From helicopters to home loans: Maloney's bold pivot
Lara Jane Maloney (pictured) didn’t plan on a career in finance – but after launching helicopters and leading a youth charity, she found her calling in mortgage advice. Now at the helm of MyFutureNZ, she’s helping Kiwis ditch debt faster and build real wealth in the process.
How Lara Jane Maloney found her true flight path
Named one of NZ Adviser’s Elite Women for 2024, Maloney didn’t plan to become a mortgage adviser – let alone build a business helping Kiwis pay off their loans faster. But after a global marketing career and a helicopter prototype launch that nearly broke a world record, her return to New Zealand marked the start of something completely different.
“I never set out to be a financial adviser – or to build a business around helping Kiwis pay off their mortgages faster,” she says.
Back in Aotearoa, Maloney completed an MBA in marketing and finance and explored roles in the finance sector. But the opportunities didn’t align with her trajectory.
“Every offer was an entry-level role with a two- to three-year trajectory before advancement – and that didn’t align with where I wanted to be,” Maloney says.
That changed when she began contracting at Ray White City Realty and was asked to help set up a new financial services firm. As she wrote job descriptions for advisers, something clicked.
“I asked if I could join the business as an adviser, and the rest is history,” Maloney says.
That firm would become MyFutureNZ – where she now helps everyday clients turn their mortgage into a launchpad for long-term wealth.
From lending access to debt freedom
Maloney believes the industry’s most positive shift is a broader, more client-centric approach – one that moves beyond the transaction.
“There’s been a real shift toward client-centric advice – and that’s a good thing,” she says. “More advisers are starting to think beyond the transaction and ask, ‘How can we set this person up for long-term success?’”
At MyFuture, this philosophy is embedded in the business model.
“We don’t just help clients access lending; we help them get rid of it, then we leverage that to create wealth,” Maloney says. “And we’re not paid by the banks, so there’s no conflict when we’re providing advice around mortgages.”
Breaking the 30-year loan default
Despite progress, Maloney sees an industry-wide knowledge gap around debt structure and wealth building – not just among consumers, but across the adviser ecosystem.
“I’m constantly having to educate mortgage brokers and bank staff about why a client’s current structure is not suitable,” she says.
The biggest concern? Clients being defaulted into long-term principal-and-interest loans that limit future financial choices.
“Most people are still defaulting into 30-year principal-and-interest loans without understanding the long-term impact that has on wealth creation,” Maloney says.
Her proposed solution is more collaboration and shared learning between brokers, planners, and debt specialists – backed by technology.
“The future of advice will be in integrated solutions – not siloed products,” Maloney says. “That’s why we’ve also developed Albert, our in-house financial modelling tool that powers our advice process and gives clients visibility over their progress.”
The heart of it: Financial literacy and impact
Before founding MyFuture, Maloney created a not-for-profit called Y for YOUTH, which aimed to bring sustainable funding to youth organisations across New Zealand. Its goal was ambitious: reduce youth suicide through better access to community support.
“The vision was to help successful youth organisations scale up their programs and get into the most in-need areas – with the ultimate goal to help reduce our youth suicide statistics,” she says.
Though Maloney’s now focused on financial advice, that experience still drives her.
“That experience taught me two things: one, that financial literacy is at the heart of long-term impact; and two, that I’m most fulfilled when I’m using my skills to help others build something better for their future,” she says.
Advice for new advisers: Empathy over everything
For anyone entering the mortgage or financial advice space, Maloney has one key takeaway:
“Care deeply. Honestly, that’s it. Care about your clients like they’re your family.”
In her view, technical skills are essential – but not enough on their own.
“Mortgage broking can be transactional by nature, but wealth creation is a 10+ year journey,” Maloney says. “At MyFuture, our recruitment philosophy comes down to one thing: does this person genuinely care?”
Because when life happens, Maloney believes it’s the advisers who lead with empathy that truly stand apart.
“When markets dip, plans wobble, or life throws curveballs, the advisers who show up with empathy and integrity are the ones who make the biggest difference,” she says.
