Best Financial Advisors in Napier and Hastings
Every financial advisor in Napier and Hastings we could assess is listed here, ranked on public rating quality, review volume and how recent the reviews are. They hold 646 Google reviews between them. No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Last updated 30 September 2026. How we rank →
Before you hire
Whether you want investment advice, financial planning or wealth management, financial advisers in NZ must be licensed under the Financial Markets Conduct Act. Check their licence on the Financial Service Providers Register, ask how they are paid (fee-for-service or commission), and confirm they are required to act in your best interest, not just recommend suitable products.
Top 4 Financial Advisors in Napier and Hastings
The top 4 financial advisors in Napier and Hastings are #1 Finsol, #2 Credit House Finance, #3 Lifetime, and #4 Stewart Group, ranked by Top5 score. Scroll for our take on each, plus what to ask before you choose.
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1
Finsol Financial Advisers Napier
verifiedVerified★ 5.0 629 reviews +8 Top5 Score 196 +15★ 611 4★ 15 1★ 3Finsol guides clients through home purchases, refinancing, and KiwiSaver management, with advisers like Emma, Gareth, Samara, and Stuart known for explaining options clearly and working around client schedules including evenings. Meetings happen via video call or in person, and communication comes by phone, email, or text depending on what suits the client, so nothing falls through the gaps.
Reviews most often describe: First-home buyers and KiwiSaver clients needing flexible access
- ✓ Evening and video call appointments available to fit client schedules
- ✓ Advisers explain financial options in plain, easy-to-understand language
- ✓ Clients receive responses by phone, email, or text as needed
location_on 9 Customs Quay, Ahuriri, Napier schedule Mon–Fri 8am–5pm · Sat–Sun Closed
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2
Credit House Finance
↑ 1★ 4.6 9 reviews Top5 Score 1235★ 8 1★ 1Credit House Finance works with clients whose financial situations shift over time, adjusting arrangements rather than holding borrowers to rigid terms when circumstances change. Long-term clients point to a responsiveness that keeps the relationship working through different life stages, and the willingness to find workable solutions rather than simply saying no.
location_on 197 Marine Parade, Napier South, Napier
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3
Lifetime
↑ 1★ 5.0 4 reviews Top5 Score 1165★ 4We generate summaries once a business has enough reviews for a reliable sample.
location_on 310 Avenue Road East, Central Hastings, Hastings
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4
Stewart Group, Hawke's Bay
↑ 1★ 4.5 4 reviews Top5 Score 1145★ 2 4★ 2We generate summaries once a business has enough reviews for a reliable sample.
location_on 204 Karamu Road North, Hastings
Before you choose a financial advisor in Napier and Hastings
Drawn from 102 customer reviews collected for this page. The first answer is what it costs.
What does a financial advisor typically cost in New Zealand? expand_more
Fee structures in New Zealand fall into three main categories: hourly rates, flat fees, and commission-based models. Hourly rates run from $150 to $400, while a full financial plan often costs between $1,500 and $5,000.
Mortgage and insurance advisers frequently work on commissions paid by lenders or insurers, meaning the client pays nothing directly. Under the Financial Markets Conduct Act, all commissions and fees must be disclosed before advice is given, so ask for a disclosure statement upfront.
Does a financial advisor need to be licensed in New Zealand? expand_more
Since March 2023, anyone providing financial advice to retail clients for payment must operate under a Financial Advice Provider (FAP) licence issued by the Financial Markets Authority. Individual advisers work either under their own FAP licence or as authorised representatives of a licensed provider.
You can verify any adviser's status by searching the Financial Service Providers Register at the Companies Office website, which is free and publicly accessible. If an adviser cannot provide their FAP licence details or does not appear on that register, they are not legally allowed to advise you.
How do I know if the advice is tailored to my situation, or just a product recommendation? expand_more
Genuine tailored advice starts with questions about your goals, not a product pitch, and reviewers highlight advisers who took time to understand their full situation before making any recommendation. One pattern across reviews is advisers presenting multiple options and explaining the reasoning behind each, rather than arriving with a single solution already decided. Under the Financial Markets Conduct Act, advisers must disclose any commissions tied to a product recommendation, so if that disclosure does not appear before a specific product is suggested, treat it as a warning sign.
What are the warning signs of a financial advisor you shouldn't use? expand_more
- –An adviser who opens with a product recommendation before asking about your income, debts, goals, or family situation is skipping the fact-find that good advice depends on.
- –No written disclosure of fees or commissions before advice is given is a legal breach, not just poor practice.
- –Advisers who present only one option without explaining why alternatives were ruled out are limiting your ability to make an informed choice.
- –Poor responsiveness after the initial meeting is a red flag, one review noted an estate management situation where communication became dismissive once the relationship was established.
- –An adviser who cannot provide their FAP licence number or does not appear on the Financial Service Providers Register should not be engaged.
- –Vague explanations of how a product works, or reluctance to answer follow-up questions, suggests the advice is not genuinely client-focused.
What should you ask before hiring a financial advisor? expand_more
- –Ask how they are paid, whether that is a fee, a commission from a lender or insurer, or a combination, and request the disclosure statement in writing before any advice is given.
- –Ask which lenders, insurers, or product providers they have access to, since advisers with a narrow panel may not be able to find the most suitable option for your situation.
- –Ask whether they will present more than one option and explain the trade-offs of each, rather than arriving with a single recommendation.
- –Ask how they handle situations where your circumstances change, such as job loss, a growing family, or a business setback, and how often they will proactively check in.
- –Ask for their FAP licence number and look them up on the Financial Service Providers Register before signing anything.
- –Ask whether they specialise in the area you need, whether mortgage lending, KiwiSaver, insurance, or investment planning, since reviewers respond better to advisers with clear relevant expertise.
About this ranking
What the 4 financial advisors listed above hold, at the 30 September 2026 check.
We first assessed financial advisors in Napier and Hastings in July 2026 and have rechecked the ranking twice since. Finsol has held first place at every check. Across the 10 locations we assess financial advisors in, the 83 businesses listed have a median rating of 5.0, and one-star reviews are 1.1% of their total.
What has changed since July 2026? expand_more
- Sep 2026
Scoring method updated. Credit House Finance entered the top 4, up from #10. Lifetime entered the top 4, up from #8. Stewart Group entered the top 4, up from #9.
- Aug 2026
Credit House Finance entered the list at #10.
- Jul 2026
First check. Finsol #1.
How are the top financial advisors in Napier and Hastings chosen? expand_more
We build this page from Google Maps results for financial advisors in Napier and Hastings. Each one is scored on its public rating and review record. Businesses outside the area, or whose reviews describe a different line of work, are left out, and a business whose main Google category is a different trade is held back until a person has checked what it does. A business whose website no longer resolves and that has had no Google review for six months is treated as dormant and left off the page until either changes. Every category and city is rechecked on a rolling cycle, about every two to three months. A location with a subscribing business is rechecked every month, and the whole page updates with it. See how we rank for the full method.
What does a business subscription offer? expand_more
No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Claiming and verifying a listing is free. It adds a phone number to the card and a small trust bonus (+3 points) to its score, for confirming a real operator stands behind the listing. The owner also gets a dashboard showing how their score is made up. A paid subscription provides an enhanced card with more ways to reach the business, including a website link and a detailed profile page. It also refreshes this page monthly and adds ranking history and competitor analysis to the owner's dashboard. The subscription adds nothing to the score. Claim your listing or see what a subscription includes.
Why isn't my business listed? expand_more
We build this page from Google Maps results for financial advisors in Napier and Hastings. The usual reasons for missing out are a Google Business category that does not match, too few reviews to score near the top, or an address outside the area we cover. Sometimes we miss a business that should be here. Check where you rank first. If you are not there and think you should be, get in touch.