Avanti Finance Review

Getting a personal loan or car finance? Our review of Avanti Finance looks at the pros and cons, fees and loan options. We tell you the must-know facts so you can make the right decision

Updated 21 June 2022

Summary

Avanti Finance is a non-bank lender. Like others in the same market, Avanti Finance is geared towards lending borrowers whose financing needs are not necessarily catered for by traditional banks or mainstream financial institutions.
This may include people with a challenging credit history and/or those newly self-employed who are not able to demonstrate regular income.
Because of the risks in lending, the interest rates will usually be higher than banks.
As with any lender, the faster you pay off your loan, the less overall interest and fees you will pay.

In this guide, we look at the main features and products offered by Avanti Finance, including:

Read This First: Taking a loan with Avanti Finance? Know what to look for (and have an exit strategy upfront). Here's what's important:

Your loan will be explained upfront. Avanti Finance will always specify the interest rate, costs and fees, as required under the Credit Contacts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA). The interest rate you pay will reflect your risk as a borrower. Make sure you understand what you're going to be paying before agreeing to the loan.
If you're taking a personal loan or car loan with Avanti Finance, there will be fees in addition to the interest rate.
If you have applied for the loan through a car dealer, mortgage advisor or finance broker you will also pay a brokerage fee.
Going to a non-bank lender to get a mortgage can be a great way to get onto the property ladder in banks are unwilling to help. As with any non-bank lender, you may want to move your mortgage to a bank once you’ve established a good credit profile, if that means you are able to enjoy better interest rate. Mortgage interest rates currently charged by Avanti Finance range anywhere between 5.95 to 11% p.a, with rates of between 6% and 7.15% being more usual. The rate charged reflects an applicant particular profile, including their prior credit history.

Avanti Finance Pros and Cons

Pros:

Avanti Finance is a lender who is able to cater to those who may not fit traditional bank credit criteria - when many other companies decline, Avanti has a track record of giving loans.
Avanti Finance now provides loan statements more frequently (once every quarter) rather than every six months.

Cons:

Like almost all lenders, there are upfront fees. We don't challenge those, as long as they are reasonable. Make you check these out before you enter into the loan. Be aware that the following fees may apply.

Avanti Finance Products Review

In this section, we look at the three main products offered by Avanti Finance - Personal Loans (including car finance and debt consolidation), Mortgages and Home Loans and Insurance Policies.

Personal Loans

Avanti Finance's core business is personal loans, debt consolidation loans and car loans. If you are a New Zealand citizen and over 18 years old, you can apply to borrow any amount between $1,000 and $50,000 for a maximum of five years. The loans can be secured or unsecured.

Know this: If you get a personal loan with Avanti Finance, a number of fees apply. These will be provided to you before you enter the loan, but you can also check them out on their website.

Understand the fees charged upfront (and ongoing)
In addition to the interest rate you will pay, there are several fees for any personal loan, including car finance and debt consolidation. This PDF details them all on page one. In summary, the main fees are as followed:

Loan Establishment Fee: Secured Loan ($255), Unsecured Loan ($165)
Caveat/Security registration and release (for secured loans): $260 (or the costs incurred by the third party) are charged at the start and end of the loan.
Loan Administration Fee: $7.50/month (charged to cover the administration of a loan and processing payments)
Default interest rate: You'll be charged an additional 20% p.a. on top of your current interest rate if you default (although it applies only to the missed payment, not the total outstanding home loan balance).
Early repayment fee: $45 if you pay off a loan off in full before its due date.
And, if you arrange a loan through a broker, then there will also likely be a broker fee.

What we like

You can apply for pre-approval for car loans so you know how much you can afford. Our buying a used car guide has more details on how to make your money go further.

What we don't like

The $7.50/month administration fee to 'manage' the loan: Over a five year loan, it adds up to $450.

Mortgages and Home Loans

Avanti Finance offers mortgages, primarily aimed at anyone who can't get an approval from a bank or credit union. Unlike a bank lender, there are two interest rates which are added together and become your interest rate.

Understand the interest rate you'll pay

The interest rate is the sum of Avanti Finance's "Variable Interest Base Rate" plus "Margin".
Today, the Variable Interest Base Rate is 5.95% per annum, and the Margin is between 0.00% - 5.20% per annum.
This means you'll pay a minimum 5.95% p.a. You may pay a margin on top, and how much will be determined by reviewing your loan application and assessing your personal financial circumstances. This will be disclosed to you before you enter the loan.

Understand the fees charged upfront (and ongoing)
There are several fees for any mortgage - this PDF details them all on page two. In summary, the main fees are as followed:

Loan Establishment Fee: $705 (charged for processing and approving a new loan application)
Loan Administration Fee: $7.50/month (charged to cover the administration of a loan and processing payments)
Default interest rate: You'll be charged an additional 5% p.a. on top of your current interest rate if you default (although it applies only to the missed payment, not the total outstanding home loan balance).
Brokerage fee: Unless you go direct to Avanti Finance, there will be a brokerage fee as well.

What we like

Avanti Finance offers loans when banks and other lenders won't.

What we don't like

The high interest rates, but this reflective of the risk Avanti Finance takes in lending.
The $7.50/month administration fee, which is an uncommon fee among mortgage lenders.

Insurance

Avanti Finance is not an insurance provider but it does offer insurance to existing customers via Autosure, which customers can choose to take, or find their own. They offer three insurance policies which can protect you when things go wrong. These include:

Avanti Finance offers three insurance policies which can protect you from defaulting on a loan. These include:

Payment Protection - insurance that takes care of regular loan repayments if you have an accident, become bankrupt, or are made redundant from permanent employment, or die. You're covered for your loan balance or $200,000, whichever is less.
Mechanical Breakdown - this insurance protects you against a sudden and unforeseen failure of a wide range of mechanical and electrical parts. The insurance takes care of the cost to repair the actual failure of mechanical or electrical parts as a result of a sudden and unforeseen breakdown. However, there are plenty of exclusions, so you'll need to read the policy carefully to see what exactly you will be covered for.

GAP Insurance - this cover is activated if you have a car accident. It pays off the remaining balance of your loan if your car insurance doesn’t cover the full amount. For example, you receive $8,000 from your car insurance company, but the balance of the loan is $10,000. Without GAP insurance you'll be left owing $2,000 to Avanti Finance.

We have not been able to review policy prices; these will vary based on the applicant's personal details (age, health, loan size and, for mechanical breakdown and GAP, the specs of the vehicle).

In any instance, we suggest looking at a range of policies to and get the right cover at the right price for your needs. We suggest starting with these guides:

Avanti Finance experience

Avanti Finance was established in 1989 and operates predominantly through brokers (i.e. car dealerships) and direct to borrowers, via its call centre.

Avanti has lots of positive customer feedback on its Facebook page, however, there are a number of online complaints about the business, most of which concern the insurance costs, which are sold alongside loans.

About Avanti Finance

Based in Auckland, Avanti Finance is a member of the larger Avanti Finance Group, which operates a number of companies. These include business lender GetCapital, insurance funding specialist Bexhill Funding and Branded Financial Services, a specialist in high-end car finance.

Avanti Finance states on its website that it:

Puts people first and treats everyone as individuals with unique circumstances
Believes that they are not just here to support their customer’s finances, but provide them with tools to support their lives.
Knows its stuff and do their best, and does what’s right too, holding themselves to the highest ethical standards.

As we stated above, it is suggested to carefully understand the terms and conditions of any Avanti Finance loan, with extra focus on the fees charged.

Do you think Avanti Finance is right for you?

Want to know more or sign up for a loan? Visit Avanti Finance's website to know more.

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