With a banking background, Krista Brenssell became a mortgage and financial adviser to provide a local solution to a growing local problem.

With fewer local lending options and shrinking bank hours, she saw a need to do things differently.

“I wanted to extend the options we previously had available in the Waitaki,” she says.

Krista noticed friends travelling to deal with advisers in other centres and realised there was an opportunity to bring those services home.

Now, as part of Mortgage Lab, she offers access to 27 lenders from New Zealand’s main banks to second- and third-tier providers, and even international options like Bank of China.

“It just gives a bit of scope of service really,” she says.

“Obviously most people who live in Oamaru bank with one of those few banks that we have here.

“If they're not happy with the service or they're not happy with the rate, they feel they have to take it — because they can't go to Christchurch or they don't want to Zoom.”

Working for herself gives Krista the flexibility to meet her clients on their terms.

“You don't have to live chat it or leave a message, you know — you can actually talk to someone,” she says.

“I'm going to answer my phone, I will answer my email, I'll be the person showing up.

"They can just message me whenever they need or have a question. You can't do that with the bank.”

Banking experience makes a difference

Krista’s previous role with Kiwibank means she understands what banks need and the policies they work within.

“Banks can’t give you general financial advice,” she says, "they literally will give you a disclosure saying they can only tell you about what their bank offers.”

That narrow scope of service often limits the help banks can provide.

“Kiwibank doesn’t do personal loans, so as soon as you’ve got one, they refer you on.”

Krista, on the other hand, has oversight of multiple lenders and that makes a real difference.

“Westpac can’t tell you about Kiwibank,” she says, “but my job is to find the best solution for my customers and that means understanding what all my lenders are doing.”

Understanding what locals actually need

As a mum of two and a homeowner herself, Krista understands both the paperwork and the pressure.

“I am a mum, I’ve got two young kids, I have a mortgage. I understand the concept. I’ve gone from full-time work down to part-time work and back to full-time work again.”

She works with people accessing their KiwiSaver for a first home, those downsizing or refinancing, and others navigating more complex situations — like consolidating debt, applying for personal loans, or seeking short-term business finance.

“Whether you are with CCCFA or outside of it, there may be a suitable lender available,” she says.

“I had a client not long ago that did a small business loan.

“When you’ve got income coming in but you’re not quite there, it’s a hard situation.”

Another area where Krista can help is in recognising pressure points early and finding ways to ease them.

“If people might have three loans and I go, OK, you're paying a lot of money per month... that looks like five or six hundred dollars in repayments."

“Let’s debt consolidate, stretch it across a term, get a lower interest rate... and all of a sudden, that $600 might only look like $300.

“When you're in it, it’s very hard to see it,” she says.

“But when we look at it, we can see those pain points quickly — and that’s the whole point of a financial adviser."

"It’s not just about your mortgage — we’re looking at how you’re actually sitting financially, and how you can do better.”

Not just a loan, a long-term plan

The job, she says, isn’t just about one-off approvals but about helping build financial confidence over time.

People might have an appetite for debt or simply never had the chance to build financial literacy. Krista says one of her clients is a perfect example.

“We just needed to pull it down,” she says.

“So, we’ve got a plan, and that’s the thing, not everyone is buying tomorrow."

“I would say in about eight months, nine months’ time, I can get them in a house.”

While she provides advice to clients nationwide, Krista’s heart is in helping local.

She understands that money conversations can make people feel judged, but that’s not her role.

“I know what it’s like to pay day care and school fees. I have two kids in school. My income has changed up and down over time,” she laughs.

“I’m not some early twenties high flyer guy who doesn’t know what it’s like to experience life and costs — and yeah, I think that’s the difference.”

And when things work out?

“I always feel like I’m the one buying the house,” she laughs.

“I had two people the other day that I got letters of offers from the bank.

"They got declined at other banks, and it was so nice. They were so excited to go out to the open homes.”

Krista’s approach is clearly making a difference.

“I see that there’s a need for it because I’m super busy”, she says.

And she’s backed by the award-winning team at Mortgage Lab, recently recognised as Winner of Outstanding Brokerage (5+ Advisers) in the 2024 Kiwi Adviser Network Awards.

Contact Krista Brenssell, financial advisor: mortgages or drop by The Business Hive — she’s there most days.