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Economy / News

Breakfast briefing: The US gets ever more erratic

25th Feb 26, 7:20am

Revenge tariffs in new twist; US economic data mixed; US voters tired of erratic Trump; Canada factories slow; China holds LPRs; EU car sales dip; ; UST 10yr at 4.03%; gold down, oil softish; NZ$1 = 59.7 USc; TWI-5 = 63.2

Public Policy / News

Labour's Carmel Sepuloni and Chris Hipkins attend the release of a report from the People’s Select Committee.

Public Policy / News

Labour pledges pay equity reversal but withholds specifics, for now

24th Feb 26, 4:36pm

by Anna Whyte

Labour vows repeal of pay equity changes but stops short of full blueprint

Business / News

Business / News

Podcast: 'Flabbergasted that AI hasn't become a political talking point'

24th Feb 26, 10:30am

by Gareth Vaughan

Artificial intelligence expert Mark Laurence calls for a non-partisan New Zealand government-led AI strategy

Insurance / News

A composite image of a weather map overlayed with a hand holding a miniature house and another hand holding an umbrella.

Insurance / News

Severe convective storms the costliest peril in 2025 globally

24th Feb 26, 1:50pm

by Mandy Te

Global natural disasters continue to cost insurers billions, as New Zealand has a relatively ‘quiet’ 2025 with three events totalling at least $120 million

Currencies / Analysis

Currencies / Analysis

NZD stable but JPY weaker

25th Feb 26, 7:24am

by Jason Wong

US 10% global tariff comes into effect; no sign yet of the threatened higher 15% rate. US equities have recovered some of yesterday’s losses. Global rates have shown only minor movements

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Public Policy / Analysis

Public Policy / Analysis

Te wiki o te tāke: The key themes for 2026 are clear

24th Feb 26, 11:01am

by Terry Baucher

The New Zealand Tax Podcast; Inland Revenue to keep ramping up enforcement, the US will go its own way, and it’s a NZ election year so get ready for a lot of politicking about tax

Public Policy / News

High numbers of Kiwis have left the country long-term under both National and Labour governments

24th Feb 26, 10:56am

by Greg Ninness

The current exodus of New Zealand citizens overseas began in earnest under Labour while Hipkins was PM

Economy / Opinion

Social cohesion – lessons from Australia?

24th Feb 26, 11:36am

by Ross Stitt

Ross Stitt is watching Australia as they look for some ways to combat extremism. But in the meantime, it will keep antisemitism, islamophobia, and the state of Australia’s social cohesion in the headlines

Personal Finance / Opinion

Personal Finance / Opinion

Paying down debt: it’s about more than numbers

24th Feb 26, 9:21am

by Lynda Moore

Lynda Moore says debt isn’t just a financial problem. It carries an emotional weight that’s often overlooked, and addressing that too usually makes for a more positive outcome

Public Policy / News

The Budget Brief: Willis presses government agencies to pay their way

24th Feb 26, 5:00am

Anna Whyte

Economy / News

What happened Tuesday

24th Feb 26, 3:59pm

David Chaston

Personal Finance / News

Kiwibank raises its floating mortgage rate

23rd Feb 26, 10:31am

David Chaston

A composite image of grid paper and a colourful background featuring piggy banks overlayed with images of a hand holding New Zealand money, a hand holding a credit card, antenna logos, and Reserve Bank chief economist Paul Conway.

Economy / News

RBNZ’s Paul Conway on why he believes inflation will drop to 2%

23rd Feb 26, 9:33am

Mandy Te

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins speaks at the 2023 Labour Congress in Wellington

Public Policy / News

Hipkins unveils election focus, rejecting government's LNG plan & wouldn't toll existing bridge

[updated]

23rd Feb 26, 1:14pm

Anna Whyte

Economy / Opinion

Prove you are smarter than a monkey!

23rd Feb 26, 8:00am

David Chaston

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Personal Finance / Analysis

Westpac actions u-turn on longer mortgage rates ahead of rivals

[updated]

20th Feb 26, 4:31pm

David Chaston

As financial markets reset after a more dovish than anticipated Reserve Bank monetary policy review, Westpac is cutting three longer term home loan rates

Economy / News

A composite image of the Reserve Bank overlayed with an image of Reserve Bank Governor Anna Breman and percentage icons.

Dovish RBNZ holds OCR and says 'monetary policy is likely to remain accommodative for some time'

[updated]

18th Feb 26, 2:18pm

David Hargreaves

Reserve Bank holds the Official Cash Rate at 2.25% and is not forecasting a rise until either late this year or early next

Economy / News

RBNZ’s Paul Conway on why he believes inflation will drop to 2%

23rd Feb 26, 9:33am

Mandy Te

RBNZ chief economist Paul Conway says it’s not optimism to think inflation will fall to 2%, it’s New Zealand’s economic fundamentals

Property / Analysis

Substantial improvement in housing affordability for first home buyers as prices slide

22nd Feb 26, 6:00am

Greg Ninness

Housing is now the most affordable it has been for first home buyers in more than five years as prices drop at the bottom of the market

Economy / News

Reserve Bank Governor Anna Breman speaks to reporters at the February Monetary Policy Statement media conference.

RBNZ not planning OCR hikes until it sees more inflation & stronger economy, sees flat house prices

18th Feb 26, 7:23pm

Mandy Te

Governor Anna Breman says Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee isn’t planning on hiking the Official Cash Rate ‘until we see more inflationary pressures and a stronger economy’

Public Policy / News

How the Infrastructure Commission crunched the Auckland Harbour crossing numbers

20th Feb 26, 1:28pm

Anna Whyte

Inside the $9 toll: How the Infrastructure Commission came to its Auckland harbour crossing figure

Personal Finance / News

Kiwibank raises its floating mortgage rate

23rd Feb 26, 10:31am

David Chaston

The out-of-cycle hike of its floating home loan rates by Kiwibank comes in response to two pressures; its low earnings, and that the Co-op Bank has taken its mantle for this type of mortgage rate