Bernard Hickey | interest.co.nz

About

Bernard is back as a senior contributor on interest.co.nz. Until September 30, 2012 he was the managing editor here. He had previously worked for 18 years for Reuters, the FT Group and Fairfax as a financial journalist and editor. He is now the publisher of The Kaka.

Member for

15 years 6 months

Latest articles

Roost Home Loan Affordability report for October

Home loan affordability worsened in much of the country in October, but improved slightly in central Auckland, Hamilton and Queenstown

28th Nov 14, 10:42am

by Bernard Hickey

Home loan affordability worsened in much of the country in October, but improved slightly in central Auckland, Hamilton and Queenstown

Bernard's Top 10

Bernard's Top 10 at 10: How Europe is turning Japanese; Just restructure the euro-debt; World Bank climate change warning; The Chinese general's tonne of cash; Dilbert

26th Nov 14, 12:25pm

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard's Top 10 at 10: How Europe is turning Japanese; Just restructure the euro-debt; World Bank climate change warning; The Chinese general's tonne of cash; Dilbert

Goff calls for Key to resign over SIS

Phil Goff calls for Key to apologise or resign after Gwyn report on OIA dealings with Slater; Key denies any wrongdoing; Says Collins could return as minister

25th Nov 14, 3:38pm

by Bernard Hickey

Phil Goff calls for Key to apologise or resign after Gwyn report on OIA dealings with Slater; Key denies any wrongdoing; Says Collins could return as minister

Key says deficit forecast possible

Key acknowledges Treasury may forecast budget deficit in December 16 HYEFU, but he remains confident of final surplus

24th Nov 14, 4:51pm

by Bernard Hickey

Key acknowledges Treasury may forecast budget deficit in December 16 HYEFU, but he remains confident of final surplus

Little picks Robertson for Finance

New Labour Leader Andrew Little chooses Grant Robertson as Finance Spokesman; Little talks up wealth taxes and KiwiBuild, but talks down Capital Gains Tax

24th Nov 14, 1:11pm

by Bernard Hickey

New Labour Leader Andrew Little chooses Grant Robertson as Finance Spokesman; Little talks up wealth taxes and KiwiBuild, but talks down Capital Gains Tax

Disruption on the road ahead

Bernard Hickey asks why the Government is over-spending on motorways when new technologies could render them white elephants

23rd Nov 14, 7:27am

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard Hickey asks why the Government is over-spending on motorways when new technologies could render them white elephants

Bernard's Top 10 at 10

Bernard's Top 10 at 10: Bill Gross' US$290 mln bonus for failing; Russell Brand and the Tory landlord; Taxing carbon and the end of the world; Germany's housing solution; Dilbert

19th Nov 14, 11:29am

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard's Top 10 at 10: Bill Gross' US$290 mln bonus for failing; Russell Brand and the Tory landlord; Taxing carbon and the end of the world; Germany's housing solution; Dilbert

Labour elects Little as leader

Labour Party elects Andrew Little as leader; he has been sceptical about Labour's plans for Capital Gains Tax and later eligibility for NZ Superannuation

18th Nov 14, 2:02pm

by Bernard Hickey

Labour Party elects Andrew Little as leader; he has been sceptical about Labour's plans for Capital Gains Tax and later eligibility for NZ Superannuation

Amazingly disastrous Auckland

Bernard Hickey looks deep inside the Reserve Bank's Financial Stability report and finds out just how much Auckland's housing market dictates New Zealand's finances

16th Nov 14, 7:30am

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard Hickey looks deep inside the Reserve Bank's Financial Stability report and finds out just how much Auckland's housing market dictates New Zealand's finances

Bernard's Top 10

Britain's rise of the machines and 10 million missing jobs; Here comes Xi; Just study the ABs; London's sociopathic City bankers; Clarke and Dawe; Dilbert

14th Nov 14, 2:24pm

by Bernard Hickey

Britain's rise of the machines and 10 million missing jobs; Here comes Xi; Just study the ABs; London's sociopathic City bankers; Clarke and Dawe; Dilbert

RBNZ eyes house price 'speed limit'

RBNZ's Wheeler says wouldn't want to see house price inflation faster than household income growth of around 5%

12th Nov 14, 7:41pm

by Bernard Hickey

RBNZ's Wheeler says wouldn't want to see house price inflation faster than household income growth of around 5%

Wheeler says Auckland now "not a bubble"

RBNZ's Wheeler says annual Auckland house price inflation of 8.5% "not a bubble", but it would have been a bubble over 20% without LVRs

12th Nov 14, 1:38pm

by Bernard Hickey

RBNZ's Wheeler says annual Auckland house price inflation of 8.5% "not a bubble", but it would have been a bubble over 20% without LVRs

RBNZ keeps LVR handbrake on

RBNZ leaves high LVR speed limit in place "at this time" because of risk of resurgence of house price inflation; warns of risk of dairy debt and China slowdown

12th Nov 14, 9:06am

by Bernard Hickey

RBNZ leaves high LVR speed limit in place "at this time" because of risk of resurgence of house price inflation; warns of risk of dairy debt and China slowdown

Rein in the rentiers too

Bernard Hickey argues the Reserve Bank should press on with tougher capital rules for loans to landlords with more than five properties

9th Nov 14, 7:25am

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard Hickey argues the Reserve Bank should press on with tougher capital rules for loans to landlords with more than five properties

Tax receipts better than forecast

Treasury reports tax revenues NZ$287 mln higher in three mths to September than forecast in PREFU on higher income, corporate tax receipts

7th Nov 14, 10:21am

by Bernard Hickey

Treasury reports tax revenues NZ$287 mln higher in three mths to September than forecast in PREFU on higher income, corporate tax receipts

Bernard's Top 10 at 10

China's demographic cliff; 'Print like there's no tomorrow to drag rates below zero'; Why the public is usually wrong; John Oliver vs John Key and Big Sugar; Dilbert

5th Nov 14, 10:08am

by Bernard Hickey

China's demographic cliff; 'Print like there's no tomorrow to drag rates below zero'; Why the public is usually wrong; John Oliver vs John Key and Big Sugar; Dilbert

English flags new outsourcing reforms

English announces plans for 'social investment' reforms in Budget 2015 that may lead to wider Whanau Ora-style outsourcing to community groups

4th Nov 14, 4:07pm

by Bernard Hickey

English announces plans for 'social investment' reforms in Budget 2015 that may lead to wider Whanau Ora-style outsourcing to community groups

RBNZ delays rental property loan move again

RBNZ delays plan to require banks to hold more capital for mortgages to rental property investors with more than five properties to first half of 2015

3rd Nov 14, 2:40pm

by Bernard Hickey

RBNZ delays plan to require banks to hold more capital for mortgages to rental property investors with more than five properties to first half of 2015

Trapped in a low inflation vice

Bernard Hickey argues councils and the Government are now trapped in a political vice of low inflation expectations as they grapple with funding big infrastructure investments

2nd Nov 14, 7:30am

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard Hickey argues councils and the Government are now trapped in a political vice of low inflation expectations as they grapple with funding big infrastructure investments

English reminds savers of no guarantee

English reminds term deposit savers there is no Government Guarantee and fends off Winston Peters' call for deposit insurance

30th Oct 14, 2:26pm

by Bernard Hickey

English reminds term deposit savers there is no Government Guarantee and fends off Winston Peters' call for deposit insurance

RBNZ drops talk of future rate hikes

RBNZ holds OCR at 3.5%; says "period of assessment appropriate"; drops comment on further hikes; warns again on high NZ$

30th Oct 14, 9:10am

by Bernard Hickey

RBNZ holds OCR at 3.5%; says "period of assessment appropriate"; drops comment on further hikes; warns again on high NZ$

Key warns of big pay equity costs

Key says Government considering budget costs of pay equity ruling; could add "hundreds of millions" in costs; BusinessNZ suggests law change

29th Oct 14, 10:11am

by Bernard Hickey

Key says Government considering budget costs of pay equity ruling; could add "hundreds of millions" in costs; BusinessNZ suggests law change

Roost Home Loan Affordability report for September

NZ home loan affordability flat as house prices stagnate

28th Oct 14, 4:42pm

by Bernard Hickey

NZ home loan affordability flat as house prices stagnate

When a 'demographic dividend' becomes a 'demographic drag'

Bernard Hickey looks at whether a demographic dividend for the economy over the last 50 years is about to turn into a demographic drag

26th Oct 14, 7:30am

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard Hickey looks at whether a demographic dividend for the economy over the last 50 years is about to turn into a demographic drag

OCR seen on hold until Sept 2015

Stats NZ says CPI rose 0.3% in Sept qtr and 1.0% in year to Sept qtr; weaker than economists' forecasts of 0.5% for qtr and 1.1% for year

23rd Oct 14, 11:04am

by Bernard Hickey

Stats NZ says CPI rose 0.3% in Sept qtr and 1.0% in year to Sept qtr; weaker than economists' forecasts of 0.5% for qtr and 1.1% for year