Joanne Chen
About Joanne
Mortgage Adviser | FSP No. 305426
Squirrel Mortgages Ltd | FAP Licence No. 136364
Jo is one of Squirrel’s founding team members with over two decades in financial services and specialist lending. She leads our Chinese market strategy across both mortgage advisory and investment, and is one of New Zealand’s few actuaries active in the development finance space — bringing rare technical know-how to complex, high-value deals.
A qualified investment adviser and active property developer, Jo combines first-hand project experience with strong networks in the Chinese community to connect capital with premium opportunities.
When she's not crunching numbers, Jo is out exploring the world — she’s visited over 40 countries and counting, always on the lookout for the next adventure!
WeChat: NZProperty23 | 微信
Qualifications
Post grad Dip. Finance, NZ Certification in Financial Services.
How Jo is paid
Jo is a salaried adviser and is paid the same no matter which lender you choose, so there's no pressure or bias toward any particular option. At a company level, Squirrel is paid either upfront or through a combination of upfront and trail commissions by its lenders and insurance providers.
In most cases, her services are completely free, however there may be some occasions where she might need to charge a fee. For more information, please head to our mortgage advice disclosure page.
Jo's commitment to you
As a licensed financial adviser, Jo follows the rules set out by the Financial Markets Conduct Act and the Code of Professional Conduct. This means she must put your interests first, act with care, skill and diligence, be competent and ethical and treat you fairly. Jo has no relevant convictions, bankruptcies or disciplinary actions to disclose.
Squirrel Mortgages Limited holds a Financial Advice Provider Licence issued by the Financial Markets Authority (FMA).
If you’re unhappy with the advice or service you receive and want to make a complaint, you can view our complaints process here.
Jo's profile was last updated: September 2025
- Call021 106 1961
- Emailjo@squirrel.co.nz
Don’t just take our word for it
Madhu P
New Zealand
We've worked with Ange and the team at Squirrel more than once now, and every time they've been absolutely fantastic. This time was no different, they looked after us from start to finish with the same professionalism, attention to detail, and just the right amount of hustle behind the scenes to make everything run smoothly. What I appreciate most is how they take the stress out of the process. I just tell them what we're trying to do, and they take care of the rest: crunching the numbers, dealing with the bank, and coming back with a clear plan. It means we can focus on the bigger picture without getting bogged down in the details. Even with a few curveballs from the bank this time, Ange and her team kept everything on track and moving forward. We managed to get both the sale and the purchase done without any delays or issues, which is exactly what you want in these situations. When we think about getting a loan, we think about Ange and the team, and no one else. I genuinely don't want to deal with any other company. They've earned that level of trust.
Suzanne
New Zealand
Sudam was great to deal with. I had already met with another broker and hadn't been happy with the interaction. Sudam's approach was completely different - he was really nice to talk to, very clear about the options and process, and made the whole thing easy for us. Sudam communicated well throughout and we're very happy with the outcome of switching our mortgage.
Guy
New Zealand
Very easy to deal with.
James
New Zealand
Fantastic to deal with, makes everything very effortless and provides great advice