issues you might encounter. This website is great for general information and also ethical and practical questions you may not have considered before.

Consumer NZ is funded by subscriptions which cost between $12-$15 a month, so unfortunately some content is locked unless you sign up. However, there is also a bunch of useful articles and information freely available to the public on the Consumer NZ website.  

If you are in the market for consumer products and looking for independent test and reviews there is plenty of information here for you. Consumer NZ also actively promotes consumer rights and has a comprehensive page covering your rights across buying and selling of products, property, employment and finance.

We think you should use Consumer NZ as a source of independent testing and review of consumer products and services. It is also especially handy for information on your consumer rights.

Glimp

Glimp is another popular free website that was created to provide price comparisons for utilities, but has expanded into other areas as well. It covers a wide array of broadband deals, mobile plans and power plans – as well as some banking, car insurance, KiwiSaver and food deals. You can use Glimp to look for the best bargains when it comes to vehicle hire, and even wedding venue hire – and even compare services such as lawyers, dentists and hairdressers in your area.

The experience is relatively easy when comparing and finding the best deal on the site. For example, when looking for power deals, you simply answer a few simple questions about how many people are in your household, how you heat your home and water, source of power for your cooking, your current provider and your address. You are then asked for your contact details before the results are shown. In our test, we received six options in the results from Powershop, frank energy, Globug, Mercury, Trust Power and Genesis. From here, you will select the provider you want and you will then be forwarded onto the provider of your choice to complete the purchase. 

Glimp promotes freedom of choice and encourages people to research and find better deals - as you browse, you can see other people using the site switch from one service provider to another one. 

We think you should use Glimp to search for power and broadband deals.

Moneyhub

Moneyhub provides comprehensive information about all sorts of financial products, from banking to investing, and it is free to use. It is also a good starting point for a layperson who wants to learn about anything money-related: for instance, it provides information about the ins and outs of different types of loan, and different investment platforms and options. 

Moneyhub breaks topics down in a lot of detail, but it is also clear and easy to read. Often the site’s researchers provide “best buys” for particular products and hypothetical examples of how someone’s individual circumstances will affect how much they pay. To get online quotes tailored to your situation you will have to go elsewhere. The site links to other online comparison tools you can use – if you’re interested in insurance, remember that once you sign up to Quashed, you can also use the MarketScan tool to get tailored quotes for your home, contents and car insurance, and compare your policy to others out there across prices and features/benefits.

Other segments on the site branches out into comparisons and reviews of topics covering food/groceries, gyms, retirement villages and gift ideas, and also trade and professional services ranging from builders to doggy daycare and pest control.

We think you should use MoneyHub for money related topics, especially investment.

NZ Compare

NZ Compare is another popular comparison and deals site that is behind Broadband Compare, Power Compare and Money Compare.

Broadband Compare and Power Compare are more established services with plenty of options and pricing provided for customers to compare and find the best provider and deal for them. To start looking for broadband or power deals, simply enter your address and you’re away. In a few moments, you are presented with pricing deals across different providers giving you an estimate of what you will have to pay for these services each month. From here once you select the provider and deal of your choice, you will be forwarded onto the retailer’s site to complete your purchase. You are asked to enter in your contact details so they can reach out if you require assistance. Overall a straightforward experience that is similar to others in this space e.g. Glimp.

Customers can specify the types of deals they are after i.e. cheapest plans, biggest discounts, highest joining credits and more. Customer feedback across different providers are also displayed as you scroll down the page which is helpful – and it shows the good and the bad ones.

We think you should use NZ Compare when looking for broadband and power deals.

Where do I begin?

If you’re looking to compare broadband and power deals, Glimp and NZ Compare are good places to start your search. If you are purchasing a product or service and want independent testing and review, we think Consumer NZ is the way to go. For financial information, Moneyhub followed by Canstar may be more helpful. You can always use a variety of resources together, and get an overview of your subject before comparing prices and researching which products have the best quality.

If you’re looking for some in-depth and independent information about insurance, Quashed is a great starting point– once you sign up to Quashed for free, you also get access to Market Scan. This is the first-of-its-kind online insurance scanner that can bring you insurance quotes and a comparison of benefits across multiple insurers in minutes. No other comparison sites can do this. 

On Quashed, if you need help and want to speak to an insurance adviser, you can book a free 30-minute chat at a time that suits you. The platform allows you to store all your existing insurance policies, regardless of who it is with, in one place. It is quick and simple to drop off all your policies and your insurance dashboard is setup in a matter of seconds after.

Finally, while it’s not a comparison site, for some reliable, general advice on budgeting and financial matters, Sorted is also a good option. This site is run by the Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission, and provides New Zealanders with tips on savings and using their money wisely, and has some great and detailed articles.