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

Who will help the grown-up?

Bernard Hickey calls for some political support for RBNZ Governor Wheeler's attempts to slow down the housing market

21st Jul 13, 8:54am

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard Hickey calls for some political support for RBNZ Governor Wheeler's attempts to slow down the housing market

Roost home loan affordability report for June

Home loan affordability worsens as loan limits near; banks tighten decision making; expert advice now more important

19th Jul 13, 11:42am

by Bernard Hickey

Home loan affordability worsens as loan limits near; banks tighten decision making; expert advice now more important

Friday's Top 10 at 10

Friday's Top 10 at 10: How MoTown went from the 'Arsenal of Democracy' to bankrupt in 50 years; Elon Musk's vacuum tube hyper-loop; How to close NZ's long term fiscal gap; The IMF's China warning; Dilbert

19th Jul 13, 11:15am

by Bernard Hickey

Thursday's Top 10 at Midday

Thursday's Top 10 at Midday: Is there sugar in our manuka honey exports to China?; NZ's GINI coefficient since 1982; Why the 2nd quintile is struggling; Paul Krugman and the zombie fallacy; Smart nappies; Dilbert

18th Jul 13, 1:12pm

by Bernard Hickey

Mortgage approval growth slumping

NZ banks already clamping down on low deposit mortgages ahead of RBNZ speed limit; Brokers say approval times blow out; approval growth slumps from 17% to 3% in 8 weeks

18th Jul 13, 9:52am

by Bernard Hickey

NZ banks already clamping down on low deposit mortgages ahead of RBNZ speed limit; Brokers say approval times blow out; approval growth slumps from 17% to 3% in 8 weeks

Wednesday's Top 10 at 10

Wednesday's Top 10 at 10: How a low base makes small rate hikes much bigger; How big should a Basic Income Guarantee be?; The semiotics of the Taper; John Oliver is back; Dilbert

17th Jul 13, 11:41am

by Bernard Hickey

Wednesday's Top 10 at 10: How a low base makes small rate hikes much bigger; How big should a Basic Income Guarantee be?; The semiotics of the Taper; John Oliver is back; Dilbert

China eyes Christchurch rebuild

China's CSCEC, world's biggest home builder, forms JV with Dunedin Stadium builder to bid for Christchurch projects; eye cheap steel imports from CSCEC's steel mills

17th Jul 13, 9:42am

by Bernard Hickey

China's CSCEC, world's biggest home builder, forms JV with Dunedin Stadium builder to bid for Christchurch projects; eye cheap steel imports from CSCEC's steel mills

Greens, Labour go ballistic over LVRs limit

Labour accuses PM Key of 'handing loaded gun' to RBNZ on high LVRs speed limit policy; Greens want Key to over-ride RBNZ with first home buyers exemption

16th Jul 13, 1:10pm

by Bernard Hickey

Labour accuses PM Key of 'handing loaded gun' to RBNZ on high LVRs speed limit policy; Greens want Key to over-ride RBNZ with first home buyers exemption

Tuesday's Top 10 at 10

Tuesday's Top 10 at 10: 'Dear politicians: Just lay off the RBNZ on first home buyers'; Chilling infrastructure; Old retailing dogs learning new tricks; The speech of the year; Dilbert

16th Jul 13, 11:54am

by Bernard Hickey

Tuesday's Top 10 at 10: 'Dear politicians: Just lay off the RBNZ on first home buyers'; Chilling infrastructure; Old retailing dogs learning new tricks; The speech of the year; Dilbert

Inflation tad weaker than expected

NZ CPI rose 0.2% in June qtr from March quarter; up 0.7% from year ago; lower than consensus forecast of 0.3% for qtr and 0.8% for year

16th Jul 13, 10:53am

by Bernard Hickey

NZ CPI rose 0.2% in June qtr from March quarter; up 0.7% from year ago; lower than consensus forecast of 0.3% for qtr and 0.8% for year

Bankers expect 12% speed limit

Bankers say RBNZ about to impose 12% speed limit on the share of new mortgage lending coming from high LVR mortgages; exemptions unlikely

15th Jul 13, 12:18pm

by Bernard Hickey

Bankers say RBNZ about to impose 12% speed limit on the share of new mortgage lending coming from high LVR mortgages; exemptions unlikely

Address the elephant

Neither economic growth, migration or even the tooth fairy are going to blunt the eventual impact of our ageing society, says Bernard Hickey

14th Jul 13, 9:19am

by Bernard Hickey

Neither economic growth, migration or even the tooth fairy are going to blunt the eventual impact of our ageing society, says Bernard Hickey

Bernard's guide to Fixing vs Floating

Bernard Hickey looks at whether or fix or float, what's happening with house prices, and what economists are saying

12th Jul 13, 3:28pm

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard Hickey looks at whether or fix or float, what's happening with house prices, and what economists are saying

Friday's Top 10 at 10

Friday's Top 10 at 10: Is Beijing about to blink?; Why the wheels are falling off in Southern Europe; 'How to bribe a Chinese official'; Clarke and Dawe on the Tour de France; Dilbert

12th Jul 13, 10:58am

by Bernard Hickey

Friday's Top 10 at 10: Is Beijing about to blink?; Why the wheels are falling off in Southern Europe; 'How to bribe a Chinese official'; Clarke and Dawe on the Tour de France; Dilbert

Treasury eyes Long Term Fiscal options

Treasury forecasts government debt blowout by 2060 without pension or health spending changes due to ageing population; suggests options for reform; says no crisis for now

11th Jul 13, 2:15pm

by Bernard Hickey

Treasury forecasts government debt blowout by 2060 without pension or health spending changes due to ageing population; suggests options for reform; says no crisis for now

Thursday's Top 10 at 10

Thursday's Top 10 at 10:'We are inside China, but China is not inside us'; How QE is not working; A rare coin collapse in Western Australia; Should NZ become goat central; The debt canary in Australia's coal mine; Dilbert

11th Jul 13, 10:20am

by Bernard Hickey

Wednesday's Top 10 at 10

Wednesday's Top 10 at 10: Central banks go Gangnam style with bubble popping tools; China's Vietnamese-sized credit hole; Steve Keen vs neo-classical economists; How Econ 101 is killing America; Dilbert

10th Jul 13, 10:55am

by Bernard Hickey

Tuesday's Top 10

Tuesday's Top 10: Why Auckland's housing boom is not mostly about supply; Banks face over US$300 bln of losses from Treasuries slump; China's monstrous and delicate bubble; The outrageously crass Clive Palmer; Dilbert

9th Jul 13, 12:27pm

by Bernard Hickey

'OCR on hold til mid 2014' - NZIER

NZIER says business confidence survey shows GDP growth running at around 2% with low inflation pressures; RBNZ unlikely to hike OCR until mid 2014

9th Jul 13, 10:06am

by Bernard Hickey

NZIER says business confidence survey shows GDP growth running at around 2% with low inflation pressures; RBNZ unlikely to hike OCR until mid 2014

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Not hedging is speculating

Kiwibank's Nigel Gaudin explains why and how many exporters and importers are hedging their revenues and costs to reduce their risks from big currency moves

8th Jul 13, 2:26pm

by Bernard Hickey

Kiwibank's Nigel Gaudin explains why and how many exporters and importers are hedging their revenues and costs to reduce their risks from big currency moves

The problem with councils

Bernard Hickey calls for a change in incentives for Councils rather than imposing central government control to free up housing supply and affordability

7th Jul 13, 8:19am

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard Hickey calls for a change in incentives for Councils rather than imposing central government control to free up housing supply and affordability

Friday's Top 10

Friday's Top 10: Living richer, fatter, unhappier and shorter lives; The surprising place where house prices are the highest; 'Economics is all about babies'; Beneath the One Plan stoush; Clarke and Dawe; Dilbert

5th Jul 13, 2:24pm

by Bernard Hickey

Budget deficit below forecast again

NZ budget deficit lower than expected again as stronger corporate profits and stock markets boost tax returns and abnormal gains

5th Jul 13, 10:22am

by Bernard Hickey

NZ budget deficit lower than expected again as stronger corporate profits and stock markets boost tax returns and abnormal gains

Thursday's Top 10 at 10

Thursday's Top 10 at 10: Why China's economic growth could stall and turn into a hard landing; Glenn Stevens' dry sense of humour hits the A$ hard; An island where people forget to die; Dilbert

4th Jul 13, 10:26am

by Bernard Hickey

Thursday's Top 10 at 10: Why China's economic growth could stall and turn into a hard landing; Glenn Stevens' dry sense of humour hits the A$ hard; An island where people forget to die; Dilbert

ChCh in crisis as consents fiasco claims CEO

Christchurch CEO put on leave; acting CEO appointed; Parker agrees to appoint Crown Manager for building consents; Manager can direct Council staff

3rd Jul 13, 1:36pm

by Bernard Hickey

Christchurch CEO put on leave; acting CEO appointed; Parker agrees to appoint Crown Manager for building consents; Manager can direct Council staff