The SME Stream

Tensions are high for everyone right now, and I know most people will either be nervously checking their KiwiSaver balance on the daily, or completely ignoring it until things calm down a bit.  The most repeated advice advisors will be giving right now is to simply ignore your balance for the time being - that by the time the first bomb dropped, it was too late to change anything. But is that...

Buying your first home is seen as a key milestone signifying success in your financial journey, while “just" renting is somehow seen as being behind. But Luke Kemeys of the Keep the Change Podcast and Next Advisory sees it differently. For him, it’s a deliberate choice – and he thinks we need to look at renting differently. Luke joins Nadine Higgins to explain why he thinks renti...

Yesterday, Stats NZ released New Zealand’s GDP performance for the last quarter of 2025, and the government tells us things are looking good with gross domestic product rising 0.2 percent.   But the Reserve Bank had forecast growth of 0.5% - so while the latest results show we’re heading in the right direct...

In this episode, I break down the exact 3‑step framework I’ve used to launch and scale seven different businesses - including the strategies that took me from a broke 21‑year‑old to multiple 7‑figure exits. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, unsure where to start, or worried that the market is too saturated, this episode will show you exactly what to do next. 👉🏼 https://www.makeithappe...

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Mike Hosking for their weekly catch up to chat about the fuel crisis, economic management, and the possibility of the public placing blame on the current Government for the current financial struggles.  Luxon said, "we will do everything we can to support New Zealanders, but I have to be really straight up and honest and say we cannot support everybody,...

Garth Bray joins the show with the latest business news See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As business owners, you know how hard it is keeping up with your business, let alone the news. Join Wilhelmina O'Keeffe each week as she gives you a rundown of the biggest stories that could impact your business, so you can make informed decisions with expert advice.   This week,  GDP is up again but lower than expected - and that’s before the conflict in the middle east began, fue...

Sir Rod Drury believes it's New Zealand's time to step up and make a big difference in the world.  The Xero founder has been crowned the 2026 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year.  The judges noted in the ceremony last night his driving innovation, empowerment of Kiwi tech leaders, and his venture philanthropy.  He's involved in multiple projects including pushing for expansion of ren...

Why do some places become tech powerhouses while others, just as smart and connected, stall out?  In the latest episode of The Business of Tech, global innovation expert Mehran Gul, a former policy expert at the World Economic Forum, and the United Nations, dispels the myths about where breakthrough technology happens – and gives his take on what New Zealand should do to improve its inn...

The Government is looking into ‘doing something simple’ to get cash into Kiwis' wallets as fuel prices increase, refined oil proving a challenge.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking they need to balance the cost of living with the books.  “We need to be conscious of debt and borrowing.  “We need to look at working people in the low to middle inc...

New Zealand's economy wasn't doing as well as we thought, even before war broke out in the Middle East.  Latest Stats NZ data shows GDP rose just 0.2% in the December quarter – well under the Reserve Bank forecast of 0.5%.  Inflation hit 3.1% in the quarter, above the central Bank's forecast of 2.7%.  The Herald's Liam Dann told John MacDonald if the Iran conflict continues, w...

New Zealand's economy is heading into the current Middle East crisis noticeably weaker than expected. GDP's risen just 0.2 percent in the December quarter - well below many forecasts. It's also risen just 0.2 percent across the whole of last year, after growth in the September quarter was revised down. ANZ Senior Economist Matt Gault tells Ryan how the Reserve Bank will react to this news.  S...

Former Reserve Bank economist Michael Reddell says it's getting harder to know how much the economy's growing or shrinking. Stats NZ estimates GDP rose 0.2 percent in the December quarter, below most forecasts. But Reddell says it's also revised the figures for previous quarters. He says the 0.2 for December could still potentially be revised up as high as 0.5 percent, or as low as minus 0.1. LIST...

I’m sorry to say it’s a bit of a bad day - a day of rather unpleasant economic news, I’m afraid. Let’s start with the GDP number. It came in at 0.2 percent for the final quarter of last year, which is very much at the low end of expectations. We were looking for something in the range of 0.2 percent to 0.5 percent, with 0.5 percent being the Reserve Bank’s forecast. T...

In Leaders Getting Coffee episode 58, our guest Sharon Zollner, Chief Economist at ANZ Bank. At a time when the economic recovery in New Zealand is threatened, yet again, by a major international shock, we thought it was worthwhile to host one of the Country’s leading economists on Leaders Getting Coffee. And we weren’t disappointed. This week’s guest is one of the most entertain...

Jarden analyst reviews last night’s GDT auction, up 0.1%, the sixth consecutive rise. While the result remained basically unchanged, “unders and overs” were all over the place. Whole milk powder down 4%, skim milk powder up 5.2%, anhydrous milk fat up 6.4%, butter down 0.9%, and cheddar up 0.1%.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Officials are calling out the Government for loosening KiwiSaver withdrawal rules in response to lobbying by Federated Farmers, rather than evidence-based advice. A newly-released Regulatory Impact Statement shows the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) opposed the Government’s proposal to allow KiwiSaver withdrawals for farmland.  NZ Herald Wellington business editor...

Economists are questioning Treasury's 'worst case' economic forecast from the Iran war. It predicts a worst case scenario of inflation hitting 3.7 percent this year - if the conflict persists. Independent economist Cameron Bagrie says he doesn't think Treasury has properly taken into account businesses feeling the second-hand impact of rising fuel prices. "If they've got a reason to push up prices...

Transporting NZ CEO Dom Kalasih says diesel price increase in Australia is lower See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The conflict in the Middle East is continuing on for another week, and it's got experts concerned about the economic impacts. Iran's blocking shipping in retaliation for the US and Israel bombardment - sending oil prices spiking. Milford Asset Management expert Michael Luke explained how markets have continued to drop. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economists are predicting promising economic results from the last quarter ahead of the ongoing ripple effects caused by war in the Middle East. GDP data for the December quarter is being released just before 11 this morning. Both Westpac and ASB are anticipating 0.4% quarterly growth. ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley told Mike Hosking exports have largely been the driver.  But Tuffley says r...

Westpac's chief economist is still holding out hope New Zealand will weather financial headwinds from the Iran war.  Stats NZ's releasing data for the December quarter just before 11am. Westpac and ASB have forecast 0.4% quarterly growth, while BNZ and Kiwibank suggest 0.3% and ANZ 0.2%. Kelly Eckhold told Ryan Bridge everyone's looking forward to the conflict's impacts, but he's optimistic.&...

Financial education is now embedded in maths classes for students in years 0-10, and from next year it will also form part of the social sciences curriculum. Until this year, financial education in schools has been haphazard, with research showing only 20 percent of students received it in some form. Sorted in Schools learning lead Yasmin Frazer joins Nadine to discuss what our kids are being...

Inflation could hit 3.7% under Treasury’s ‘worst-case’ inflation scenario.  It’s while petrol prices have risen about 45 to 50 cents a litre, adding about $23 to the price of filling an average car.   Finance Minister Nicola Willis has outlined the government's priorities - First a focus on supply chains, then potential and antic...

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.