Like many other finance companies in New Zealand (along with lawyers, and real estate agents) Christian Savings is required to comply with the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009 (AML/CFT).

The AML/CFT Act requires us to identify our customers, understand their purpose of their business with us and their funds, understand the origin of the funds and customers wealth, as well as any future plans for the funds. This also may include extended due diligence and certified documentation for source of funds and wealth. The focus is on knowing our customer.

Each entity has their own programme that details how they will comply with the AML/CFT requirements. Our team have recently worked with our board and a risk management specialist to adjust our programme to better suit Christian Savings and our customers.

We are also required by the IRD under the new Common Reporting Standard (CRD) Legislation to collect Tax Residency information from our customers. Find out more about Tax Residency, what happens with this information, and why we are required to collect it here.

If you’re looking to apply for a loan from Christian Savings download our Information on our Borrowing page here and our Lending Application Form here.

We lend to churches and Christian charities in Aotearoa. We don’t do property lending for individuals, but in certain circumstances we lend to ministry workers.
Download our Information on Borrowing page to see if your organisation might be eligible, and for information on how we lend.

A Funeral Deposit account with Christian Savings is a flexible savings account where the funds are designed to be used for funeral expenses. Our minimum initial investment is $1,000. You can contribute to the account as often or as seldom as you like, it's up to you. You can make regular payments weekly, monthly or whenever you choose, while the account continues to earn interest. The interest rate you earn is the same as our 9-month rate, and interest is paid into the account twice a year.

We are always lookingfor ways to help Christian churches and charities, and our charitable deposits area way to do this. Please email office@christiansavings.co.nz and we will contact you with more information

With a Term Deposit, you decide how much you would like to invest, we pay you an agreed amount of interest, at the end of the term you can decide to invest more, change the term, or withdraw some or all of your investment.

Charitable Deposits work the same as a normal term deposit, but instead of earning interest on your investment we donate an amount equal to the interest you would have earned to an eligible charity of your choice.

All our deposits support and enable us to partner with churches and Christian charities throughout Aotearoa, New Zealand.

For term deposits under 9 months interest is paid at maturity. Our 9-month Term Deposit has interest paid quarterly. For term deposits 1 year and longer, interest is paid 6 monthly.

When you set up a term deposit, you can choose either to have interest compounding (added back in to the principal), paid directly to a Christian Savings on call account or paid directly to your nominated bank account.

When setting up an account it’s important for us to get to know our customer. With personal accounts this is simpler than an entity, where multiple people manage the organisation, make decisions over the funds, have access to account information and give instruction for account changes.

With the AML/CFT Act we are required to identify anyone with effective control over the entity and/or the funds. This includes but is not limited to trustees, directors, shareholders, signatories, officers and any persons acting on behalf of the entity. Often with churches, this may include deacons or similar, as well as any other role, committee, or individual with significant control.

It will be different for each entity, so please contact us if you are unsure on who is a key individual for your entity.

This is possible, however it depends on the relationship with the person and the individual situation.

If you would like to open an account on behalf of a child under the age of 18 or on behalf of a parent, beneficiary/vulnerable person or someone with a disability, contact us at info@christiansavings.co.nz or call us on 0508 SAVINGS (0508 728 464) with your relationship to the person and whether you currently hold an active Power of Attorney for Property for the individual and we’ll see what we can do.

Email your deposit details to clientservices@christiansavings.co.nz or call us on 0508 SAVINGS (0508 728 464)

You can sign up for an individual or joint depositor account using our online form here.

If you would like to set up an account for an entity you can download our Entity Application form here.

New Zealand Citizens or Residents of all ages. We currently have over 2,000 depositors including individuals, families, companies, family trusts, charities, churches and denominations.