We’ve put together a list of frequently asked questions that regularly get asked. If you have more questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
A document detailing all relevant information on how Ungaro & Co works is available free of charge and will be sent to you either at your request, or in the course of our interactions with you.
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More and more Kiwi’s arrange their mortgage now using mortgage advisers – about 40% and this is growing.
Darcy Ungaro used to be an Authorised Financial Adviser, operating in mortgages, insurance, KiwiSaver and financial planning. With recent changes to legislation however, these terms are no longer. It’s easier to understand (sort of), as now there only exists ‘financial advisers’, who are engaged by a FAP (Financial Advice Provider). Darcy Ungaro is the sole adviser engaged by Ungaro & Co (who has a transitional FAP license granted by the FMA.
At Ungaro & Co, your personal details are very important to us – About 8 years ago we made the shift to digital and apart from keeping some physical files on hand to assist with face to face meetings, all client information is now kept on secure, cloud based services accessed only using an encrypted password manager. You have a right to access and change your information at any time, and your information is only used for the purpose for which you have engaged us in. Cloud-based storage facilities are great, but there are systemic risks that exist here also. In an off-site location, there’s a daily back-up of all information stored in our cloud-based CRM system (and Microsoft OneDrive), to reduce the chance of permanent loss of data due to a black-swan event.
Occasionally mistakes happens, and even if we’re not the ones at fault, we follow a disputes resolution process where we aim to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Failing a successful resolution to the dispute, Ungaro & Co is a member of the Insurance and Savings Ombudsmen Dispute Resolution Scheme.
You can engage us to arrange your mortgage, insurances, KiwiSaver (or other investments) or just provide general financial advice. The time it takes for us to ‘get the job done’ depends on what you want us to do. For our initial consultation process (new clients) please allow about 30 minutes to collate the information we require, and about 1-2 hours for the consultation. Each client is encouraged to meet once every 1 or 2 years for a follow-up review.
Yes, the rules have moved on somewhat in this area even just in the last 24 months. Acting as guarantor means different things to different people so best to unpackage what that means with your parents first – ie., are they willing to front with the deposit? Are they happy to be on the hook for your entire mortgage or just a small portion of it? Once you have a bit more info, reach out to us and we can help you take your first step.
Yes, maybe! 1 – If you own your own home remember that this can also be thrown in the mix and in some cases you can still borrow 100% of the purchase price of a secondary home (like an investment property). 2 – You can actually borrow 90-95% of the purchase of a brand new home also.
Yes, personally, Darcy’s been investing in digital assets since 2017 and continually devotes a significant amount to continual learning in this space as evidenced by receiving a certificate in Blockchain and Digital Assets via The New York Institute of Finance. There’s a growing need for advisers to serve the growing numbers of Kiwi’s who invest in this space.
We’re specialists in re-structuring debt for tax efficiencies and in most cases, it’s never too late to sort this out. We’ll work in tandem with your accountant and/or solicitor to determine the most efficient way to structure your mortgage debt to achieve best tax efficiencies.
Absolutely – the best part about how Ungaro & Co work compared to most advisers, is that we provide stand-alone advice – at our ‘initial or strategy’ consultations, we can provide advice around your current situation without any pressure to implement anything. Many clients choose to initially engage us on this (fee-based) basis at the start of potentially working with us to implement something. Alternatively, if you have a good relationship already with someone who can implement the solution (or you’re a DIY investor), we can provide the different perspective that you’d otherwise be missing.
Sorry, I don’t know the answer to that. I’m a financial professional. It might be best to talk to your health professional on that one. Also, you might want to go get looked at sooner rather than later.